Palestinian refugee camps

Camps are set up by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to accommodate Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA, who fled or were expelled during the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War or in the aftermath of the Six-Day War in 1967, and their patrilineal descendants.[1] There are 68 Palestinian refugee camps, 58 official and 10 unofficial,[2] ten of which were established after the Six-Day War while the others were established in 1948 to 1950s.

Palestinian refugee camps is located in Levant
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Clickable map of the Palestinian refugee camps

Whilst only a third of registered Palestinian refugees live within the boundaries of the refugee camps,[3] Palestinian refugees "show extraordinary social and economic integration outside the camps and informal gatherings".[4] Many Palestinian refugees live in adjacent or nearby "gatherings", defined as "the geographic area, outside the official camps, which is home to a minimum 15 Palestinian households."[5]

The total number of registered Palestine refugees has grown from 750,000 in 1950 to around 5 million in 2013.[6]

Definition of Palestinian refugee
Shatila refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut in May 2019

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."[6]

UNRWA also extends assistance to the patrilineal descendants of such refugees, as well as their legally adopted children.[6]

Role of UNRWA

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.[6]

List of camps

The camps are divided between five regions:

  • Gaza Strip: The Gaza Strip has eight official and no unofficial refugee camps,[2] and 1,221,110 registered refugees.
  • West Bank: The West Bank has 19 official and four unofficial refugee camps,[2] and 741,409 registered refugees.
  • Syria: Syria has nine official refugee camps and three unofficial refugee camps,[2] and 499,189 registered refugees.
  • Lebanon: There are 12 official refugee and no unofficial camps in Lebanon,[2] and 448,599 registered refugees.
  • Jordan: There are 10 official and three unofficial refugee camps in Jordan,[2] and 2,034,641 registered refugees.
NameFoundedLocationStatusCoordinatesPopulationArea (km2)Density (pop/km2)CommentsRefs
Yarmouk Camp 1957SyriaUnofficial33°28′27″N 36°18′11″En.a.2.1n.a.Largely destroyed (was 160,000 population)[7]
Rafah Camp 1949Gaza StripUNRWA31°16′58.87″N 34°15′11.52″E125,304n.a.n.a.[8]
Baqa'a refugee camp 1968JordanUNRWA32°04′25″N 35°50′35″E119,0001.485,000[9]
Jabalia Camp 1948Gaza StripUNRWA31°32′20.81″N 34°29′57.63″E113,9901.481,421[10]
Khan Yunis Camp 1949Gaza StripUNRWA31°21′3″N 34°17′18″E87,8160.549159,956[11][12]
Al-Shati (Beach camp) 1948Gaza StripUNRWA31°31′55.91″N 34°26′43.42″E85,6280.52164,669[13]
Nuseirat Camp 1949Gaza StripUNRWA31°26′51.56″N 34°23′34.35″E80,194n.a.n.a.[14]
Ain al-Hilweh 1948LebanonUNRWA33°32′37″N 35°22′41″E59,6600.3198,867[15][16]
Al-Wehdat refugee camp (Amman New Camp) 1955JordanUNRWA31°55′35″N 35°56′18″E57,0000.48118,750[17]
Marka 1968JordanUNRWA32°00′32.86″N 36°01′13.71″E53,0000.9257,609[18]
Jaramana camp 1948SyriaUNRWA33°29′N 36°21′E49,0000.031,633,333[19]
Latakia Camp 1955–6SyriaUnofficial35°30′28″N 35°47′45″E47,4000.22215,455[20]
Bureij 1949Gaza StripUNRWA31°26′22.31″N 34°24′10.58″E43,3300.52981,909[21][22]
Rashidieh 1963LebanonUNRWA33°14′12.12″N 35°13′5.16″E34,5840.25138,336[23][16]
Jabal el-Hussein camp 1952JordanUNRWA31°57′52″N 35°54′23″E32,0000.4276,190[24]
Maghazi (camp) 1949Gaza StripUNRWA31°25′16.89″N 34°23′07.35″E31,3290.652,215[25]
Jerash camp 1968JordanUNRWA32°16′20.21″N 35°53′29.03″E29,0000.7538,667[26]
Irbid camp 1951JordanUNRWA32°33′0″N 35°51′0″E28,0000.24116,667[27]
