Tripoli saw an influx of low-income migrants in the 1970s and 80s, lacking proper homes many chose to settle at the cemetery.[6] A 2010 Tripoli municipal study found some 1,000 residents, from 187 families, still living there in makeshift, self-built homes.[1][6] A rising birth rate meant that the population was expected to increase.[6] Despite influxes of Syrian refugees during the Syrian Civil War the majority of residents were of Lebanese origin.[7] The land is largely state-owned, with a portion owned, under mortmain, by a mosque and there are occasional land disputes between the owners and occupants.[1]
A 2015 report by the British branch of Care International reported poor living conditions with 20% living below the Sphere standards for covered living space.[8] The houses are often of single-room, single-storey construction and many families lack any furniture. Walls, roofs and foundations are often lacking and the houses are damp and cold in winter.[1] Although the municipal authorities allowed the installation of some electricity supplies basic infrastructure remains poor and sanitation is by means of open sewer.[6][1] There is poor access to water with 60% of toilet facilities lacking a sink with running water and three quarters of toilets lacking a door.[9] Incomes are low, though many families earn money by helping to bury the dead, despite being stigmatised for this.[1] Many of the children of the area do not attend school.[6] The municipal authorities have made plans to improve living conditions, including by constructing a new residential complex nearby.[6]
Some houses in the area were damaged by mortar fire during the Bab al-Tabbaneh–Jabal Mohsen conflict.[1] The inhabitants of Al-Ghuraba appeared in the 2007 documentary film The Strangers.[2]
