Palestine - Our communities

Ruwwad Palestine works with youth, children and women in five villages located in the west of Ramallah. Budrus, Qibya, Ni’lin, Der Qiddis and Shiqba used to be part of Ramleh prior to the 1948 Nakba, and have subsequently been annexed to Ramallah and Al-Beireh, after losing tens of square kilometers to the Israeli Occupation. The villages are, for the most part, poverty-stricken, suffering from various inequities and severe shortages of basic services.

Budrus

Its original area was 12 square kilometers. Today, due to the Israeli Occupation and systematic land confiscation, the village is only able to claim ownership of about eight square kilometers. With a population of around 2,000, the village suffers from high rates of truancy, destitution and soaring unemployment (40%). The village lacks a proper sewage system and faces regular electricity and water shortages.

Qibya

The population of Qibya counts for around 7,000, making it larger than all the surrounding villages. It is the only village in west Ramallah that lacks agricultural land and basic utilities, such as a sewage system and street lighting.

Ni’lin

The land of Ni’lin extended over 58 square kilometers before 1948. Today, only nine square kilometers have been spared. Ni’lin’s population is approximately 5,400.

Der Qiddis

The village originally encompassed an area of around 9.5 square kilometers, six kilometers of which have been spared from confiscation for settlement building and the Israeli separation wall. The population of Der Qiddis is 2,300.

Shiqba

Around 4,500 Palestinians live in Shiqba, which spreads over 13.85 square kilometers.