Ain al-Hilweh
عين الحلوة | |
|---|---|
  Ain al-Hilweh | |
| Coordinates: 33°32′37″N 35°22′41″E / 33.54361°N 35.37806°E | |
| Country |  Lebanon |
| Governorate | South Governorate |
| District | Sidon District |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.3 km2 (0.1 sq mi) |
| Population (2003) | estimated 120,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
Ain al-Hilweh (Arabic: عين الحلوة, lit. meaning "sweet natural spring"), also spelled as Ayn al-Hilweh and Ein El Hilweh, is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. It had a population of over 70,000 Palestinian refugees but swelled to nearly 120,000,[1] as a result of influx of refugees from Syria since 2011. The camp is located west of the village Miye ou Miye and the Mieh Mieh refugee camp, southeast of the port city of Sidon and north of Darb Es Sim.
Ain al-Hilweh was established near the city of Sidon in 1948 by the International Committee of the Red Cross to accommodate refugees from Amqa, Saffuriya, Sha'ab, Taitaba, Manshieh, al-Simireh, al-Nahr, Safsaf, Hittin, al-Ras al-Ahmar, al-Tira and Tarshiha in northern Palestine.[2] Ain Al-Hilweh is located on land owned by landowners from Miye ou Miye, Darb Es Sim and Sidon. Because Lebanese Armed Forces are not allowed to enter the camp, Ain al-Hilweh has been called a "zone of unlaw" by the Lebanese media.[3] Many people wanted by the Lebanese government are believed to have taken refuge in the camp as a result of the lack of Lebanese authority.[4]
- ^ ""Originally built in 1948 for 20,000 people, camp officials now put the figure at 120,000 residents, with each apartment on the 1,500 square-metre site hosting four to six families."". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ^ "UNRWA – United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East". UNRWA. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
- ^ "Atemschutzmasken für die Schutzausrüstung am Arbeitsplatz - kitkatta.net". Archived from the original on 3 September 2006.
- ^ "[Imc-beirut] Daily Star: Army beefs up security at Ain al-Hilweh". Archived from the original on 13 March 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2006.