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Palestinian refugee camps

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Palestinian refugee camps
Summary

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Palestinian refugee camps were first established to accommodate Palestinians who were displaced by the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight during the 1948 Palestine war. Camps were established by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. A subsequent wave of Palestinian refugees were created in the Naksa after the Six-Day War in 1967.

There are 68 Palestinian refugee camps in total, 58 official and 10 unofficial, ten of which were established after the Six-Day War while the others were established in 1948 to 1950s.

Only a third of registered Palestinian refugees live within the boundaries of the refugee camps.

The number of registered Palestine refugees grew from 750,000 in 1950 to around 5 million in 2013.

History

File:Nahr al-Bared refugee camp 1952.webp|Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in Lebanon, 1952

File:Shatila - street view (3).jpg|Shatila refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut in 2019

Role of UNRWA

UNRWA's mandate is to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees, including access to its refugee camps. For this purpose, it defines Palestinian refugees as "persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict."

UNRWA also extends assistance to the patrilineal descendants of such refugees, as well as their legally adopted children.

[[Shu'fat Camp]] in the city of [[Jerusalem]], 2023. The official area of the camp is in the center of the image and is characterized by low-rise buildings; on either side of the camp are additional Palestinian neighborhoods located beyond the [[Israeli West Bank barrier]] (visible at the bottom of the image), where the buildings are taller.
[[Nabatieh refugee camp]] before and after its destruction by the Israeli military in 1974

For a camp to be recognized by UNRWA, there must be an agreement between the host government and UNRWA governing use of the camp. UNRWA does not itself run any camps, has no police powers or administrative role, but simply provides services to the camp. UNRWA recognizes facilities in 58 designated refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and it also provides facilities in other areas where large numbers of registered Palestine refugees live outside of recognized camps. UNRWA also provided relief to Jewish displaced persons inside Israel following the 1948 conflict until the Israeli government took over responsibility for them in 1952. Refugee camps developed from tented cities to rows of concrete blockhouses to urban ghettos indistinguishable from their surroundings (effectively becoming urban developments within existing cities or by themselves), that house around one third of all registered Palestine refugees.

The Funding for UNRWA activities comes almost entirely from voluntary contributions from UN member states. UNRWA also receives some funding from the Regular Budget of the United Nations, which is used mostly for international staffing costs.

List of camps

The camps are divided between five regions:

