55

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS

Chapter

Two

Balata refugee Camp, Nablus (© Nathalie Bardou / BADIL)

56

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009)

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION

AND CHARACTERISTICS

Preface

By the end of 2008, at least 7.1 million (67 percent) of 10.6 million Palestinians worldwide were forcibly displaced
persons. Among them are at least 6.6 million Palestinian refugees and 427,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Palestinians are one of the largest displaced populations in the world today, constituting half of all refugees worldwide.
Palestinian refugees fall into three general categories: the largest group (5.7 million) is composed of 1948 refugees,

among them, 4.7 million UNRWA registered refugees. 1967 refugees (955,247) form the second major group. The third

category is comprised of an unknown number of Palestinians who are neither 1948 nor 1967 refugees but who have also
been displaced outside the area of historical Palestine (Israel and the OPT) and are likely to be refugees.
There are two main categories of Palestinian IDPs. The first (335,000) is composed of Palestinians who have been
internally displaced inside Israel since 1948. The second (129,000) is composed of Palestinians who have been internally
displaced in the OPT since 1967. Among the second category are approximately 37,000 Palestinian refugees who have
suffered multiple displacement in the OPT.
There is no single authoritative source for the global Palestinian refugee and IDP population. Estimates of the current
size of Palestinian refugee and IDP populations are based on available data which is uneven and shifting, primarily due
to the absence of a comprehensive registration system, frequent forced displacement, and the lack of a uniform definition
of a Palestinian refugee.
The majority of the Palestinian refugee and IDP population is distributed throughout the Middle East, primarily in Arab
countries that border Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). Most Palestinian refugees (approximately 81
percent) live outside the 58 UNRWA-serviced camps.
No data is available on the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of Palestinian refugee populations outside
UNRWA’s area of operation, and little reliable data is available on the characteristics of internally displaced Palestinians
in Israel and the OPT. Available data suggests that differences between the Palestinian refugee populations and the local
non-refugee populations are negligible in most Arab host states, with Lebanon constituting the only major exception.
Demographic and socio-economic indicators, such as labor force indicators, poverty, housing, education and health,
reflect the vulnerability of Palestinian refugees during six decades of displacement, especially in Lebanon and the OPT.

57

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS
2.1 The Current Scope of Palestinian Displacement

The Palestinian refugee and IDP population described here comprises the total estimated number of Palestinians
and their descendants who have been forcibly displaced from their homes and properties located in former
Palestine (now divided into Israel and the OPT) and do not have access to voluntary durable solutions and
reparation, including return to their homes of origin and property restitution. Estimates are for the end of 2008,
unless stated otherwise. Information about the methodology applied is included in Appendix 2.1 at the end of
this chapter.
By the end of 2008, at least 7.1 million (67 percent) of the entire, worldwide Palestinian population of 10.6 million

1

were forcibly displaced persons. Among them were at least 6.6 million Palestinian refugees and approximately
427,000 IDPs.
The largest group of displaced Palestinians is made up of those who were forced to leave their homes and country
in 1948 (the Nakba) and their descendants. These total approximately 5.7 million, a figure that includes the 4.7
million Palestinian refugees who are registered with and assisted by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees (UNRWA) (often referred to as “registered refugees” or “Palestine refugees”), and a further one million
refugees who were also displaced in 1948, but are not eligible or did not register for assistance with UNRWA.
The second major group of displaced Palestinians is comprised of those displaced for the first time from their
homes and country in the context of the 1967 war and their descendants. 1967 Palestinian refugees number
approximately 955,247 persons.
Internally displaced Palestinians can be divided into two groups. The first is composed of persons displaced in the
area that became the state of Israel in 1948. This group includes those who were displaced in the 1948 Nakba,
(approximately 335,000 persons) as well as those subsequently displaced by the state of Israel. No authoritative
data exists for this second category. (See Appendix 1.1 and 2.1) The second group (approximately 129,000 persons)
is composed of Palestinians internally displaced in the OPT since 1967 as a result of Israel’s occupation, apartheid
and colonization of the area. This figure includes Palestinian refugees who suffered subsequent secondary forced
displacement inside the OPT, and whose numbers are estimated to be 37,000 persons at the end of 2008.

58

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009) Table 2.1: Palestinian Refugees and IDPs by Group

IDPs in the OPT

since 1967**

IDPs in Israel

since 1948

1967 Refugees

Non-registered

1948 Refugees

UNRWA

registered 1948

Refugees

Year

–47,610–304,740914,221* 1950

1955 905,986 301,995 – 56,546 –
1960 1,120,889 373,630 – 67,159 –
1965 1,280,823 426,941 – 79,763 –
1970 1,425,219 475,073 266,092 94,734 16,240
1975 1,632,707 544,236 316,034 112,514 23,901
1980 1,844,318 614,773 375,349 133,631 31,920
1985 2,093,545 697,848 445,797 158,712 41,041
1990 2,422,514 840,838 529,467 188,500 49,889
1995 3,172,641 1,057,547 628,841 223,879 59,444
2000 3,737,494 827,022 743,257 264,613 72,758
2001 3,874,738 857,564 765,555 272,551 74,900
2002 3,973,360 878,050 788,521 280,728 77,064
2003 4,082,300 897,255 812,177 289,150 79,540
2004 4,186,711 916,700 836,542 297,824 81,800
2005 4,283,892 935,641 861,639 306,759 98,673
2006 4,396,209 957,963 887,488 315,962 102,798
2007 4,510,510 975,190 914,112 325,441 111,803
2008 4,671,811 1,014,741 955,247 335,204 128,708

* Excluding the 45,800 persons (1948) in Israel who received relief from UNRWA until June 1952.
** Including 37,000 persons (2008) who are internally displaced refugees – i.e. refugees displaced at least twice.
e figures above reflect estimates according to the best available sources and population growth projections. Figures are therefore indicative
rather than conclusive. For more details about these estimates, see Appendix 2.1 at the end of this chapter.

Not included in this estimate is an unknown number

2

of additionally displaced Palestinians who are not 1948 or

1967 refugees, but who have also been displaced outside the area of historical Palestine (Israel and the OPT) and
are also likely to qualify as refugees under international law. The majority of the latter have likely been forcibly
displaced from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip since 1967 as a result of the policies and practices of
Israel’s regime combining occupation, apartheid and colonization. They now reside abroad and are unable or
unwilling to return to the OPT or Israel owing to a well-founded fear of persecution.

To avoid double counting, the percentages of IDPs in the OPT excludes internally displaced refugees (37,000 persons).

59

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS 2.1.1 Data Sources

There is no single authoritative source for the global Palestinian refugee and IDP population. Available data on the size
of the Palestinian refugee and IDP populations is uneven and shifting, primarily due to the absence of a comprehensive
registration system, frequent forced displacement, and the lack of a uniform definition of a Palestinian refugee.

3

Internal

displacement is also difficult to track because ceasefire lines have changed frequently and there is no internationally
recognized border between Israel and the OPT.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has registered 1948 refugees since 1950 and records cover 75

percent of this group of refugees.

4

UNRWA registration data is not statistically valid however, as reporting is voluntary.

UNRWA has never carried out a comprehensive census of all Palestinian refugees under its mandate.
UNRWA administers registration of
Palestinian refugees as part of its relief and
social services program.

5

The eligibility and

registration program keeps the historical
refugee records maintained to determine
eligibility and registration for UNRWA
services. Registration cards are continually
updated, mainly with information
regarding births, marriages and deaths. By
the end of 2008, approximately 42 percent
(1,951,603) of UNRWA-registered refugees
were registered in Jordan, 23 percent
(1,073,303) in the occupied Gaza Strip,
16 percent (762,820) in the occupied West
Bank, 10 percent (461,897) in Syria, and 9
percent (422,188) in Lebanon.

6

In general, UNRWA registration records do not include:

1. Refugees displaced in 1948, who:

a. failed to meet UNRWA’s definition of “Palestine Refugee”;
b. were outside the areas of UNRWA operation (and have not filed for registration under UNRWA’s 1993

revised eligibility criteria);

c. were dropped from the records owing to financial constraints limiting the number of relief recipients;
d. are descendants of refugee mothers and non-refugee fathers;
e. had an independent income or property (and have not filed for registration under UNRWA’s 1993

revised eligibility criteria);

f. improved their economic situation to the extent that they no longer met eligibility criteria (prior to the

1993 revision of eligibility criteria);

g. refused to register for reasons of pride.

2. Palestinians displaced for the first time in 1967;
3. Palestinians who are not 1948 or 1967 refugees, and are unable (due to revocation of residency, deportation,

etc.) or unwilling (owing to a well-founded fear of persecution) to return to the OPT;

4. IDPs in Israel and the OPT.

In 1952, the state of Israel took responsibility for the task of assisting those Palestinians displaced in its territory.
UNRWA transferred its IDP registration files to the government of Israel in June 1952 and has not updated them since.

7

In 1982, the UN General Assembly instructed the Secretary-General, in co-operation with the Commissioner General
of UNRWA, to issue identification cards to all 1948 Palestine refugees and their descendants, irrespective of whether

Dheisha refugee camp, Bethlehem, 2008 (© Anne Paq / BADIL)

60

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009)

or not they received rations and services from the Agency, as well as to all 1967 refugees and their descendants.

8

The

initiative failed, however, due to lack of co-operation among host states concerning information on previously non-
registered refugees.

