Palestinian refugee camps explained

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.

Whilst only a third of registered Palestinian refugees live within the boundaries of the refugee camps, Palestinian refugees "show extraordinary social and economic integration outside the camps and informal gatherings". 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."[3]

The total number of registered Palestine refugees has grown from 750,000 in 1950 to around 5 million in 2013.[4]

Definition of Palestinian refugee

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."[4]

UNRWA also extends assistance to the patrilineal descendants of such refugees, as well as their legally adopted children.[4]

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.[4]

List of camps

The camps are divided between five regions:

Name Founded Location Status Coordinates data-sort-type=number Population !data-sort-type=number Area (km2) !data-sort-type=number Density (pop/km2) !Comments Refs
Yarmouk1957 Syria Unofficial 33.4742°N 36.3031°W n.a. 2.1 n.a. Largely destroyed (was 160,000 population) [5]
Rafah1949 Gaza Strip UNRWA 31.283°N 34.2532°W 125,304 n.a. n.a. [6]
Baqa'a1968 Jordan UNRWA 32.0736°N 35.8431°W 119,000 1.4 85,000 [7]
Jabalia1948 Gaza Strip UNRWA 31.5391°N 34.4993°W 113,990 1.4 81,421 [8]
Khan Yunis1949 Gaza Strip UNRWA 31.3508°N 34.2883°W 87,816 0.549 159,956 [9] [10]
Al-Shati (Beach camp)1948 Gaza Strip UNRWA 31.5322°N 34.4454°W 85,628 0.52 164,669 [11]
Nuseirat1949 Gaza Strip UNRWA 31.4477°N 34.3929°W 80,194 n.a. n.a. [12]
Ain al-Hilweh1948 Lebanon UNRWA 33.5436°N 35.3781°W 59,660 0.3 198,867 [13] [14]
Al-Wehdat refugee camp (Amman New Camp)1955 Jordan UNRWA 31.9264°N 35.9383°W 57,000 0.48 118,750 [15]
Marka1968 Jordan UNRWA 32.0092°N 36.0206°W 53,000 0.92 57,609 [16]
Jaramana1948 Syria UNRWA 33.4833°N 57°W 49,000 0.03 1,633,333 [17]
Latakia1955–6 Syria Unofficial 35.5078°N 35.7958°W 47,400 0.22 215,455 [18]
Bureij1949 Gaza Strip UNRWA 31.4395°N 34.4029°W 43,330 0.529 81,909 [19] [20]
Rashidieh1963 Lebanon UNRWA 33.2367°N 35.2181°W 34,584 0.25 138,336 [21]
Jabal el-Hussein1952 Jordan UNRWA 31.9644°N 35.9064°W 32,000 0.42 76,190 [22]
Maghazi1949 Gaza Strip UNRWA 31.4214°N 34.3854°W 31,329 0.6 52,215 [23]
Jerash1968 Jordan UNRWA 32.2723°N 35.8914°W 29,000 0.75 38,667 [24]
Irbid1951 Jordan UNRWA 32.55°N 35.85°W 28,000 0.24 116,667 [25]
Balata1950 West Bank UNRWA 32.2°N 52°W 27,000 0.25 108,000 [26]
Deir al-Balah1948 Gaza Strip UNRWA 31.4258°N 34.3406°W 25,569 0.16 159,806 [27] [28]
Husn (Martyr Azmi el-Mufti camp)1968 Jordan UNRWA 32.475°N 35.905°W 25,000 0.77 32,468 [29]
Burj el-Shemali1955 Lebanon UNRWA 33.2631°N 35.2389°W 24,929 0.134 186,037 [30]
Shu'fat camp1965 West Bank UNRWA 31.8122°N 35.2464°W 24,000 0.2 120,000 [31]
Qabr Essit1967 Syria UNRWA 33.4472°N 36.3361°W 23,700 0.02 1,185,000 [32]
Tulkarm1950 West Bank UNRWA 32.3142°N 35.0344°W 21,500 0.18 119,444 [33]
Beddawi1955 Lebanon UNRWA 34.4502°N 35.8692°W 21,252 0.2 106,260 [34]
Zarqa1949 Jordan UNRWA 32.0833°N 42°W 20,000 0.18 111,111 [35]
Bourj el-Barajneh1948 Lebanon UNRWA 33.8483°N 35.5033°W 19,539 0.104 187,875 [36]