Balata Camp 1950West BankUNRWA32°12′N 35°17′E27,0000.25108,000[28]
Deir al-Balah Camp 1948Gaza StripUNRWA31°25′33″N 34°20′26″E25,5690.16159,806[29][30]
Husn Camp (Martyr Azmi el-Mufti camp) 1968JordanUNRWA32°28.5′N 35°54.3′E25,0000.7732,468[31]
Burj el-Shemali 1955LebanonUNRWA33°15′47″N 35°14′20″E24,9290.134186,037[32][16]
Shu'fat camp 1965West BankUNRWA31.8123°N 35.2465°E / 31.8123; 35.246524,0000.2120,000[33]
Qabr Essit 1967SyriaUNRWA33°26′50″N 36°20′10″E23,7000.021,185,000[34]
Tulkarm Camp 1950West BankUNRWA32°18′51″N 35°2′4″E21,5000.18119,444[35]
Beddawi 1955LebanonUNRWA34°27′0.64″N 35°52′9.17″E21,2520.2106,260[36][16]
Zarqa camp 1949JordanUNRWA32°05′N 36°06′E20,0000.18111,111[37]
Bourj el-Barajneh 1948LebanonUNRWA33°50′54″N 35°30′12″E19,5390.104187,875[38][16]
Souf Camp 1967JordanUNRWA32°18′30″N 35°53′7.37″E19,0000.538,000[39]
Askar 1950West BankUNRWA32°13′11.51″N 35°17′50.77″E18,5000.119155,462[40]
Al-Nayrab 1948SyriaUNRWA36°10′32″N 37°13′40″E18,0000.15120,000[41]
Dheisheh 1949West BankUNRWA31°41′38.47″N 35°11′02.96″E15,0000.3345,455[42]
Kalandia Camp 1949West BankUNRWA33°19′55″N 36°19′56″E14,8000.4235,238[43]
Al-Hassan camp 1967JordanUnofficial14,068n.a.n.a.[44]
Jenin Camp 1953West BankUNRWA32°27′41″N 35°17′11″E14,0000.4233,333[45]
Jalazone 1949West BankUNRWA31°57′07.15″N 35°12′41.58″E13,0000.25351,383[46]
Sbeineh 1948SyriaUNRWA33°26′2″N 36°17′8″E13,0000.03433,333[47]
Homs 1949SyriaUNRWA34°42′30.29″N 36°42′26.62″E13,0000.1586,667[48]
Khan Dannun 1950SyriaUNRWA33°19′55″N 36°19′56″E12,6500.03421,667[49]
El Buss 1948LebanonUNRWA33°16′21″N 35°12′36″E12,2810.08153,513[50][16]
Al-Arroub 1950West BankUNRWA31°37′23.18″N 35°08′12.19″E12,0000.2450,000[51]
Khan al-Shih 1949SyriaUNRWA33°21′30″N 36°6′26″E12,0000.6917,391[52]
Shatila 1949LebanonUNRWA33°51′46″N 35°29′54″E10,8490.04271,225[53][16]
Nur Shams 1952West BankUNRWA32°19′07.36″N 35°03′31.63″E10,5000.2150,000[54]
Deraa camp 1950SyriaUNRWA32°37′N 36°6′E10,5001.38,077[55]
Fawwar 1949West BankUNRWA31°28′46.45″N 35°03′52.93″E9,5000.2735,185[56]
Wavel 1948LebanonUNRWA33°59′56.27″N 36°11′35.46″E9,4600.043220,000[57][16]
Hama camp 1950SyriaUNRWA35°08′N 36°45′E9,0000.06150,000[58]
Aqabat Jaber 1948West BankUNRWA31°50′17.00″N 35°26′30.20″E8,6001.675,150[59]
Madaba camp 1956JordanUnofficial8,597n.a.n.a.[44]
Far'a 1949West BankUNRWA32°17′38.35″N 35°20′39.74″E8,5000.2632,692[60]
Talbieh Camp 1968JordanUNRWA31°42′19″N 35°56′57″E8,0000.1361,538[61]
Ein Beit al-Ma' (Camp No. 1) 1950West BankUNRWA32°13′48.91″N 35°14′58.42″E7,5000.045166,667[62]
Sakhna camp 1969JordanUnofficial7,424n.a.n.a.[44]
Am'ari 1949West BankUNRWA31°53′38.60″N 35°12′41.52″E7,0000.09672,917[63]
Ein Al-Tal (also known as Handarat camp) 1962SyriaUnofficial36°17′34.84″N 37°9′24.86″En.a.0.16n.a.Largely destroyed (was 7,000 population)[64]
Nahr al-Bared 1949LebanonUNRWA34°30′47″N 35°57′40″E5,8570.19829,581Reconstructed, was 27,000 population[65][16]
Mieh Mieh 1954LebanonUNRWA33°32′30″N 35°23′29″E5,7470.054106,426[66][16]
Aida 1950West BankUNRWA31°43′10.34″N 35°11′56.31″E5,5000.07177,465[67]
Dbayeh camp 1956LebanonUNRWA33°54′N 35°34′E4,5910.08454,655[68][16]
Ein as-Sultan 1948West BankUNRWA31°52′40.24″N 35°26′46.24″E3,8000.874,368[69]
'Azza (Beit Jibrin) 1950West BankUNRWA31°42′54.78″N 35°12′07.61″E2,9000.027107,407[70]
Deir 'Ammar Camp 1949West BankUNRWA31°57′57.22″N 35°05′55.98″E2,5000.16215,432[71]
Qaddura camp 1948West BankUnofficial31°54′3.32″N 35°12′21.18″E1,558n.a.n.a.[72]
Mar Elias refugee camp 1952LebanonUNRWA33°52′38″N 35°29′19″E7250.0054134,259[73][16]
Silwad 1971West BankUnofficial462n.a.n.a.[44]
Abu Shukeidim camp 1948West BankUnofficialn.a.n.a.n.a.[44]
Birzeit camp (As-Saqaeif) 1948West BankUnofficialn.a.n.a.n.a.[44]