  • Gaza Strip: The Gaza Strip has eight official and no unofficial refugee camps, and 1,221,110 registered refugees.
  • West Bank: The West Bank has 19 official and four unofficial refugee camps, and 741,409 registered refugees.
  • Syria: Syria has nine official refugee camps and three unofficial refugee camps, and 499,189 registered refugees.
  • Lebanon: There are 12 official refugee and no unofficial camps in Lebanon, and 448,599 registered refugees.
  • Jordan: There are 10 official and three unofficial refugee camps in Jordan, and 2,034,641 registered refugees.
NameFoundedLocationStatusCoordinatesPopulationArea (km2)Density (pop/km2)CommentsRefsYarmoukRafahBaqa'aJabaliaKhan YunisAl-Shati (Beach camp)NuseiratAin al-HilwehAl-Wehdat refugee camp (Amman New Camp)MarkaJaramanaLatakiaBureijRashidiehJabal el-HusseinMaghaziJerashIrbidBalataDeir al-BalahHusn (Martyr Azmi el-Mufti camp)Burj el-ShamaliShu'fat campQabr EssitTulkarmBeddawiZarqaBourj el-BarajnehSoufAskarAl-NayrabDheishehQalandiaAl-HassanJeninJalazoneAl-SabinahHomsKhan DanounEl BussAl-ArroubKhan al-ShihShatilaNur ShamsDaraaFawwarWavelHamaAqabat JaberMadaba campFar'aTalbieh CampEin Beit al-Ma' (Camp No. 1)Sokhna campAm'ariEin Al-Tal (also known as Handarat camp)Nahr al-BaredMieh MiehAidaDbayehEin as-Sultan camp'Azza (Beit Jibrin)Deir 'Ammar CampQaddura campMar Elias refugee campSilwad CampAbu Shukheidim campBirzeit camp (As-Saqaeif)
1957SyriaUnofficialn.a.2.1n.a.Largely destroyed (was 160,000 population)
1949Gaza StripUNRWA125,304n.a.n.a.
1968JordanUNRWA119,0001.485,000
1948Gaza StripUNRWA113,9901.481,421
1949Gaza StripUNRWA87,8160.549159,956
1948Gaza StripUNRWA85,6280.52164,669
1949Gaza StripUNRWA80,194n.a.n.a.
1948LebanonUNRWA59,6600.3198,867url=https://www.nyidanmark.dk/-/media/Files/US/Landerapporter/Factfindingmission_Lebanon_1998.pdf?la=en-GB&hash=E4C43FEDE9F92ED581945E636DD2B84B01FEB97Etitle=Report on fact-finding mission to Lebanon 2 – 18 May 1998date=1 June 1998website=newtodenmark.dkpublisher=The Danish Immigration Serviceformat=PDFaccess-date=27 April 2020}}
1955JordanUNRWA57,0000.48118,750
1968JordanUNRWA53,0000.9257,609
1948SyriaUNRWA49,0000.031,633,333
1955–6SyriaUnofficial47,4000.22215,455
1949Gaza StripUNRWA43,3300.52981,909
1963LebanonUNRWA34,5840.25138,336
1952JordanUNRWA32,0000.4276,190
1949Gaza StripUNRWA31,3290.652,215
1968JordanUNRWA29,0000.7538,667
1951JordanUNRWA28,0000.24116,667
1950West BankUNRWA27,0000.25108,000
1948Gaza StripUNRWA25,5690.16159,806
1968JordanUNRWA25,0000.7732,468
1955LebanonUNRWA24,9290.134186,037
1965West BankUNRWA24,0000.2120,000
1967SyriaUNRWA23,7000.021,185,000
1950West BankUNRWA21,5000.18119,444
1955LebanonUNRWA21,2520.2106,260
1949JordanUNRWA20,0000.18111,111
1948LebanonUNRWA19,5390.104187,875
1967JordanUNRWA19,0000.538,000
1950West BankUNRWA18,5000.119155,462
1948SyriaUNRWA18,0000.15120,000
1949West BankUNRWA15,0000.3345,455
1949West BankUNRWA14,8000.4235,238
1967JordanUnofficial14,068n.a.n.a.title=Palestinian Refugees and Displaced Camps in Jordan: Prince Hassan Campurl=https://dpa.gov.jo/EN/ListDetails/Palestinian_Refugees_And_Displaced_Camps_in_Jordan/2095/12website=dpa.gov.joaccess-date=2 January 2024}}
1953West BankUNRWA14,0000.4233,333
1949West BankUNRWA13,0000.25351,383
1948SyriaUNRWA13,0000.03433,333
1949SyriaUNRWA13,0000.1586,667
1950SyriaUNRWA12,6500.03421,667
1948LebanonUNRWA12,2810.08153,513
1950West BankUNRWA12,0000.2450,000
1949SyriaUNRWA12,0000.6917,391
1949LebanonUNRWA10,8490.04271,225
1952West BankUNRWA10,5000.2150,000
1950SyriaUNRWA10,5001.38,077
1949West BankUNRWA9,5000.2735,185
1948LebanonUNRWA9,4600.043220,000
1950SyriaUNRWA9,0000.06150,000
1948West BankUNRWA8,6001.675,150
1956JordanUnofficial8,597n.a.n.a.
1949West BankUNRWA8,5000.2632,692
1968JordanUNRWA8,0000.1361,538
1950West BankUNRWA7,5000.045166,667
1969JordanUnofficial7,424n.a.n.a.sometimes transliterated 'Sakhna' or 'Sukhna'
1949West BankUNRWA7,0000.09672,917
1962SyriaUnofficialn.a.0.16n.a.Largely destroyed (was 7,000 population)
1949LebanonUNRWA5,8570.19829,581Reconstructed, was 27,000 population
1954LebanonUNRWA5,7470.054106,426
1950West BankUNRWA5,5000.07177,465
1956LebanonUNRWA4,5910.08454,655
1948West BankUNRWA3,8000.874,368
1950West BankUNRWA2,9000.027107,407
1949West BankUNRWA2,5000.16215,432
1948West BankUnofficial1,558n.a.n.a.
1952LebanonUNRWA7250.0054134,259
1971West BankUnofficial462n.a.n.a.
1948West BankUnofficialn.a.n.a.n.a.Town of Abu Shukhaydam (sic) shows on maps as ~1 mi SW of Birzeit
1948West BankUnofficialn.a.n.a.n.a.title=مخيم بير زيتtrans-title=Bir Zeit campurl=https://palcamps.net/ar/camp/84website=palcamps.netaccess-date=4 January 2024archive-date=4 January 2024archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104005840/https://palcamps.net/ar/camp/84url-status=dead }}