Souf1967 Jordan UNRWA 32.3083°N 35.8854°W 19,000 0.5 38,000 [37]
Askar1950 West Bank UNRWA 32.2199°N 35.2974°W 18,500 0.119 155,462 [38]
Al-Nayrab1948 Syria UNRWA 36.1756°N 37.2278°W 18,000 0.15 120,000 [39]
Dheisheh1949 West Bank UNRWA 31.694°N 35.1842°W 15,000 0.33 45,455 [40]
Qalandia1949 West Bank UNRWA 33.3319°N 36.3322°W 14,800 0.42 35,238 [41]
Al-Hassan1967 Jordan Unofficial 31.9575°N 35.9719°W 14,068 n.a. n.a. [42] [43] [44]
Jenin1953 West Bank UNRWA 32.4614°N 35.2864°W 14,000 0.42 33,333 [45]
Jalazone1949 West Bank UNRWA 31.952°N 35.2116°W 13,000 0.253 51,383 [46]
Al-Sabinah1948 Syria UNRWA 33.4339°N 36.2856°W 13,000 0.03 433,333 [47]
Homs1949 Syria UNRWA 34.7084°N 36.7074°W 13,000 0.15 86,667 [48]
Khan Danoun1950 Syria UNRWA 33.3319°N 36.3322°W 12,650 0.03 421,667 [49]
El Buss1948 Lebanon UNRWA 33.2725°N 35.21°W 12,281 0.08 153,513 [50]
Al-Arroub1950 West Bank UNRWA 31.6231°N 35.1367°W 12,000 0.24 50,000 [51]
Khan al-Shih1949 Syria UNRWA 33.3583°N 36.1072°W 12,000 0.69 17,391 [52]
Shatila1949 Lebanon UNRWA 33.8628°N 35.4983°W 10,849 0.04 271,225 [53]
Nur Shams1952 West Bank UNRWA 32.3187°N 35.0588°W 10,500 0.21 50,000 [54]
Daraa1950 Syria UNRWA 32.6167°N 42°W 10,500 1.3 8,077 [55]
Fawwar1949 West Bank UNRWA 31.4796°N 35.0647°W 9,500 0.27 35,185 [56]
Wavel1948 Lebanon UNRWA 33.999°N 36.1932°W 9,460 0.043 220,000 [57]
Hama1950 Syria UNRWA 35.1333°N 81°W 9,000 0.06 150,000 [58]
Aqabat Jaber1948 West Bank UNRWA 31.8381°N 35.4417°W 8,600 1.67 5,150 [59]
Madaba camp1956 Jordan Unofficial 31.7114°N 35.7875°W 8,597 n.a. n.a.
Far'a1949 West Bank UNRWA 32.294°N 35.3444°W 8,500 0.26 32,692 [60]
Talbieh Camp1968 Jordan UNRWA 31.7053°N 35.9492°W 8,000 0.13 61,538 [61]
Ein Beit al-Ma' (Camp No. 1)1950 West Bank UNRWA 32.2303°N 35.2496°W 7,500 0.045 166,667 [62]
Sokhna camp1969 Jordan Unofficial 32.1331°N 36.0722°W 7,424 n.a. n.a. sometimes transliterated 'Sakhna' or 'Sukhna'
Am'ari1949 West Bank UNRWA 31.8941°N 35.2115°W 7,000 0.096 72,917 [63]
Ein Al-Tal (also known as Handarat camp)1962 Syria Unofficial 36.293°N 37.1569°W n.a. 0.16 n.a. Largely destroyed (was 7,000 population) [64]
Nahr al-Bared1949 Lebanon UNRWA 34.5131°N 35.9611°W 5,857 0.198 29,581 Reconstructed, was 27,000 population [65]
Mieh Mieh1954 Lebanon UNRWA 33.5417°N 35.3914°W 5,747 0.054 106,426 [66]
Aida1950 West Bank UNRWA 31.7195°N 35.199°W 5,500 0.071 77,465 [67]
Dbayeh1956 Lebanon UNRWA 33.9°N 69°W 4,591 0.084 54,655 [68]
Ein as-Sultan camp1948 West Bank UNRWA 31.8778°N 35.4462°W 3,800 0.87 4,368 [69]
'Azza (Beit Jibrin)1950 West Bank UNRWA 31.7152°N 35.2021°W 2,900 0.027 107,407 [70]
Deir 'Ammar Camp1949 West Bank UNRWA 31.9659°N 35.0989°W 2,500 0.162 15,432 [71]
Qaddura camp1948 West Bank Unofficial 31.9009°N 35.2059°W 1,558 n.a. n.a. [72]
Mar Elias refugee camp1952 Lebanon UNRWA 33.8772°N 35.4886°W 725 0.0054 134,259 [73]
Silwad Camp1971 West Bank Unofficial 31.9681°N 35.2614°W 462 n.a. n.a.
Abu Shukheidim camp 1948 West Bank Unofficial n.a. n.a. n.a.
Birzeit camp (As-Saqaeif)1948 West Bank Unofficial 31.97°N 35.2003°W n.a. n.a. n.a. [74]