Until 1993, refugees wishing to register with UNRWA had to meet requirements of need and initial flight in 1948
into a country where UNRWA operated. Revision of UNRWA’s eligibility and registration criteria in 1993 eliminated
these two requirements, which led to the registration of some previously undocumented Palestinian refugees.

In 2006, UNRWA issued new consolidated eligibility and registration instructions. These extend services to the children
of registered refugee women married to non-refugees. In 2006, 90,446 such children were enrolled in this new category,
mainly in response to the humanitarian crisis in the OPT. They are, however, not registered as refugees in UNRWA’s
registration records.

9

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) maintains records of and statistics on

Palestinian refugees who fall within the mandate of the Office, are outside UNRWA’s area of operations, and are
eligible for protection. (See Chapter Three) Registration with UNRWA and UNHCR are not mutually exclusive; i.e.,
Palestinian refugees outside UNRWA’s area of operations may be registered with both. Data reported by UNHCR
country offices generally reflects the view of the host country, and their statistics are provisional and subject to
change.
In general, UNHCR has registered only a very minor portion of the Palestinian refugee population whose number
has been almost equal in size to 70 percent of the worldwide total number of UNHCR documented refugees
and persons in refugee-like situations in 2007 and 2008. Only 342,681 Palestinian refugees were registered with
UNHCR as a population of concern at the end of 2008. At the end of 2007, the number was 343,680. The majority
resided in Saudi Arabia (240,025), Egypt (70,174), Iraq (12,302) and Kuwait (6,000).

10

Table 2.2: Refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs, returnees (refugees and IDPs), stateless persons, and others of concern to UNHCR, 1998-2008

End Refugees

1

Asylum- Returned IDPs protected/ Returned Stateless Others of Total

of year seekers refugees assisted

2

IDPs persons

3

concern

3

1998 11,480,900 977,800 1,016,400 5,063,900 207,200 .. 1,378,500 20,124,700
1999 11,687,200 1,027,400 1,599,100 3,968,600 1,048,400 .. 1,491,100 20,821,800
2000 12,129,600 1,087,500 767,500 5,998,500 369,100 .. 1,653,900 22,006,100
2001 12,116,800 1,072,700 462,400 5,096,500 241,000 .. 1,039,500 20,028,900
2002 10,594,100 1,093,500 2,426,000 4,646,600 1,179,000 .. 953,300 20,892,500
2003 9,592,800 997,600 1,094,900 4,181,700 237,800 .. 905,300 17,010,100
2004 9,574,800 885,200 1,434,400 5,426,500 146,500 1,455,900 597,000 19,520,300
2005 8,662,000 802,100 1,105,600 6,616,800 519,400 2,383,700 960,400 21,050,000
2006 9,877,700 743,900 733,700 12,794,300 1,864,200 5,806,000 1,045,500 32,865,300
2007 11,391,000 740,100 730,600 13,740,200 2,070,100 2,937,300 68,700 31,678,000
2008 10,478,600 827,300 603,800 14,405,400 1,361,400 6,572,200 166,900 34,415,600

Source: 2007 Global Trends: Refugees, Asylum-seekers, Returnees, Internally Displaced and Stateless Persons, UNHCR 2008; 2008 Global Trends:

Refugees, Asylum-seekers, Returnees, Internally Displaced and Stateless Persons, UNHCR, 16 June 2009.

1

Since 2007, people in refugee-like situations are included in the refugee estimates. 2007 figures are therefore not fully comparable with

previous years.

2

Since 2007, people in IDP-like situations are included in the IDP estimates. 2007 IDP figures are therefore not fully comparable with

previous years.

3

Stateless persons were included in the category “others of concern” until 2003.

61

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS

UNHCR data regarding Palestinian refugees refers to their country of origin as the “occupied Palestinian

territory.” This classification may not reflect the actual place of origin, and hence it is not possible to identify
how many Palestinian refugees of concern to the UNHCR are 1948 refugees, 1967 refugees, or Palestinians
displaced from former Palestine after 1967. Palestinian IDPs in Israel and the OPT are not included in the

UNHCR data regarding IDPs worldwide.

Census data and population growth

projections represent an additional

source of estimates of the Palestinian
refugee and IDP populations. The
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
(PCBS) has conducted two population
censuses in 1997 and 2007 which include
refugees as a category, as well as questions
regarding ongoing forced displacement.
PCBS however, only has access to the
Palestinian population in the OPT.
The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics

publishes little statistical data about

Israel’s Palestinians citizens and does
not keep separate records on internally

displaced Palestinians.

11

Few host countries carry out a regular census of their resident refugee population,

and some do not include Palestinian refugees as a category of refugees. Some countries, such as Jordan,
include Palestinians as a census category, but this data is not publicly available. In North America and Europe,

Palestinian asylum-seekers are often included in a general category of “stateless” persons, or classified according
to their place of birth, or the host country that issued their travel documents.

2.2 Distribution

During the major waves of displacement in the 20

th

century, Palestinian refugees tended to remain as close as

possible to their homes and villages of origin, based on the assumption that they would return once armed
conflict ceased. In 1948, an estimated 65 percent of the Palestinian refugees remained in areas of Palestine not
under Israeli control – i.e., the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which comprised 22 percent of the territory of
Mandate Palestine. In the West Bank, the Palestinian population swelled from 460,000 to 740,000 due to the
mass influx of refugees at that time.
The impact of mass influx into the areas of the former Gaza District that became known as the Gaza Strip was
even more dramatic. The population nearly quadrupled. The remaining 35 percent of the Palestinian refugee
population found refuge in neighboring states, including Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. An unknown
number of Palestinian Arab citizens were abroad at the time of the 1948 Nakba in Palestine, and were unable
to return to their places of origin inside Israel following the cessation of hostilities; they became refugees sur

place.

The majority of Palestinian IDPs in Israel were displaced in 1948 in the north and the center of the country
(85.5 percent of the total Palestinian population of the north at the time, 75.1 percent of the center’s
population). A smaller number were displaced between 1949 and 1967 (7.1 percent of the population in
the north and 18.1 percent in the center). These IDPs found refuge in some 47 Palestinian Arab villages that
remained within the state of Israel after the 1948 war.

12

Palestinians in the south of the country were mainly

displaced after 1967 (77.2 percent).

13

Shatilla camp, Lebanon 2008 (© Courtesy of Aidoun - Lebanon)

62

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009) Figure 2.3: Localities in Israel Hosting 100 or more Palestinian IDPs (1948–1950)

Source: Kamen, Charles, “After the Catastrophe I: e Arabs in Israel, 1948–51”, Middle East Studies 23, no.4, October 1987.

Most Palestinian IDPs in Israel are currently concentrated in the northern (Galilee) region of the country, including Palestinian
cities such as Nazareth and Shafa’amr, and in cities with a mixed Jewish-Arab population, such as Haifa and Akka (Acre). IDPs
are also located in the south (Naqab). The actual distribution of IDPs inside Israel is difficult to determine due to the lack of a
registration system and frequent relocation (three to four times on average per family).
The majority of Palestinians displaced from the OPT during the 1967 war found refuge in neighboring states. Most (95
percent) were displaced to Jordan, with smaller numbers displaced to Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.

14

The areas of the West Bank

closest to Jordan suffered the highest population loss, while in the central highlands most Palestinians sought temporary refuge
in nearby fields and villages, and were able to return to their homes after the war.

15

In addition, it is estimated that some 60,000

Palestinians were abroad at the time of the war and were unable to return to the OPT.

16

The distribution of Palestinians displaced from and within the OPT since 1967, including those displaced for the first
time, is difficult to determine given the lack of a registration system and frequent displacement over four decades of military
occupation.
Changes in the pattern of distribution of Palestinian refugees across host countries during six decades of forced exile are
primarily the result of armed conflicts after 1948 and 1967, during which Palestinian refugees were again expelled or forced to
flee host countries in search of safety. Changes in political regimes and discriminatory policies in host countries, the relationship
between the PLO and host country authorities, and economic push-and-pull factors have also influenced patterns of forced
displacement and distribution of the Palestinian refugee population since 1948. (See Chapter One)
The 1967 war and subsequent Israeli occupation led to a significant decrease in the number of refugees residing in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip, and to a dramatic increase in the refugee population in Jordan after 1967. Over time, the number of
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon has decreased due to internal conflict, conflict between the PLO and Israel in Lebanon, and
legal and political obstacles that have militated against Palestinian refugees’ temporary asylum in Lebanon. During the 1980s,
many Palestinian refugees fled Lebanon to Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia.
Higher numbers of Palestinian refugees in the Gulf from the 1950s onward reflect patterns of economic migration, while a
dramatic decrease in the number of refugees in Kuwait occurred as a result of the 1991 Gulf War. Many Palestinians migrated
or were expelled from Gulf States, eventually finding shelter in Canada, Scandinavia, the United States, or other countries in
the Arab world. Currently, many of the Palestinian refugees experiencing persecution in Iraq are fleeing to Syria, Jordan and
other countries, with some reported as far as India and Thailand.

63

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS Figure 2.4: Estimates of Palestinian Refugees and IDPs Worldwide, 2008

64

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009)

Today, Palestinian refugees are living in forced exile in many parts of the world. Despite the changes in the pattern
of distribution of Palestinian refugees over the last 60 years, the majority of refugees still live within 100 km of the
borders of Israel and the 1967 OPT, where their homes of origin are located. In Syria, for example, 70 percent of
the registered 1948 refugees are from the Galilee. The number is slightly higher in Lebanon, where 72 percent of
the registered 1948 refugees are from the Galilee.

