Studies of historical and recorded earthquakes in
Palestine demonstrate that damaging earthquakes are occurring frequently
along the Dead Sea Transform: Earthquake of 11 July 1927 (ML 6.2),
Earthquake of 11 February 2004 (ML 5.2). In order to reduce seismic
vulnerability of buildings, losses in lives, properties and
infrastructures, an attempt was made to estimate the percentage of
damage degrees and losses at selected refugee camps: Al Ama'ri, Balata
and Dhaishe. Assessing the vulnerability classes of building structures
was carried out according to the European Macro-Seismic Scale 1998
(EMS-98) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The rapid
assessment results showed that very heavy structural and non structural
damages will occur in the common buildings of the investigated Refugee
Camps (many buildings will suffer from damages grades 4 and 5). Bad
quality of buildings in terms of design and construction, lack of
uniformity, absence of spaces between the building and the limited width
of roads will definitely increase the seismic vulnerability under the
influence of moderate-strong (M 6-7) earthquakes in the future.