Population statistics

The evolution of Palestinian refugee population is shown below:[75] [76]

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2004 2009 2018
Jordan506,200 613,743 506,038 716,372 929,097 1,570,192 1,758,274 1,951,603 2,242,579
Lebanon127,600 136,561 175,958 226,554 302,049 376,472 396,890 422,188 475,075
Syria82,194 115,043 158,717 209,362 280,731 383,199 417,346 461,897 560,139
West Bank– – 272,692 324,035 414,298 583,009 675,670 762,820 846,465
Gaza Strip198,227 255,542 311,814 367,995 496,339 824,622 938,531 1,073,303 1,421,282
Total registered refugees914,221 1,120,889 1,425,219 1,844,318 2,422,514 3,737,494 4,186,711 4,671,811 5,545,540

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:[77] [76] [78]

Registered persons (refugees and other) Registered refugees in camps % registered refugees in camps
1953 870,158 300,785 34.6
1955 912,425 351,532 38.5
1960 1,136,487 409,223 36.0
1965 1,300,117 508,042 39.1
1970 1,445,022 500,985 34.7
1975 1,652,436 551,643 33.4
1980 1,863,162 613,149 32.9
1985 2,119,862 805,482 38.0
1990 2,466,516 697,709 28.3
1995 3,246,044 1,007,375 31.0
2000 3,806,055 1,227,954 32.3
2005 4,283,892 1,265,987 29.6
2010 4,966,664 1,452,790 29.3
2015 5,741,480 1,632,876 28.4
2018 6,171,793 1,728,409 28.0

The table below shows the population of registered refugees, other registered people, and refugees residing in camps, in 2018.[79] 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."[80]

Jordan Lebanon Syria West Bank Gaza Strip Total
Registered refugees 2,242,579 475,075 560,139 846,465 1,421,282 5,545,540
Other registered people 133,902 58,810 83,003 201,525 149,013 626,253
Total registered people 2,376,481 533,885 643,142 1,047,990 1,570,295 6,171,793
Refugees living within official camp borders 412,054 270,614 194,993 256,758 593,990 1,728,409
% living within camp borders 18.4% 57.0% 34.8% 30.3% 41.8% 31.2%

