‘Anata-Shu’afat, Tue 14.2.12, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
Anata – 7:10
Three vehicle lanes open, traffic flows quickly. Only school buses use the northern lane.
On our way into the locality we saw children exiting the checkpoint on foot and waiting outside for their rides. The man from thae residents’ committee told us they’re students at the UN schools located outside the town. They don’t have access to private or municipal school transportation, and have to use public transportation.
There are four elementary schools in the Shuafat-Anata compound:
- A municipal boys’ school with 1,000 pupils
- A private girls’ school with 1,000 pupils
- Two UN schools with 5,000 boys and girls (one school for boys, one for girls)
Anata – 7:40
The municipal buses enter the pickup area one after another, the children get on and they immediately depart. 3,000 children used the municipal school buses and we never felt that things got out of control.
The head of the residents’ committee says that the pickup area is only temporary; it will be expanded when the legal procedures for acquiring land beyond the parking area have been completed.
The entering buses must drive backwards to enter their assigned places. It appears that safety has been improved and the children no longer pass between the vehicles, as they were doing three weeks ago.
The head of the committee says that 5 sensible adults are stationed there; their job is to direct the bus traffic and the children. A bus driving in reverse is guided by two men, one in front of the bus and one behind it.
Most of the children arrive from their neighborhood on foot, but some who live in Ras Hamis, the northern neighborhood, have to go through two crossings: one at the exit from their neighborhood to the main road, and the second to go through the main checkpoint to the bus area.
Anata – 7:50
Only two more buses come in to get the children who are late.
The residents’ committee deserves a hearty “Well done!”
Checkpoint Shu'afat camp / Anata-Shu'afat (Jerusalem)
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The Shu’afat checkpoint is located in the northern part of East Jerusalem at the exit from the village of Anata and the Shu’afat refugee camp, which are located in the area annexed to Jerusalem in 1967. The refugee camp borders the Shu’afat neighborhood to the west, Pisgat Ze’ev to the north, the French Hill neighborhood to the south and the planned expansion of Ma’aleh Adumim to E-1 in the east. It was established in 1966 for 1948 refugees from the West Bank and was populated after the Six Day War by persons who had been expelled from the Jewish Quarter. Today its population comprises some 25,000 people holding blue ID cards and some 15,000 people with Palestinian ID cards. The camp lacks adequate infrastructure and services, and suffers from poverty, neglect and overcrowding. All its buildings are connected to the public electricity and water infrastructure, but not all are connected to the sewer system. The camp’s services are provided by UNRWA, except for those such as health clinics and transportation of pupils to schools in Jerusalem. In 2005, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected a suit by the residents requesting that the route of the separation fence be drawn such that the camp would remain on the Israeli side, but conditioned its approval of the route on the establishment of a convenient and rapid crossing facility for the inhabitants of the neighborhood, most of whom are residents of Jerusalem.
A temporary checkpoint operated there until December, 2011. It was extremely congested during rush hours, and dangerous for pedestrians (especially children) because of inadequate safety provisions. The new checkpoint was inaugurated south of the old one, for public and private transportation and for pedestrians, intended solely for the residents of the camp – holders of blue ID cards, and those with Palestinian ID cards who possess appropriate permits. There are five vehicle inspection stations at the checkpoint, and two for pedestrians (one of which is currently closed) where scanners have been installed but are not yet operating. According to the army, representatives of government agencies will also be present to provide services to residents of the neighbourhood. The pedestrian lanes are very long, located far from the small parking lots, and accessible through only a single revolving gate.
Anat TuegJan-25-2026Anata: A new outpost has been built south of the junction
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