Similarly, a large majority of the refugees in the occupied Gaza Strip originate from the adjacent areas of the former
Gaza District. The majority of the refugees from the former Jerusalem District are at present either in the occupied
West Bank or in Jordan. The proportion of Palestinian refugees (6 percent) within the total combined population of
host states in the region has remained stable since the first wave of massive displacement in 1948.

17

Table 2.3: Distribution of 1948 Registered Refugees, by District of Origin and Field

District of

Host Countries/ Territories

Origin

Jordan West Bank Gaza Strip Lebanon Syria

Total (all

fields)

Jerusalem 20.0 33.0 0.2 0.5 0.7 13.5

Gaza 17.0 7.0 66.0 0.1 0.4 22.5

Lydda 40.0 30.0 33.0 8.5 7.3 30.0

Samaria 4.0 12.0 0.2 0.1 0.1 3.5

Haifa 10.0 16.0 0.5 18.8 22.0 11.0

Galilee 9.0 2.0 0.1 72.0 69.5 18.5

Source: UNRWA, 2000. e six regions of the British Mandate period were Jerusalem (Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem); Gaza (Gaza,

Khan Younis, Majdal, Isdud, Beersheba); Lydd (Jaffa, Ramle, Lod, Rechovot); Samaria (Tulkarem, Nablus, Jenin, Natanya); Haifa (Haifa, Hadera,
Shafa ‘Amr); Galilee (Nazareth, Beisan, Tiberias, Acre, Safad).

Despite the passing of more than 60 years in exile, the village unit has tended to remain intact to some degree, even after
mass displacement. In other words, the majority of the residents of a particular village tended to be displaced to the same
host country, and often to the same area within the host country. According to data for Palestinian refugees registered
with UNRWA, 72 percent of all 1948 displaced Palestinian villages found refuge in one area, with only 20 percent fleeing
to two areas. Only eight percent are distributed between more than two areas.

18

Distribution according to village of

origin is evident in the structure of Palestinian refugee camps, which are divided into quarters based on the village unit.
In Syria, for example, al-Yarmouk camp is divided into quarters based on the refugee villages of origin of al-Tira, Lubya,
Balad ash-Sheik, and ‘Ayn Ghazal.

The same phenomenon is also evident in those Palestinian villages inside Israel that provided refuge for internally
displaced Palestinians in 1948. In many villages, neighborhoods are named for the origin of the displaced persons
who reside in them. The Palestinian village of ‘Arrabeh, for example, includes the neighborhood of the Mi’aris (i.e.,
displaced persons originating from the village of Mi’ar). Likewise, displaced persons from al-Birwa who took shelter
in the village of al-Judeideh live in the Birwani neighborhood.

2.2.1 Refugees in Camps

19

According to UNRWA records, 1,373,732 Palestinian refugees were registered in UNRWA’s 58 official refugee
camps throughout the OPT, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria by the end of 2008. Registered refugees in camps comprise
29.4 percent of the total UNRWA registered refugee population and 20.7 percent of the total Palestinian refugee
population. In addition, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees reside in one of at least 17 unofficial camps
in the OPT, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The majority of Palestinian refugees registered in camps are 1948 refugees,
including their descendants.

65

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS

A smaller number of refugees displaced for the first time in 1967 also reside in refugee camps, primarily in Jordan and Syria.
A small but growing number of poor non-refugees, including Palestinians and other Arabs, also reside in refugee camps.

Table 2.4: UNRWA-registered refugees, including refugees in camps

Year

Total Registered

Refugees

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
2003 4,082,300 1,301,689 32.0
2004 4,186,711 1,226,213 29.0
2005 4,283,892 1,265,987 30.0
2006 4,396,209 1,321,525 29.7
2007 4,504,169 1,337,388 29.7
2008 4,671,811 1,373,732 29.4

Source: UNRWA. Figures as of 30 June each year except 2008 for end of year.

Not all Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA living in camps physically reside in an official refugee camp.
Several factors explain why Palestinian refugees have remained in or maintained ties with the camps after more
than six decades of exile:

family and village support structure in the camp; 
lack of resources to rent or buy alternative accommodation outside the camp; 
lack of living space outside the camp due to overcrowding; 
legal, political and social obstacles that force refugees to remain in the camp; 
issues concerning physical safety;
The refugee camp as a symbol of the temporary nature of exile and the demand to exercise the right of 
return.

The largest camp population resides in the occupied Gaza Strip (495,006 or 46% of UNRWA registered refugees
in Gaza, end of 2008), comprising about 36 percent of all camp-registered refugees. In the occupied West Bank,
there are fewer refugees in camps (193,370, end of 2008). Approximately 38 percent of all UNRWA registered
refugees in the OPT reside in camps.
The second-highest number of camp refugees is found in Jordan (338,000 end 2008). However, Jordan is also

the host country with the lowest percentage of refugees in camps: only 17.3 percent of the UNRWA registered
Palestinian refugees in Jordan reside in camps. This reflects the status afforded to most Palestinian refugees in Jordan

as Jordanian citizens.

66

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009)

Lebanon and Syria are the host countries with the largest portion of camp refugees. In Lebanon, approximately 53
percent (222,776, end of 2008) live in official camps. The high percentage of camp refugees in Lebanon is directly
related to the restrictions placed on freedom of movement by the Lebanese government, the lack of resources for
alternative housing outside of the camps, and concerns about physical safety. In Syria, where approximately 59.3
percent are camp refugees, more Palestinian refugees live in unofficial camps (147,147) than in official camps
(125,009), because some unofficial camps, in particular Yarmouk, are located close to the capital Damascus and
offer good services.

'We remain like the olive tree', mural, Azzeh Refugee camp, 2009 (© BADIL)

67

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS Table 2.5: Population of Palestinian Refugees in Camps (official and unofficial), mid-2008

Host Country Camp (local name) Population Year established

Gaza Strip

a

Ocial camps Jabalia 107,146 1948

Beach (Shati) 81,591 1948

Nuseirat 61,785 1948

Bureij 31,018 1948

Deir al-Balah 20,653 1948

Maghazi 23,730 1948

Khan Younis 67,567 1948

Rafah 98,660 1948

Sub-total 492,299

West Bank

b

Ocial camps Aqabat Jaber 6,488 1948

Ein al-Sultan 1,943 1948

Shu’fat

c

11,066 1965

Am’ari 10,606 1949

Kalandia 11,088 1949

Deir Ammar 2,391 1949

Jalazone 11,281 1949

Fawwar 8,171 1949

Al 'Arroub 10,513 1950

Dheisha 13,017 1949

Aida 4,797 1950

Beit Jibrin (Al ‘Azzeh) 2,101 1950

Al Far’a 7,644 1949

Camp No. 1 6,811 1950

Askar 16,030 1950
Balata 23,480 1950

Tulkarem 18,465 1950

Nur Shams 9,250 1952

Jenin 16,266 1953

M’ascar

d

Evacuated 1948–1955/1956

Sub-total 191,408

Unocial camps

e

Silwad 388 1971/72

Abu Shukheidim NA 1948

Qaddoura 1,226 1948

Birzeit (As-Saqaeif) NA 1948

Sub-total 1,614

68

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009)

WB & GS: Total 685,321

Jordan

Ocial camps Amman New Camp (Wihdat) 51,169 1955

Talbieh 6,766 1968

Irbid 25,145 1950–1951

Husn (‘Azmi al-Mufti) 22,050 1968

Souf 20,003 1967

Jerash (Gaza) 23,786 1968

Jabal al-Hussein 29,552 1952

Baqa’a

f

93,129 1968

Zarqa 18,467 1949

Marka (Hittin)

f

45,240 1968

Sub-total 335,307

Unocial camps

g

Madaba 6,967 1956

Sakhna 6,017 1969

Al-Hassan 11,401 1967

Sub-total 24,385

Jordan : Total 359,692

Lebanon

Ocial camps Mar Elias 618 1952

Burj al-Barajneh 15,960 1948

Dikwaneh (Destroyed in the

1970’s)

h

9,398 ..

Dbayeh 4,041 1956
Shatilla 8,563 1949

Ein al-Hilweh 47,206 1948–1949

al-Nabatieh (Destroyed in the

1970’s)

h

7,434 1956

Mieh Mieh 4,646 1954

Al-Buss 9,752 1948

Rashidieh 27,217 1948

Burj al-Shamali 19,577 1948

Nahr al-Bared 32,726 1950

Bedawi 16,402 1955

Wavell (al-Jalil) 7,823 1948

Jisr al-Basha (Destroyed in the

1970’s)

– 1952

Gouraud

i

1948 evacuated 1975

Sub-total 220,809

Unocial camps

j

Al-Ma’ashouq 4,239 –

Shabiha 5,939 –

Al-Qasmia 3,239 –

69

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS

Kufr Bada (Abu al-U’sod) 1,000 –

Al-U’rash (Adlon) 1,781 –

Shhim 2,433 –

Sub-total 18,631

Lebanon: Total 239,440

Syria

Ocial camps Khan Eshieh 18,116 1949

Khan Danoun 9,479 1949

Sbeineh 20,243 1958

Qabr Essit (As-Sayyida Zeinab) 21,415 1968–1967

Jaramana 3,673 1949

Dera’a 5,175 1950–1951

Dera’a Emergency 4,633 1967

Homs 14,006 1949
Hama 8,078 1949–1950

Neirab 18,828

Sub-total 123,646

Unocial camps

k

Ein el-Tal (Hindrat) 5,169 1962

Al-Yarmouk 134,391 1956–1957

Ramadani 1,194 1956

Lattakia 7,587

Sub-total 148,341

Syria: Total 271,987

Grand Total 1,556,440

Sources: UNRWA website: camp populations. Ali Sha’aban, Hussein, Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon – From Hosting rough Discrimination.

