Baqa'a refugee camp, Refugee camp in Balqa Governorate, Jordan.
Baqa'a is a Palestinian camp in Balqa Governorate, Jordan, now made up of several neighborhoods with concrete houses, schools, clinics, and a central market area. Streets run in a dense network between multi-story residential buildings, small shops, and public facilities spread across the grounds.
The camp started in 1968 with around 5,000 tents after approximately 26,000 people fled the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the 1967 conflict. Between 1969 and 1971, West German organizations helped replace the tents with more than 8,000 prefabricated shelters, which residents later rebuilt as permanent structures.
The market inside the settlement goes by the name Souq Al-Hal-lal and serves as a meeting point where families buy ingredients and goods linked to their Palestinian roots. Shopkeepers sell produce, spices, and everyday items that connect residents to the traditions they brought with them.
Access is possible through several roads leading into the settlement, and orientation is easiest when using the central market as a reference point. Pathways inside the grounds are often narrow, so taking time and watching for local signs helps with navigation.
More than 16,000 students attend classes in the settlement's schools, which operate in eight buildings across two daily shifts to accommodate everyone. Nearly 500 teachers work in these facilities, making education infrastructure a central part of everyday life here.
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