Population statistics

The evolution of Palestinian refugee population is shown below:[74][4]

195019601970198019902000200420092018
Jordan 506,200613,743506,038716,372929,0971,570,1921,758,2741,951,6032,242,579
Lebanon 127,600136,561175,958226,554302,049376,472396,890422,188475,075
Syria 82,194115,043158,717209,362280,731383,199417,346461,897560,139
West Bank ––272,692324,035414,298583,009675,670762,820846,465
Gaza Strip 198,227255,542311,814367,995496,339824,622938,5311,073,3031,421,282
Total registered refugees 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:[3][4][75]

Registered persons (refugees and other)Registered refugees in camps % registered refugees in camps
1953870,158300,78534.6
1955912,425351,53238.5
19601,136,487409,22336.0
19651,300,117508,04239.1
19701,445,022500,98534.7
19751,652,436551,64333.4
19801,863,162613,14932.9
19852,119,862805,48238.0
19902,466,516697,70928.3
19953,246,0441,007,37531.0
20003,806,0551,227,95432.3
20054,283,8921,265,98729.6
20104,966,6641,452,79029.3
20155,741,4801,632,87628.4
20186,171,7931,728,40928.0

The table below shows the population of registered refugees, other registered people, and refugees residing in camps, in 2018.[76] 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."[77]

JordanLebanonSyriaWest BankGaza StripTotal
Registered refugees2,242,579475,075560,139846,4651,421,2825,545,540
Other registered people133,90258,81083,003201,525149,013626,253
Total registered people2,376,481533,885643,1421,047,9901,570,2956,171,793
Refugees living within official camp borders412,054270,614194,993256,758593,9901,728,409
 % living within camp borders18.4%57.0%34.8%30.3%41.8%31.2%

Bibliography
  • Are Knudsen; Sari Hanafi (5 November 2010). Palestinian Refugees: Identity, Space and Place in the Levant. Routledge. pp. 3–. ISBN 978-1-136-88334-7.