[Arabic]. Jerusalem: PASSIA, 2002.

a. During the 1970s, the Israeli military administration destroyed thousands of refugee shelters in the occupied Gaza Strip under security pretexts.

Large refugee camps were targeted in particular. Refugees were forcibly resettled in other areas of the occupied Gaza Strip, with a smaller number
transferred to the occupied West Bank. In the occupied Gaza Strip, several housing projects were established for these refugees. Some of these projects
today are referred to as camps. ese include the Canada project (1972), the Shuqairi project (1973), the Brazil project (1973), the Sheikh
Radwan project (1974), and the al-Amal project (1979).

b. ere are more than 4,220 ex-Gaza refugees distributed throughout West Bank camps.
c. An additional 4,000 Palestinians are estimated by UNRWA to be living in the camp as a result of Israel’s policy of residency revocation in

Jerusalem.

d. e camp was closed because of unsanitary living conditions, and residents were relocated to Shu’fat refugee camp.
e. Estimated figures based on 2007 PCBS census at annual growth rate of 3 percent, NA refers to not available.
f. As of 31 December 2003, over 15,000 persons were 1967 refugees.
g. Population figures for unofficial camps in Jordan are for 2000, including annual population growth of 3 percent from 2000 to 2008. In 2000,

the population of Madaba was 5,500; Sakhna, 4,750; and al-Hassan, 9,000.

h. Dikwaneh and Nabatieh were completely destroyed in the 1970s, but refugees who were in these camps maintain their registration numbers with

these centers until such time as UNRWA’s new Refugee Registration Information System (RRIS) is developed.

i. e camp was evacuated and residents moved to Rashidieh camp.
j. Population figures for unofficial camps in Lebanon are for 2001, updated based on 3 percent annual growth until 2008. In 2001, the population of

al-Ma’ashouq was 3,447; Shabiha, 4,829; al-Qasmia, 2,634; Kufr Bada (Abu al-U’sod), 813; al-U’rash (Adlon), 1,448; and Shhim, 1,978.

k. e statistics for the unofficial camps in Syria are for 2002, including annual population growth of 3 percent until 2008. e 2002 population

of Ein el-Tal was 4,329; al-Yarmouk, 112,550; Ramadani, 1,000; and Lattakia 6,354.

70

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009) Map 2.1: Palestinian Refugee Communities: Official, Unofficial, Closed, Destroyed, Camps and Housing Projects

71

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS 2.2.2 Refugees Outside of Camps

Most Palestinian refugees (approximately 81 percent) live outside UNRWA’s 58 camps. These refugees reside in
and around cities and towns in the host countries, often in areas adjacent to refugee camps.

20

Many West Bank

villages and towns host a significant refugee population. There are approximately 100 localities in the occupied
West Bank in which 1948 refugees comprise more than 50 percent of the total population.
Between 1997 and 2007, the proportion of refugees living in the West Bank showed a significant change in
certain governorates. For instance, the percentage of refugees in Jerusalem decreased from 40.8 percent to 31.4
percent; the refugee population increased in Qalqilya from 39.9 percent to 47 percent, and in Jenin from 28.8
percent to 32.8 percent.

Table 2.6: Percentage of Refugee Population in the OPT by Governorate, 2007

Governorate % of Refugees

1997a 2007b

Gaza 52.0 57.5

Deir al-Balah 85.5 88.6

North Gaza 70.9 71.0

Rafah 70.9 85.9

Khan Younis 56.9 63.3

Hebron 17.4 17.9

Tubas 15.8 15.7

Jericho 49.7 51.3

Jerusalem 40.8 31.4
Ramallah 28.1 29.3

Jenin 28.8 32.8

Tulkarem 31.5 33.6

Nablus 25.4 26.3

Bethlehem 28.0 28.4

Qalqilya 39.9 47.0

Salt 7.7 8.3

Sources:

a.

PCBS, 1998. Population, Housing and Establishment Census 1997.

b. for the Gaza Strip: PCBS, 2006. “Survey of the Impact of the Israeli Unilateral Measures on the Social, Economic and Environmental Conditions

of the Palestinian Households”; for the West Bank: PCBS, 2008. Population, Housing and Establishment Census 2007.

In Lebanon, UNRWA reported that 47 percent of the Palestinian refugee population was registered outside of
camps. Other sources report that between one third and 40 percent of the Palestinian refugee population resides
in gatherings, cities and villages, and other non-camp localities.

21

A gathering is defined as a community of 25

or more Palestinian households living together. In Syria, almost 40 percent of Palestinian refugees live in urban
centers, with a small number living in rural areas.

72

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009)
2.3 Characteristics of the Refugee and IDP Population

Demographic and socio-economic indicators reflect the vulnerability of internally displaced Palestinians and
refugees during six decades of displacement. Lack of personal security and socio-economic wellbeing and stability
are the result of Israel’s policies and practices of occupation, apartheid and colonization and a series of armed
conflicts in the region,

22

in particular where refugee-hood is compounded with statelessness, ineffective protection

and insufficient assistance.

23

Due to lack of registration and documentation, no statistical data is available on the demographic and
socioeconomic characteristics of Palestinian refugee populations outside UNRWA’s area of operation, and little
reliable data is available on the characteristics of internally displaced Palestinians in Israel and the OPT. Such data
is available almost exclusively for the population of UNRWA registered 1948 refugees, who constitute 66 percent
of all displaced Palestinians.

2.3.1 Demographic Indicators

Differences between the Palestinian refugee populations and the local non-refugee populations are negligible in
most Arab host states, with Lebanon constituting the only major exception.

24

The Palestinian refugee population is young. Approximately
31 percent of all registered refugees are below the age of
fifteen. 38 percent are less than 18 years old. The occupied
Gaza Strip has the youngest refugee population: 46.4 percent
are less than 18 years old and 13.7 percent are aged 0-4 years.
The percentage of young Palestinian refugees is lowest in
Lebanon, where those under 18 make up 28.5 percent of the
registered refugee population, while 6.4 percent are aged 0-4
years. The large share of children and youth gives rise to high
dependency ratios, a large burden on the refugee labor force,
and a strong need for health and education services.

25

Refugees have a high fertility rate (calculated as the
average number of children per woman), but there has
been a consistent decline in the fertility rate among
Palestinian refugees, in particular in the occupied West
Bank (from 6.17 in 1983-1994 to 4.2 in 2006), Jordan
(from 6.2 in 1983-1986 to 4.6 in 2000), Lebanon (from
4.49 in 1991 to 2.3 in 2006) and Syria (from 3.8 in 2000
to 2.4 in 2006). In the occupied Gaza Strip, the fertility
rate increased between 1983 and 1994 (from 7.15 to
7.69), followed by a slow decrease from 2000 onwards.

26

Declining fertility rates are the result of later marriage,
more female enrollment in higher education, increased use
of contraceptives, and a slight rise in the participation rate
of women in the labor force.

No data is available about the age structure and other demographic indicators of Palestinian IDPs. However, as differences
between refugee and non-refugee populations in major Arab host states are negligible, the age structure and fertility rate
of Palestinian IDPs are likely to be similar to the general Palestinian population in Israel and in the OPT.

27

Palestinian children from the Jordan Valley
(© Anne Paq / BADIL)

73

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS Figure 2.5: Population Pyramid, UNRWA Registered Palestinian Refugees, 2008

Source: UNRWA website, accessed 20 March 2009

The mortality rate of the Palestinian population in the OPT is relatively low similar to that in Western countries
in the early 1960s.

28

Infant and child mortality rates of the refugee population have declined over the past six

decades. Infant mortality rates among refugees, for example, declined from around 200 per 1,000 births in 1950,
to around 24 per 1,000 births in the OPT in 2006, and eight per 1,000 births in Israel in 2003.

29

Mortality rates

of refugee infants and children under five have remained highest in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria.
In the OPT, infant and child mortality rates were slightly higher among refugees (27.5 and 32.3 per 1000
respectively) than among the general Palestinian population (24.2 and 28.3 per 1000 respectively) in the period
of 1999 – 2003.

Table 2.7: Infant and Child Mortality Rates for Palestinian Refugees (per 1,000 births)

Country Infant Mortality Child Mortality

Jordan (2004) 22.5 25.1

Lebanon (2006) 26.0 31.0

Gaza Strip (2004) 31.2 37.3
West Bank (2004) 20.1 22.5

Syria (2006) 25.0 30.0

Israel (Palestinians)* 6.9 0.7

Sources: “Statistical Abstract of Palestine 9”, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 2008, p. 51; “Demographic and health survey database 2004”,

Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 2004.
* Based on Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, 2009. “Statistical Abstract of Israel 2008 No. 59.”

The Palestinian refugee and IDP population has a high, albeit declining, growth rate. This is similar to the
Palestinian population as a whole, which has roughly doubled every twenty years. The average annual growth rate
of the UNRWA-registered refugee population for the period 1955 – 2008 is 3.3 percent according to the agency’s
records, while according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the average annual growth rate of the
entire Palestinian population was 3.5 percent for 1949 – 1999, and 3 percent for 2000 – 2008.

74

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009) 2.3.2 Labor Force Indicators

Levels of labor force participation and unemployment rates

30

indicate the level of economic wellbeing of populations.