Population statistics

The evolution of Palestinian refugee population is shown below:

195019601970198019902000200420092018JordanLebanonSyriaWest BankGaza StripTotal registered refugees
506,200613,743506,038716,372929,0971,570,1921,758,2741,951,6032,242,579
127,600136,561175,958226,554302,049376,472396,890422,188475,075
82,194115,043158,717209,362280,731383,199417,346461,897560,139
––272,692324,035414,298583,009675,670762,820846,465
198,227255,542311,814367,995496,339824,622938,5311,073,3031,421,282
914,2211,120,8891,425,2191,844,3182,422,5143,737,4944,186,7114,671,8115,545,540

The number of Palestinian refugees living within the UNWRA registered area of operations is shown below, both those living in camps and those living outside camps:

Registered persons (refugees and other)Registered refugees in camps% registered refugees in camps
1953870,158300,785
1955912,425351,532
19601,136,487409,223
19651,300,117508,042
19701,445,022500,985
19751,652,436551,643
19801,863,162613,149
19852,119,862805,482
19902,466,516697,709
19953,246,0441,007,375
20003,806,0551,227,954
20054,283,8921,265,987
20104,966,6641,452,790
20155,741,4801,632,876
20186,171,7931,728,409

The table below shows the population of registered refugees, other registered people, and refugees residing in camps, in 2018. UNRWA's definition of Other Registered Persons refer to "those who, at the time of original registration did not satisfy all of UNRWA's Palestine refugee criteria, but who were determined to have suffered significant loss and/or hardship for reasons related to the 1948 conflict in Palestine; they also include persons who belong to the families of other registered persons."

JordanLebanonSyriaWest BankGaza StripTotal
Registered refugees2,242,579475,075560,139846,4651,421,282
Other registered people133,90258,81083,003201,525149,013
Total registered people2,376,481533,885643,1421,047,9901,570,295
Refugees living within official camp borders412,054270,614194,993256,758593,990
% living within camp borders18.4%57.0%34.8%30.3%41.8%