References
  1. UNWRA, Palestine refugees
  2. UNRWA Annual Operational report 2019 for the Reporting period 01 January – 31 December 2019, pages 168-169, "Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Statistics"
  3. 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)
  4. Ḥanafī, Sārī "Palestinian Refugee Camps in the Arab East: Governmentalities in Search of Legitimacy." (2010), page 6
  5. BADIL Refugee Survey 2016-18, page 29, 34, 35
  6. "Who We Are - UNRWA". UNRWA. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  7. UNRWA Yarmouk Camp
  8. UNRWA Rafah Camp
  9. UNRWA Baqa'a refugee camp
  10. UNRWA Jabalia Camp
  11. UNRWA Khan Yunis Camp
  12. "UNRWA: Refugee camp profiles: Gaza field office". www.un.org. Archived from the original on 27 February 2006. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  13. UNRWA Al-Shati Camp
  14. UNRWA Nuseirat Camp
  15. UNRWA Ain al-Hilweh
  16. "Report on fact-finding mission to Lebanon 2 – 18 May 1998" (PDF). newtodenmark.dk. The Danish Immigration Service. 1 June 1998. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  17. UNRWA Al-Wehdat refugee camp
  18. UNRWA Marka refugee camp
  19. UNRWA Jaramana
  20. UNRWA Latakia Camp
  21. UNRWA Bureij
  22. "UNRWA: Refugee camp profiles: Gaza field office". Archived from the original on June 24, 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), UNWRA.
  23. UNRWA Rashidieh
  24. UNRWA Al-Abdali
  25. UNRWA Maghazi (camp)
  26. UNRWA Jerash
  27. UNRWA Irbid
  28. UNRWA Balata
  29. UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp
  30. "UNRWA: Refugee camp profiles: Gaza field office". www.un.org. Archived from the original on 31 January 2006. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  31. UNRWA Husn Camp
  32. UNRWA Burj el-Shemali
  33. UNRWA Shu'fat camp
  34. UNRWA Qabr Essit
  35. UNRWA Tulkarm Camp
  36. UNRWA Beddawi refugee camp
  37. UNRWA Zarqa
  38. UNRWA Bourj el-Barajneh
  39. UNRWA Souf Camp
  40. UNRWA Askar (camp)
  41. UNRWA Al-Nayrab
  42. UNRWA Dheisheh
  43. UNRWA Kalandia Camp
  44. BADIL Refugee Survey 2016-18, pages 30-33
  45. UNRWA Jenin Camp
  46. UNRWA Jalazone
  47. UNRWA Al-Sabinah
  48. UNRWA Homs Camp
  49. UNRWA Khan Dannun
  50. UNRWA El-Buss refugee camp
  51. UNRWA Al-Arroub (camp)
  52. UNRWA Khan al-Shih
  53. UNRWA Shatila refugee camp
  54. UNRWA Nur Shams, Tulkarm
  55. UNRWA Deraa
  56. UNRWA Fawwar, Hebron
  57. UNRWA Wavel
  58. UNRWA Hama
  59. UNRWA Aqabat Jaber
  60. UNRWA Far'a
  61. UNRWA Talbieh Camp
  62. UNRWA Ein Beit al-Ma'
  63. UNRWA Am'ari
  64. UNRWA Ein el Tal
  65. UNRWA Nahr al-Bared
  66. UNRWA Mieh Mieh refugee camp
  67. UNRWA Aida (camp)
  68. UNRWA Dbayeh
  69. UNRWA Ein as-Sultan
  70. UNRWA 'Azza
  71. UNRWA Deir 'Ammar Camp
  72. "Qaddura camp profile" (PDF).
  73. UNRWA Mar Elias refugee camp
  74. 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)
  75. BADIL Refugee Survey 2016-18, page 30
  76. "in Figures 2019".
  77. Annual Operational Report 2019
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