High rates of labor force participation and low unemployment are indicators of a healthy economy that provides a
good quality of life for the population. Low levels of participation in the labor force and high unemployment are

related to low income levels, high poverty rates and unhealthy living conditions.

In early 2009, shortly after the end of Israel’s military assault on the Gaza Strip, Palestinian refugee households ranked their top-10

needs and concerns: economic security (86%); employment (60%; 66% men and 54% women); personal safety and security (59%);

family (45%; 49% women and 41% men); politics (43%); education (39%; 43% women and 36% men); health (35%; 60% in the
55+ age group); marriage (10%; 13% men and 7% women); emigration (10%; 14% men and 6% women); and, recreation (5%).

Source: FAFO and UNFPA, 2009. “Life in the Gaza Strip Six Weeks after the Armed Conflict of 27 December 2008 – 17 January 2009”;

“Evidence from a Household Sample Survey.”

Less than half of the total Palestinian refugee and IDP labor force in major hosting countries including Israel and
the OPT, is economically active. In 2008, labor force participation was highest among refugees in Syria (49.3%)
and lowest in the occupied Gaza Strip (37.5 percent).

Table 2.8: Refugee and IDP – Labor Force Participation

Country Total Labor Force Participation % Participation by women %
Jordan a 41.9 12.9

Lebanon a 42.2 16.8

Syria a 49.3 18.0

Israel b 42.6 18.9

West Bank c 42.4 16.6
Gaza Strip c 37.5 13.4

Sources:

a. e data for Jordan and Syria is from 2000; data for Lebanon is from 1999. See “Statistical Abstract of Palestine 9”, Palestinian Central
Bureau of Statistics, 2008.

b. is number reflects the labor force of the entire Palestinian population in Israel, including IDPs. See: “Palestinians in Israel: Socio-Economic

Survey 2007”, prepared by Ahmad El Sheikh Muhammad, e Galilee Society, Rizak, 2008, p. 22.
c. “Labor Force Survey Database 2008”, PCBS, 2009.

Labour force participation among refugee women is very low compared to refugee men. Participation generally increases
with higher education, especially among women. Research published in 2003 shows that young refugee women aged 15 to
24 in Lebanon and Jordan identified family duties (44

percent

and 43

percent

respectively) and study (30

percent

and

41

percent

respectively) as the most important reasons for economic inactivity; among older women, family duties were

given as the single most important reason (varying between 66

percent

and 86

percent

among women over 25 years old).

Academic study was given as the most significant reason for economic inactivity among young men (15–24 years old), while
discouragement was the most commonly cited reason by young adult men (25 - 45 years old). Older men cited health reasons
and retirement as the principal reasons for economic inactivity.

31

Table 2.9: Unemployment Rates (%) for Palestinian Refugees and IDPs aged 15+ by gender and country

Country Jordan Lebanon Syria Israel West Bank Gaza Strip

Gender camp non- camp camp non- camp all all refugees

non-

refugees

refugees

non-

refugees

Males 11 16 16 16 13.2 9.1 20.5 19.0 38.3 43.5

Females 13 30 18 22 15.5 13.5 17.0 16.5 43.1 41.9

Sources: Labor Force Survey Database 2008, PCBS, 2009; Palestinians in Israel: Socio-Economic Survey 2007, Galilee Society, Rizak, 2008.

75

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS

Unemployment rates among the Palestinian refugee population range between 11 percent and 43.1 percent,
with the highest rates found in the occupied Gaza Strip. In 2008, the unemployment rate among refugees in the
Gaza Strip was 38.3 percent for males and 43.1 percent for females, compared with 20.5 percent for males in the
West Bank and 17 percent for females. High unemployment rates among refugees are problematic, in particular
because refugees usually have little alternative sources of income. In the OPT, moreover, high unemployment
among refugees has a negative impact on the wellbeing of the entire population, as refugees constitute a significant
portion of the total population (45 percent) of the OPT (32 percent in WB and 68 percent in GS).
No disaggregate data is available about the socio-economic characteristics of Palestinian IDPs in Israel and
the OPT. For IDPs in Israel, data pertaining to the general Palestinian population serves as an indicator: the
unemployment rate among the total Palestinian labor force in Israel is 10.1 percent (13.5 percent for females and
9.1 percent for males).

32

2.3.3 Poverty and Food Insecurity

Annual per capita income among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the OPT ranges from US
$450 to US $600. Household incomes are higher among refugees in the OPT than elsewhere, and lowest among
refugees in Syria.

33

According to UNRWA estimates at the end of 2007, approximately 12 percent of refugee

households in Lebanon suffer deep poverty compared with 3 percent in Jordan and 7 percent in Syria.

34

In the OPT, the per capita income declined by 40 percent between 1999 and 2007,

35

and impoverishment

of the Palestinian population continues. By 2007, approximately 30.3 percent of Palestinian households had
consumption levels below the poverty line although they were receiving assistance.

36

57.2 percent of households

had a level of income that indicates poverty, whereas 46.3 percent of households had income levels that indicate
deep poverty (34 percent in the West Bank and 69.9 percent in Gaza Strip).
Food aid has become increasingly
significant as food sources from agricultural
areas in the occupied West Bank (Qalqilya,
Tulkarem, and the Jordan Valley) and the
Gaza Strip have been affected by Israel’s
indiscriminate and excessive use of force
during military operations and the policy
of closure and segregation. From 2000
to 2007, for example, Israel destroyed
2,851 dunums of land, 13,147 dunums
of vegetables and 14,076 dunums of
Palestinian field crops.

37

Over the course

of the past five years, Israel destroyed
455 wells, 37,929 dunums of irrigation
network, 1,000 km of main pipelines, 1.9
km of irrigation pools, 930 agricultural stores and 1,862 of animal barns and stables. In the same period 1.6
million Palestinian trees were uprooted, further jeopardizing Palestinian food production. In early 2007, food
insecurity and vulnerability were about 40 percent and 12 percent respectively among refugees in the OPT.

38

The refugee population living in camps had the least food security, which also indicates that food insecurity was
highest in the Gaza Strip.
In the OPT, households in refugee camps suffer from the highest rates of poverty as measured according to
consumption patterns. Approximately 39 percent of camp households are poor compared with 29.5 percent of
urban and rural households. Application of a poverty index also showed that the situation is worse for refugee

UNRWA food distribution center, Gaza (© UNRWA)

76

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009)

households (33.3%) as compared with non-refugee households (29.1 percent).

39

This can be explained by the

higher unemployment rates, the high dependency ratio and the big size of refugee camp households when
compared with urban and rural households. Another explanation is provided by the higher poverty level in the
Gaza Strip where the majority of the population is composed of refugees and camp populations.
In early 2009, 63 percent of Palestinian households interviewed in the Gaza Strip stated that their economic
situation had deteriorated as a result of Israel’s most recent military operation.

40

60 percent of Palestinian

households were in need of assistance and 25 percent were in need of psycho-social support. The most pressing
needs identified by these households were cash assistance (39 percent), cooking gas (20 percent), house repair (16
percent), and food (12 percent).

41

In Israel, all 76 Palestinian local authorities are ranked in the lower half of the national socio-economic development
scale, with 85 percent of the localities placed in the lowest three deciles.

42

53 percent of Palestinian families in

Israel live below the poverty line, as do 400,000 out of 775,000 Arab children.

43

The most vulnerable group were

Palestinian Bedouin, most of whom are IDPs living in localities that are not recognized by the Israeli authorities.
Approximately 80 percent of this group

44

lives below the poverty line.

2.3.4 Housing

Sub-standard housing is an indicator of lack of development. It is also linked to poor health and has a
disproportionately severe impact on women and other caregivers, children, handicapped people, and the elderly.

45

Overall, housing conditions for Palestinian refugees are best in Syria and Jordan, followed by the OPT and
Lebanon. However, within these geographical areas, housing conditions differ widely.
Housing problems tend to be more pronounced in camps. Nevertheless, as a result of international assistance,
refugee camps often have better infrastructure than areas outside camps. While the area of refugee camps has
generally remained the same over the last 60 years, their population has more than quadrupled. In areas where

Palestinian Bedouin children in the Naqab (© Anne Paq / BADIL)

77

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS

construction is permitted, this has led to vertical expansion of the camps. In some areas, including Lebanon, the
government has prohibited construction in the camps.
According to findings from 2004, Palestinian refugee homes comprise an average of three rooms. Average housing
capacity is lowest in Lebanon and Syria.

46

The primary infrastructural problem facing all refugee households is

access to safe and secure supplies of drinking water, in particular in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.

47

By 2007, the average number of rooms
in a Palestinian housing unit in Israel
was 4.3 and the housing density was 1.13
persons per room.

Palestinian households

in Israel, including IDP households,
suffer from a shortage of land designated
for development. Some 19 percent of
Palestinian households have suffered from
land confiscation between 1947 and 2007,
while 10.8 percent of households have had
their homes demolished or confiscated by
the Israeli government during the same
period. 58.4 percent of the households
stated that they would need at least one
new housing unit in the next ten years,
and 34.1 percent said they would need
at least two. This, while 66.8 percent of
these households said they were unable to
build the needed housing unit/s.

48

Figure 2.6: Percentage of Overcrowded Households, 2007

Sources: Jacobsen, Laurie Blome, “Community Development of Palestinian refugee camps: Analytical support to Jordan’s preparations for the June

2004 Geneva Conference on the humanitarian need of Palestinian refugees,” e Material and Social Infrastructure, and Environmental Conditions
of Refugee Camps and Gatherings in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, FAFO Institute for Applied International Studies, Oslo, 2004, Table 1. Data for
the West Bank and Gaza Strip represents the entire population for 2007: Statistical Abstract of Palestine 9, PCBS, 2008.

