What Does It Take to Be Considered a Fully Functioning Community?
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What does it take to be considered a fully functioning community? If someone looks at cities like New York and Chicago, that person may consider them to be running successfully but what about Gaza? Gaza has been full of refugee camps since 1948 when a war broke out. However, there are guidelines for cities to follow to be considered fully developed. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or the UNRWA, is an organization that creates the lowest standard guidelines to be considered a wholly operating community. That organization helps aid citizens, like the refugees in Gaza, by supplying essentials to live. There are currently eight major refugee camps in Gaza being supported by UNRWA (Palestinian Refugees in Gaza UNRWA Camps). Some of the conditions communities have to follow to be running according to the UNRWA are- school meals, summer learning programs, extra classes in difficult courses, material for curriculum, proper living conditions, health and social service support, finances, shelter, and emergency aid (Gaza-UNRWA). In order to be considered an effective community, the community must include education, health standards, shelter, food and other basic essentials to live. Refugee camps in Gaza have come a far way since 1948, but in 2011 they still do not follow the basic guidelines according to the UNRWA to be a true community.
The camps in Gaza were created as temporary areas for basic survival after the war in 1948. Tents were gradually replaced by mud-brick and concrete-block structures. In May of 1950, less then 30% of refugees lived in refugee camps (Arab World). In fact, 79% of the refugees lived outside of the UNRWA program (Life in Palestinian Refugee Camps). Currently, the largest camp in Gaza is Baqaa and it is “estimated [that] 180,000 people [live