See also

Bibliography

External links

Maps

Notes and References

  1. [UNWRA]
  2. 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
  3. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/survey2016-2018-eng.pdf BADIL Refugee Survey 2016-18
  4. Web site: Who We Are - UNRWA . . 8 January 2014.
  5. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/yarmouk-unofficial-camp UNRWA Yarmouk Camp
  6. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/rafah-camp UNRWA Rafah Camp
  7. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/baqaa-camp UNRWA Baqa'a refugee camp
  8. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/jabalia-camp UNRWA Jabalia Camp
  9. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/khan-younis-camp UNRWA Khan Yunis Camp
  10. Web site: UNRWA: Refugee camp profiles: Gaza field office . www.un.org . 15 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060227195322/http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/gaza/khanyounis.html . 27 February 2006 . dead.
  11. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/beach-camp UNRWA Al-Shati Camp
  12. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/nuseirat-camp UNRWA Nuseirat Camp
  13. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/ein-el-hilweh-camp UNRWA Ain al-Hilweh
  14. Web site: Report on fact-finding mission to Lebanon 2 – 18 May 1998. 1 June 1998. newtodenmark.dk. The Danish Immigration Service. PDF. 27 April 2020.
  15. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/amman-new-camp UNRWA Al-Wehdat refugee camp
  16. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/marka-camp UNRWA Marka refugee camp
  17. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/jaramana-camp UNRWA Jaramana
  18. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/latakia-unofficial-camp UNRWA Latakia Camp
  19. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/bureij-camp UNRWA Bureij
  20. Web site: UNRWA: Refugee camp profiles: Gaza field office . July 8, 2020 . June 24, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070624022059/http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/gaza/bureij.html . bot: unknown ., UNWRA.
  21. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/rashidieh-camp UNRWA Rashidieh
  22. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/jabal-el-hussein-camp UNRWA Al-Abdali
  23. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/maghazi-camp UNRWA Maghazi (camp)
  24. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/jerash-camp UNRWA Jerash
  25. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/irbid-camp UNRWA Irbid
  26. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/balata-camp UNRWA Balata
  27. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/deir-el-balah-camp UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp
  28. Web site: UNRWA: Refugee camp profiles: Gaza field office . www.un.org . 15 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060131073053/http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/gaza/deirelbalah.html . 31 January 2006 . dead.
  29. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/husn-camp UNRWA Husn Camp
  30. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/burj-shemali-camp UNRWA Burj el-Shemali
  31. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/shufat-camp UNRWA Shu'fat camp
  32. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/qabr-essit-camp UNRWA Qabr Essit
  33. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/tulkarm-camp UNRWA Tulkarm Camp
  34. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/beddawi-camp UNRWA Beddawi refugee camp
  35. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/zarqa-camp UNRWA Zarqa
  36. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/burj-barajneh-camp UNRWA Bourj el-Barajneh
  37. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/souf-camp UNRWA Souf Camp
  38. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/askar-camp UNRWA Askar (camp)
  39. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/neirab-camp UNRWA Al-Nayrab
  40. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/dheisheh-camp UNRWA Dheisheh
  41. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/kalandia-camp UNRWA Kalandia Camp
  42. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/survey2016-2018-eng.pdf BADIL Refugee Survey 2016-18
  43. Web site: Palestinian Refugees and Displaced Camps in Jordan: Prince Hassan Camp . dpa.gov.jo . 2 January 2024.
  44. Web site: al-Husseini . Jalal . The Evolution of the Palestinian Refugee Camps in Jordan. Between Logics of Exclusion and Integration . Villes, pratiques urbaines et construction nationale en Jordanie . Presses de l’Ifpo . 2 January 2024 . 181–204 . en . 13 February 2013.
  45. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/jenin-camp UNRWA Jenin Camp
  46. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/jalazone-camp UNRWA Jalazone
  47. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/sbeineh-camp UNRWA Al-Sabinah
  48. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/homs-camp UNRWA Homs Camp
  49. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/khan-dunoun-camp UNRWA Khan Dannun
  50. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/el-buss-camp UNRWA El-Buss refugee camp
  51. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/arroub-camp UNRWA Al-Arroub (camp)
  52. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/khan-eshieh-camp UNRWA Khan al-Shih
  53. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/shatila-camp UNRWA Shatila refugee camp
  54. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/nur-shams-camp UNRWA Nur Shams, Tulkarm
  55. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/deraa-camp UNRWA Deraa
  56. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/fawwar-camp UNRWA Fawwar, Hebron
  57. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/wavel-camp UNRWA Wavel
  58. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/hama-camp UNRWA Hama
  59. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/aqbat-jabr-camp UNRWA Aqabat Jaber
  60. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/fara-camp UNRWA Far'a
  61. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/jordan/talbieh-camp UNRWA Talbieh Camp
  62. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/camp-no-1-camp UNRWA Ein Beit al-Ma'
  63. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/amari-camp UNRWA Am'ari
  64. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/syria/ein-el-tal-unofficial-camp UNRWA Ein el Tal
  65. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/nahr-el-bared-camp UNRWA Nahr al-Bared
  66. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/mieh-mieh-camp UNRWA Mieh Mieh refugee camp
  67. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/aida-camp UNRWA Aida (camp)
  68. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/dbayeh-camp UNRWA Dbayeh
  69. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/ein-el-sultan-camp UNRWA Ein as-Sultan
  70. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/beit-jibrin-camp UNRWA 'Azza
  71. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/deir-ammar-camp UNRWA Deir 'Ammar Camp
  72. Web site: Qaddura camp profile.
  73. https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/lebanon/mar-elias-camp UNRWA Mar Elias refugee camp
  74. Web site: مخيم بير زيت . Bir Zeit camp . palcamps.net . 4 January 2024.
  75. 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)
  76. Ḥanafī, Sārī "Palestinian Refugee Camps in the Arab East: Governmentalities in Search of Legitimacy." (2010), page 6
  77. 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)
  78. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/survey2016-2018-eng.pdf BADIL Refugee Survey 2016-18
  79. Web site: in Figures 2019.
  80. https://www.unrwa.org/sites/default/files/content/resources/aor_2019_eng.pdfUNRWA Annual Operational Report 2019

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