The international standard for overcrowding is three or more persons per room. Overcrowding is related to lack
of resources with which to expand existing shelters or build new ones, planning and building restrictions, and
household size. Overcrowding is most severe in Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan, where one in three households

Make-shift electricity system, Ein el Hilwe refugee camp, Lebanon

(© Courtesy of al Najda Association)

78

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009)

experiences overcrowding. In the OPT, Syria and Lebanon,
overcrowding is slightly less of a problem. There are no
significant differences in crowding between non-refugee
households and refugee households outside camps in Jordan
and in the OPT. Refugee households outside camps in
Lebanon, however, are more overcrowded than households
of Lebanese nationals.

2.3.5 Education

Education is highly valued in the face of the protracted nature
of the Palestinian refugee crisis. It is seen both as offering an
opportunity for a better life and as a means of reaffirming

identity. A study commissioned by UNRWA on adolescents’

knowledge of and attitudes towards family, reproductive
health issues and lifestyle practices, showed that 76 percent
of respondents aspired to higher education.

49

Most refugees

benefit from elementary and preparatory education provided
by UNRWA schools, while others study in host country
public schools. Few study in private schools. Access to
secondary and higher education is restricted in some host
countries. Financial constraints prevent other refugees from
continuing education. (See Chapter Four)

Education-related problems for refugees differ among host countries, and include inadequate education among
young men in camps in Jordan, a significant number of young adults in Syria who lack basic education, and high
levels of illiteracy overall.

50

During the civil war and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the 1980s, some refugee children lost more than a year
of schooling. In the OPT, refugee children lost between 35 percent and 50 percent of class time during the first

Intifada. The second Intifada has also negatively affected access to education and the quality of education provided

in the OPT.

51

Israeli military and Jewish settler activity in the OPT has had a negative effect on the capacity of

students to concentrate, participate in class, and meet amongst themselves for study purposes.

52

During 2006, a

decline was observed in test scores in schools and school attendance in the OPT.

53

Table 2.10: Enrollment Levels (%) of Palestinian Refugees and IDPs in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Israel and OPT

Age

Lebanon 2006* Jordan 2000 Syria 2006 Israel 2007** OPT 2006***

Group

M F M F M F M F M F

7–9 98.6 98.9 100 100 96.6 97.9

10–14 92.0 94.1 93 94 94.2 95.0 41.3 41.1 79 83
15–18 58.0 68.7 60 51 55.5 66.8
19–24 - - 12 14 19.6 21.6

* Data for the age group 15-18 represents those aged 15-17 years.
** Data represents the age group 5 years and over, among all Palestinians in Israel.
*** Data represents the age group 6-24 years, among all Palestinians in the OPT.

Sources: On the Margins: Migration and Living Conditions Among Palestinian Refugees in Camps in Jordan, FAFO Institute for Applied

Social Science, 2000; MICS III Survey of Palestinians in Syria and Lebanon, PCBS, UNICEF and GAPAR, Damascus, 2006; Palestinians in
Israel: Socio-Economic Survey 2007, Galilee Society and Rizak, 2008, p. 190; Family Health Survey 2006, PCBS, 2007.

Refugee shelter, Wihdat camp, Amman Jordan 2008

(© Anne Paq / BADIL)

79

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS

Enrollment rates among Palestinian

refugee and IDP children are high in all

areas/host countries at the elementary
and preparatory stages, whereas the

rates decline at the secondary and

higher education stages.
Nearly all refugee children are
enrolled at the elementary stage,
and no statistical differences exist
between male and female enrolment
at the elementary and preparatory
stages. Female enrolment is higher
than male enrolment in secondary
and higher education (with the
exception of Jordan). In Lebanon,
fewer Palestinian refugees are enrolled
in secondary and higher education
than elsewhere.

Table 2.11: Illiteracy (%) among Palestinians aged 15+ by Age Group and Country

Age Group Lebanon 2006 Jordan 2000 Syria 2006 Israel OPT

M F M F M F M F M F

15–19 11.1 7.3 5 2 7.2 5.9 0.2 0.2 0.8 0.8
20–24 14.1 8.1 6 4 9.3 8.2 0.3 0.5 0.9 1.2
25–29 17.9 13.0 6 5 8.9 9.4 0.0 0.7 1.0 1.4
30–34 21.6 17.4 4 6 8.6 11.1 0.6 0.7 1.0 3.5
35–39 24.5 22.8 4 12 9.1 13.7 0.3 2.8
40–44 22.2 29.9 8 30 13.2 19.3 0.5 3.9
45–49 18.8 32.5 11 49 10.7 23.1 1.8 8.3
50–54 19.4 49.8 12 63 11.2 36.2

2.9 15.0

55–59 28.9 71.6 18 82 14.6 49.1 9.8 36.4
60–64 31.7 82.2 38 89 23.6 60.7
65–69 47.7 92.4 50 98 30.8 79.9 22.7 52.2
70–74 55.6 91.3 52 99 43.2 88.8

75+ 67.6 96.3 67 100 58.4 91.9

Sources: On the Margins: Migration and Living Conditions Among Palestinian Refugees in Camps in Jordan, FAFO Institute for Applied Social

Science, 2000; MICS III Survey of Palestinians in Syria and Lebanon, PCBS, UNICEF and GAPAR, Damascus, 2006; Palestinians in Israel:
Socio-Economic Survey 2007, Galilee Society and Rizak, 2008., p. 189; Statistical Abstract of Palestine 9, PCBS, 2008.

The average illiteracy rate among Palestinians aged 15 years and over was 25.5 percent in Lebanon (2006), 17.6
percent in the refugee camps in Jordan (2000), 16.5 percent in Syria (2006); 5.7 percent in the OPT (2007) and
4.9 percent among Palestinians in Israel.

54

Illiteracy rates have been declining in all countries and areas. Among young age groups, the illiteracy rate has
remained the highest in Lebanon. In the OPT and in Israel, more Palestinian women than men are illiterate, a
phenomena which exists in younger age groups as well. However there is more illiteracy in Arab host states among
young men than women.

Student studying in Shatilla refugee camp, Lebanon

(© Courtesy of Aidoun - Lebanon)

80

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009) 2.3.6 Health

The health status of Palestinian refugees is in transition from
a developing to a developed stage. The health of women and
children has improved dramatically over the course of the
last five decades. The best reported health outcomes are in
the OPT, Jordan and Syria.
Armed conflict, ineffective protection, and insufficient
assistance leave refugees in Lebanon the most vulnerable to
health problems. Between 30,000 and 40,000 Palestinians
were killed in the 1970s and 1980s during the civil war and
Israeli invasions in Lebanon. In the OPT, public health is at
risk due to policies and practices of the Israeli occupation.
At least 39,000 Palestinians have been injured and 6,322
killed in the current Intifada since 29 September 2000.

55

By 2006, around 42 percent of households affected by the
Wall in the occupied West Bank were separated from health
services (hospitals and medical centers). Impeded access
to medical care was particularly acute in the closed zones
between the Wall and the Green Line, where 79 percent of
families are separated from health centers and hospitals.

56

66 percent of chronically ill persons in the occupied Gaza Strip were in need of medical care during Israel’s 2008/9 military

operation “Cast Lead.” Of those, 53 percent received adequate health care, 27 percent received inadequate care, and 20 percent

did not receive any health care. 30 percent of those who did not receive care, did not do so because it was too dangerous to
try to reach health facilities and hospitals.

Source: FAFO and UNFPA, 2009. “Life in the Gaza Strip Six Weeks after the Armed Conflict of 27 December 2008 – 17 January 2009;

Evidence from a Household Sample Survey.”

Miscarriages in Gaza during Israel’s 2008/9 Military Assault

A report by UNFPA indicated that miscarriages increased by 40 percent during Israel’s war on Gaza. The report also pointed
to an increase in caesarean sections at the al Shifa Hospital, Gaza, during the war, standing at 32 percent in December 2008
and 29 percent in January 2009 of total deliveries during these months. According to the Palestinian Family Health Survey of
2006, the average rate of caesarean sections in normal situations was 15 percent. The report also pointed out an increase in
the number of births in January 2009 registering an increase of 1000 births - 5000 births in January 2009 compared to 4000
monthly births per month before the war. The increase in births is largely as a result of the increase in premature births.

2.3.6.1 Women’s and Children’s Health

In general, Palestinian refugee women, including those in camps, have good health indicators. Nearly all refugee
women visit health centers during pregnancy, and most of them receive qualified birth assistance. (See Chapter

Four)

By 2000, there were no significant differences between maternal health care and delivery assistance available to
women inside or outside camps.

57

Prenatal care was generally higher among refugees than host country nationals,

except in Lebanon, where nationals are more likely to have assistance with deliveries than Palestinian refugees.
Maternal mortality rates were highest in Lebanon and lowest in Syria.

Children line up for school at the al Baqa'a refugee camp,

Jordan (© UNRWA)

81

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS

Low birth weight is not a significant problem among refugees. (The international standard for low birth weight is less
than 2,500 grams.) There are no significant differences in birth weights between camp and non-camp refugee children. In
Jordan and Lebanon, low birth weight is more frequent among host country nationals than among refugees.
Standard vaccination programs are well implemented, although rates are lower among Palestinian refugees in Syria and
Lebanon than for host country nationals.

58

Infant mortality rates are also low despite a stagnation of the infant mortality rate in the OPT.