References

Bibliography

References

  1. MacDonald, Alex. (19 December 2023). "Israel-Palestine war: A brief history of refugee camps in Gaza".
  2. [[UNWRA]], [http://www.unrwa.org/etemplate.php%3Fid%3D86 Palestine refugees]
  3. [https://www.un.org/unispal/document/unrwa-annual-operational-report-2019-for-the-reporting-period-01-january-31-december-2019/ UNRWA Annual Operational report 2019 for the Reporting period 01 January – 31 December 2019], pages 168-169, "Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Statistics"
  4. Most have integrated socially and economically outside the camps. Many live in adjacent geographic areas.[https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/survey2016-2018-eng.pdf BADIL Refugee Survey 2016-18], page 29, 34, 35
  5. "Who We Are - UNRWA". [[United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
  6. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/yarmouk-unofficial-camp UNRWA Yarmouk Camp]
  7. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/rafah-camp UNRWA Rafah Camp]
  8. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/baqaa-camp UNRWA Baqa'a refugee camp]
  9. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/jabalia-camp UNRWA Jabalia Camp]
  10. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/khan-younis-camp UNRWA Khan Yunis Camp]
  11. "UNRWA: Refugee camp profiles: Gaza field office".
  12. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/beach-camp UNRWA Al-Shati Camp]
  13. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/nuseirat-camp UNRWA Nuseirat Camp]
  14. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/ein-el-hilweh-camp UNRWA Ain al-Hilweh]
  15. (1 June 1998). "Report on fact-finding mission to Lebanon 2 – 18 May 1998". The [[Danish Immigration Service]].
  16. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/amman-new-camp UNRWA Al-Wehdat refugee camp]
  17. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/marka-camp UNRWA Marka refugee camp]
  18. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/jaramana-camp UNRWA Jaramana]
  19. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/latakia-unofficial-camp UNRWA Latakia Camp]
  20. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/bureij-camp UNRWA Bureij]
  21. "UNRWA: Refugee camp profiles: Gaza field office". UNRWA.
  22. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/rashidieh-camp UNRWA Rashidieh]
  23. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/jabal-el-hussein-camp UNRWA Al-Abdali]
  24. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/maghazi-camp UNRWA Maghazi (camp)]
  25. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/jerash-camp UNRWA Jerash]
  26. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/irbid-camp UNRWA Irbid]
  27. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/balata-camp UNRWA Balata]
  28. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/deir-el-balah-camp UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp]
  29. "UNRWA: Refugee camp profiles: Gaza field office".
  30. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/husn-camp UNRWA Husn Camp]
  31. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/burj-shemali-camp UNRWA Burj el-Shemali]
  32. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/shufat-camp UNRWA Shu'fat camp]
  33. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/qabr-essit-camp UNRWA Qabr Essit]
  34. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/tulkarm-camp UNRWA Tulkarm Camp]
  35. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/beddawi-camp UNRWA Beddawi refugee camp]
  36. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/zarqa-camp UNRWA Zarqa]
  37. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/burj-barajneh-camp UNRWA Bourj el-Barajneh]
  38. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/souf-camp UNRWA Souf Camp]
  39. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/askar-camp UNRWA Askar (camp)]
  40. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/neirab-camp UNRWA Al-Nayrab]
  41. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/dheisheh-camp UNRWA Dheisheh]
  42. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/kalandia-camp UNRWA Kalandia Camp]
  43. [https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/survey2016-2018-eng.pdf BADIL Refugee Survey 2016-18], pages 30-33
  44. "Palestinian Refugees and Displaced Camps in Jordan: Prince Hassan Camp".
  45. (13 February 2013). "The Evolution of the Palestinian Refugee Camps in Jordan. Between Logics of Exclusion and Integration". Presses de l’Ifpo.
  46. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/jenin-camp UNRWA Jenin Camp]
  47. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/jalazone-camp UNRWA Jalazone]
  48. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/sbeineh-camp UNRWA Al-Sabinah]
  49. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/homs-camp UNRWA Homs Camp]
  50. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/khan-dunoun-camp UNRWA Khan Dannun]
  51. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/el-buss-camp UNRWA El-Buss refugee camp]
  52. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/arroub-camp UNRWA Al-Arroub (camp)]
  53. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/khan-eshieh-camp UNRWA Khan al-Shih]
  54. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/shatila-camp UNRWA Shatila refugee camp]
  55. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/nur-shams-camp UNRWA Nur Shams, Tulkarm]
  56. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/deraa-camp UNRWA Deraa]
  57. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/fawwar-camp UNRWA Fawwar, Hebron]
  58. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/wavel-camp UNRWA Wavel]
  59. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/hama-camp UNRWA Hama]
  60. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/aqbat-jabr-camp UNRWA Aqabat Jaber]
  61. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/fara-camp UNRWA Far'a]
  62. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/talbieh-camp UNRWA Talbieh Camp]
  63. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/camp-no-1-camp UNRWA Ein Beit al-Ma']
  64. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/amari-camp UNRWA Am'ari]
  65. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/ein-el-tal-unofficial-camp UNRWA Ein el Tal]
  66. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/nahr-el-bared-camp UNRWA Nahr al-Bared]
  67. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/mieh-mieh-camp UNRWA Mieh Mieh refugee camp]
  68. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/aida-camp UNRWA Aida (camp)]
  69. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/dbayeh-camp UNRWA Dbayeh]
  70. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/ein-el-sultan-camp UNRWA Ein as-Sultan]
  71. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/beit-jibrin-camp UNRWA 'Azza]
  72. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/deir-ammar-camp UNRWA Deir 'Ammar Camp]
  73. "Qaddura camp profile".
  74. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/mar-elias-camp UNRWA Mar Elias refugee camp]
  75. "مخيم بير زيت".
  76. [https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-178659/ Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, 1 July 2003-30 June 2004, Supplement No. 13 (A/59/13)] Table 2: Distribution of registered population (as at 30 June 2004)
  77. Ḥanafī, Sārī [https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Palestinian-Refugee-Camps-in-the-Arab-East%3A-in-of-Ḥanafī/5fe726e0243501808d403ebb2fb230e5a1b45ba3 "Palestinian Refugee Camps in the Arab East: Governmentalities in Search of Legitimacy."] (2010), page 6
  78. [https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/survey2016-2018-eng.pdf BADIL Refugee Survey 2016-18], page 30
  79. [https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-178659/ Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, 1 July 2003-30 June 2004, Supplement No. 13 (A/59/13)] Table 3: Number and distribution of special hardship cases (as at 30 June 2004)
  80. (July 2025). "in Figures 2019}}{{Dead link".
  81. [https://www.unrwa.org/sites/default/files/content/resources/aor_2019_eng.pdfUNRWA Annual Operational Report 2019]
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