59

Palestinian refugees in

Syria have particularly low infant mortality rates, while these rates are highest in Lebanon. Infant mortality rates are higher
among host country nationals than Palestinian refugees in Syria and Jordan.

Childhood malnutrition has not been a significant problem, although increasing levels of child malnutrition
in the OPT give grounds for concern: 10 percent of Palestinian children there were malnourished in 2006,
with children in the occupied Gaza Strip particularly affected.

60

In 2005, signs were reported of a resurgence

of anemia, affecting 55 percent and 34 percent of children under the age of three in the occupied Gaza Strip
and West Bank respectively, as well as micronutrient deficiencies, with 22 percent of children under the age
of five suffering from Vitamin A deficiency.

61

Acute malnutrition presents more of a problem in camps in

Lebanon and Syria than in Jordan.
Rates of chronic illness in camps are higher among refugee boys than refugee girls, and higher than for
refugee children outside camps. Palestinian refugee children in Lebanon have the highest rates of chronic
illness and disability.

Table 2.12: Selected Child Health Indicators among Palestinian Refugees

Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 live births)

% Low birth Weight

(infants)

% 12–23 months Fully

vaccinated

Male Female

West Bank Camp 29.5 21.9 9 82

West Bank Non-camp 73

Gaza Strip Camp 32.9 23.4

Gaza Strip Non-camp

Jordan Camp 26.6 23.2 6 82

Jordan Non-camp 8 83

Lebanon Camp and

Non-camp

26 23.3 7 75

Syria Camp and Non-

camp

24 21.5 8 73

Source: Finding Means: UNRWA’s Financial Situation and the Living Conditions of Palestinian Refugees, Summary Report, FAFO: Institute for Applied

Social Science, 2000. Figures for Lebanon and Syria include camps and “gatherings” (defined as a community outside a camp with 25 or more households).
Data for low birth weight for the OPT is for births in the last year prior to the survey; the data on Jordan is for the most recent births, while data for Lebanon
and Syria is for births during the five years preceding the survey. Infant mortality rates for Syria and Lebanon are from 2006; PCBS

82

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009)

Appendix 2.1

Notes regarding estimates of Palestinian displacement, including Table 2.1

Comparison with earlier estimates

In the 2006-2007 Survey, Badil estimated that 7.4 million Palestinians were forcibly displaced persons by mid-
2007, including 7 million refugees and 450,000 IDPs. Badil’s updated estimate for the end of 2008 is 7.1 million
displaced Palestinians, including 6.6 million refugees and 427,000 IDPs. The 2008 estimates were calculated
based on the methodology adopted previously, as well as the findings of the population census conducted in the
OPT in 2007 by the PCBS. (See below)

1948 UNRWA-registered refugees

UNRWA reported 4.7 million registered refugees as of 31 December 2008. UNRWA figures are based on data
voluntarily supplied by registered refugees. UNRWA registration statistics do not claim to be and should not
be taken as statistically valid demographic data. This information is collected by UNRWA for its own internal
management purposes, and to facilitate certification of refugee eligibility to receive education, health, and relief
and social services. New information on births, marriages, deaths, and change in place of residence is recorded
only when a refugee requests the updating of the family registration card issued by the Agency. UNRWA does
not carry out a census, house-to-house survey, or any other means of verifying place of residence. Refugees will
normally report births, deaths, and marriages when they seek a service from the Agency. Births, for instance, are
reported if the family makes use of UNRWA maternity and child health services, or when the child reaches school
age if admission is sought to an UNRWA school, or even later if neither of these services is needed. Deaths tend to
remain under-reported. While families are encouraged to have a separate registration card for each nuclear family
(parents and children), this is not obligatory. Family size information may therefore include a mix of nuclear and
extended families, in some cases including as many as four generations.

1948 non-registered refugees

The number of persons in this group is calculated as being one third of the total registered refugee population
based on the assumption that “UNRWA registered refugees represent approximately three-quarters of Palestinian
refugees worldwide.”

See Annual Growth rate of registered Palestine refugees and female percentage, 1953–2000: http://

www.un.org/unrwa/publicatons/index.html. This assumption was applied to the calculation for the three regions:
Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. As for the OPT, the results of the 1997 and 2007 PCBS censuses revealed that non-
registered 1948 refugees represent 1.6 percent of the total population in the OPT (accessed 5 February 2009). Thus
the total number of 1948 non-registered refugees at the end of 2008 is 1,014,741.

Estimates of the 1948 Palestinian refugee population

The total number of 1948 refugees is calculated by combining UNRWA-registered refugees and non-registered
refugees as described above; it amounts to 5,686,552 at the end of 2008.

Alternative estimates: Based on The Palestinian Nakba 1948: The Register of Depopulated Localities in Palestine,

London: The Palestinian Return Center, 1998; this source assumes an average annual growth rate of 3.5

percent

for the Palestinian refugee population based on British demographic data from 1947. Accordingly, the total
number of estimated 1948 refugees at the end of 2008 is 6,723,439. If an adjusted annual growth of 3

percent

is applied from 2000 onwards – giving proper consideration to the decline of the fertility rate and the annual

83

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS

growth rate - the total number of 1948 refugees (registered and non-registered) amounts to 6,467,947 by the end
of 2008.

1967 Palestinian refugees

Figures are derived from The Report of the Secretary-General under General Assembly Resolution 2252 (EX-V) and

Security Council Resolution 237 (1967), UN Doc. A/6797, 15 September 1967 and the average annual growth rate

of the Palestinian population (3.5

percent

for 1967-1999 and 3.0

percent

for 2000-2008).

This figure includes only persons who were externally displaced for the first time in 1967. It does not include internally

displaced persons and 1948 refugees displaced for a second time in 1967. See also Takkenberg, Lex, The Status of

Palestinian Refugees in International Law, Oxford: Clarendon Press Oxford, 1998, p. 17; approximately 193,500

Palestinian refugees were displaced for a second time, while 240,000 non-refugees were displaced for the first time,

bringing the total to over 430,000 persons displaced in 1967. The figure also excludes those refugees who returned

under a limited repatriation program between August and September 1967. The figure does not account for

Palestinians who were abroad at the time of the 1967 war and unable to return, refugees reunified with family inside
the OPT, or those refugees who returned after 1994 under the agreements of the Oslo peace process.

Palestinian IDPs in Israel since 1948

According to Hillel Cohen, the author of a study on displaced Palestinians in Israel, and as stated by the National
Committee for the Rights of the Internally Displaced in Israel: “[O]f the estimated 150,000 Palestinians who
remained in Israel proper when the last armistice agreement was signed in 1949, some 46,000 were internally
displaced, as per UNRWA’s 1950 registry record.” Data for 2008 was calculated on the basis of an estimated
average annual growth rate of the Palestinian population inside Israel of 3.5

percent

for the period 1949-1999,

and 3.0

percent

for 2000-2008.

No reliable data exist on internal displacement of Palestinians in Israel after 1948 as a consequence of internal
population transfer, land confiscation, house demolition and similar policies and practice. Their number has been
conservatively estimated at 75,000 persons. See Internally Displaced Palestinians, International Protection, and

Durable Solutions, BADIL Information & Discussion Brief No. 9 (November 2002).

Palestinian IDPs in the OPT since 1967

The estimate (128,708) includes:
a) Persons internally displaced from destroyed Palestinian villages in the OPT during the 1967 war (10,000

persons). This figure is adjusted on the basis of the average annual growth rate (3.5

percent

until 2005, and 3.0

percent

for the years 2006-2008);

b) persons (13,000 individuals: 2,000 households with an average of 6.5 persons) whose shelters were totally

destroyed during Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip at the end of 2008 (see OCHA report on Gaza crisis, 30 March
2009:

http://www.ochaopt.org/gazacrisis/admin/output/files/ocha_opt_gaza_humanitarian_situation_

report_2009_03_30_english.pdf).

c) the average number of Palestinians displaced by house demolition (1,037) each year between 1967 and 2008

(see BADIL: Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2006-2007). This number is not
adjusted according to the average annual population growth, because it is not known how many IDPs have
been able to return to their homes;

d) persons displaced as a result of harassment by Jewish settlers in the OPT: at least 1,014 Palestinian housing units

in the center of Hebron that have been vacated by their occupants in 2007, considering average household of

84

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009)

6.1 person and growth rate of 3.0

percent

: B’tselem/The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Report, Ghost

Town, May 2007.

e) persons displaced as a result of revocation of residency rights in Jerusalem: the total number of ID cards confiscated

since 1967 amounts to 8,269 (see PCBS, 2008: Jerusalem Statistical Yearbook, no.10, p. 358). This number does

not include the children (under the age of 16 years) of persons whose resident status was revoked (other sources
estimate that 80,000 persons have been affected by the revocation of Jerusalem ID cards since 1967), and it does
not account for ID cards that may have been reinstated due to the lack of information. Also not included are
4,577 Jerusalem residents who had their ID cards confiscated in 2008, preliminary statistics on which were only

published in the last weeks of 2009. Nir Hasson, “Israel Stripped Thousands of Jerusalem Arabs of Residency in
2008”, Haaretz, 2 December 2009;

f) 14,364 persons who were displaced by the Wall as of July 2005 (see PCBS, 2008: Jerusalem Statistical Yearbook

no. 10, p. 366), with the population growth (3.0

percent

) added for 2006-2008.

Note: Estimate includes 1948 Palestinian refugees who have subsequently undergone internal displacement in the

OPT. Their number is estimated to be 37,000 persons at the end of 2008 (categories b – f), based on PCBS data
which shows that 1948 refugees constitute 40

percent

of the total Palestinian population in the OPT. If displaced

refugees are deducted, the estimate of Palestinian IDPs in the OPT at the end of 2008 amounts to 91,708.

Persons who are neither 1948 nor 1967 Refugees and who are externally displaced

No statistical estimate is possible of the current size of this group, because not enough precise data is available.
For illustrative examples and case studies, see Chapter One, Appendix 1.1, Occupation, Apartheid, Colonization

(1967 – 2009).

85

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS Endnotes

1 PCBS, 2009. Revised estimate based on the final results of Population, Housing and Establishment Census 2007. Ramallah-Palestine. Also

see Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 2009. Press release on the 61

st

Anniversary of Nakba. Ramallah-Palestine (www.pcbs.gov.ps:

press releases)

2 For relevant studies, findings and references, see Appendix 2.1.
3 The definition of a Palestinian refugee used here (see Glossary) is based on the 1951 UN Conciliation Commission for Palestine draft

definition. See Addendum to Definition of a “Refugee”, para. 11 of General Assembly Resolution of 11 December 1948 (prepared by the Legal
Advisor), UN Doc. W/61/Add.1, 29 May 1951. UNRWA has a working definition of 1948 Palestinian refugees that serves to determine
eligibility for assistance: “[Palestine refugee] shall mean any person 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.” Consolidated Registration Instructions

(CRI), 1 January 1993, para. 2.13. Some 82,000 persons were removed from the registration record in 1950 and 1951. See Takkenberg, Lex,
The Status of Palestinian Refugees in International Law, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1998, p. 70.

4 See Annual Growth rate of registered Palestine refugees and female percentage, 1953–2000: http://www.un.org/unrwa/publications/index.

html

5 Original registration was carried out by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the League of Red Crescent Societies and (in the

Gaza Strip) by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). During 1950–51, UNRWA carried out a census in all areas of operations,
excluding the Gaza Strip, where it relied on AFSC records. UNRWA registration includes an individual registration number, a family
registration number, and a family code that links the computerized demographic data in the family registration number sheet with the non-
computerized data in the family files. The latter includes birth, marriage, and death certificates and a limited number of property deeds.
For more information, see Reinterpreting the Historical Record: The Uses of Palestinian Refugee Archives for Social Science Research and Policy

Analysis, Tamari, Salim and Zureik, Elia (eds.). Jerusalem: Institute for Jerusalem Studies, 2001.

6 Public Information Office, UNRWA Headquarters, Gaza: http://www.un.org/unrwa/publications/pdf/uif-dec08.pdf (visited 27 March,

2009).

7 Annual Report of the Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, 1 July 1951–30 June 1952.

UN GAOR, 7

th

Sess., Supp. 13 (A/2171), 30 June, 1952, para. 8. Initial registration files for these internally displaced Palestinians include

six boxes consisting of 11,304 family cards and 5,155 correction cards. Each card contains details such as names, age, sex, occupation, past
addresses and the “distribution center” to which the family was attached. UNRWA refers to these files as “dead” files. Tamari, Salim and
Zureik, Elia (eds.) op. cit. (2001), p. 45. UNRWA records show that about 45,800 persons receiving relief in Israel were the responsibility
of UNRWA until June 1952. See http://www.un.org/unrwa/publications/index.html

8 UNGA Resolution 37/120 (I), 16 December, 1982. Report of the Secretary-General, 12 September, 1983, UN Doc. A/38/382.
9 The children of refugee women and non-refugee fathers have remained ineligible for registration with UNRWA. This, although the Agency

is aware of this discrimination and has promised since 2004 to revise this policy, “with a view to enabling descendants of female refugees
married to non-refugees to register with UNRWA.” UNRWA stated that the Agency “is of the opinion that the continued application of its
registration rules is unfair and unfounded, as the status of refugees should not be based on such considerations, and discrimination between
males married to non-refugees vs. females married to non-refugees is unjustified.... The Agency estimates that this could potentially benefit
approximately 340,000 persons, but expects that a significantly lower number will actually wish to register. Of those who will register, not all
will be interested in availing themselves of the Agency’s services. As a result, the quantitative impact of this modification in the registration
rules on the Agency’s operations is considered to be manageable.” 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. UN GAOR, Sixtieth Session, Supp. 13 (A/59/13), 2005 para.

67, p. 19.

10 2007 Global Trends: Refugees, Asylum-seekers, Returnees, Internally Displaced and Stateless Persons, UNHCR 2008; 2008 Global Trends:

Refugees, Asylum-seekers, Returnees, Internally Displaced and Stateless Persons, UNHCR, 10 June, 2009.

11 Israel last carried out a census of the IDP population in 1949, in order to plan for internal transfer of Palestinians who remained after the

1948 war. According to this census, which did not cover all areas, there were 7,005 IDPs from 56 villages of origin residing in 26 different
Palestinian villages in the Galilee. Central Zionist Archive, A-206/246. Census documents are archived in the Yosef Weitz file, 296/246 and
206/246. Cited in Cohen, Hillel, The Present Absentees: Palestinian Refugees in Israel Since 1948 [Hebrew]. Jerusalem: Van Lear Institute,
2000.

12 Kamen, Charles S., “After the Catastrophe I: The Arabs in Israel, 1948–51,” Middle Eastern Studies, 23, no.4 (October 1987) Table 11:

Distribution of localities which continued to exist in northern Israel, by the number of refugees who entered them, p. 473.

13 “Palestinians in Israel: Socio-Economic Survey, 2004”, prepared by Ahmad El-Sheikh Muhammad, Shefa-Amr: The Galilee Society, Rizak

and Mada al-Carmel, July 2005, p. 78.

14 Report of the Secretary General under General Assembly Resolution 2252 (ES-V) and Security Council Resolution 237 (1967), UN Doc.

A/6797, 15 September 1967.

15 For more details, see Wilson Harris, William, Taking Root: Israeli Settlement in the West Bank, the Golan and the Gaza-Sinai, 1967–1980.

New York: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 1980.

16 Amro, Tayseer, “Displaced Persons: Categories and Numbers Used by the Palestinian Delegation [to the Quadripartite Committee] (not

including spouses and descendants).” Article 74, 14, Jerusalem: BADIL/Alternative Information Center for Palestinian Residency and
Refugee Rights, 1995, Table 5: Palestinian Estimates of Displaced Persons and Refugees During the 1967 War.

17 Figure derived from population estimates in the area cited in Final Report of the UN Economic Survey Mission for the Middle East, “Part I, The

Final Report and Appendices”, p. 1. Population figures for Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq are from the Jordan Data Profile, Lebanon Data
Profile, Syrian Arab Republic Data Profile, and Iraq Data Profile, World Development Indicators Database, World Bank, July 2001.

18 Abu Sitta, Salman, From Refugees to Citizens at Home: The End of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. London: The Palestinian Return Centre,

2001, p. 23.

19 A camp, according to UNRWA’s working definition, is a plot of land placed at the disposal of the Agency by a host government for

accommodating Palestine refugees, and for setting up facilities to cater to their needs. The plots of land on which camps were originally set

86

Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2008-2009)

up either belong to the state, or, in most cases, are leased from local landowners by the host government. This means that the refugees in
camps do not “own” the land on which their shelters stand, but have the right to “use” the land for a residence.

20 See: Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, 1 July 2004–30

June 2005. UN GAOR, Sixtieth Session, Supp. 13 (A/60/13), 2005 para. 114, p. 27.

21 Ali Sha’aban, Hussein, Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon from Hosting through Discrimination [Arabic]. Jerusalem: PASSIA, 2002. See also:

Ugland, Ole (ed.), Difficult Past, Uncertain Future: Living Conditions Among Palestinian Refugees in Camps and Gatherings in Lebanon,
FAFO Institute for Applied Social Science, Oslo, 2003; and, Sari Hanafi and Åge A. Tiltnes, The Employability of Palestinian Professionals

in Lebanon: Constraints and Transgression

22 See Chapter One, 1.3 Forced Displacement in Host Countries, for examples of armed conflicts that have impacted Palestinian refugees in

Arab host countries.

23 For a discussion of statelessness and “protection gaps” which impact the situation of Palestinian refugees and IDPs, see Chapter Three.
24 See: Jacobsen, Laurie Blome, Finding Means: UNRWA’s Financial Crisis and Refugee Living Conditions. Volume I: Socio-economic Situation of

Palestinian Refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Oslo: FAFO, Institute for Applied Social Science, 2003,

p. 20.

25 http://www.un.org/unrwa/publications/index.html (accessed 20 March 2009)
26 Calculations based on: Statistical Abstract of Palestine 8, PCBS, 2007; pp. 56, 61 and 66. Also: Demographic Survey, PCBS, 1995; and:

Palestinian Family Survey, PCBS, 2006.

27 Inside Israel, 39.7% of the Palestinian population is under the age of 15. See Table 2.1.3: Percentage Distribution of Palestinians in Israel by

Age Groups and Sex (2007), Statistical Abstract of Palestine 9, PCBS, 2008, p. 176. In the OPT, 44.1% of the Palestinian population is under
the age of 15. See Table 3.2.4: Projected Population in the Palestinian Territory in the End Year by Age Groups and Sex (2007), Statistical

Abstract of Palestine 9, PCBS, 2008, p. 251.

28 Dalen, Kristen and Jon Pedersen, The Future Size of the Palestinian Population of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, FAFO Report 433, 2004,

p. 7.

29 Infant Mortality Rate in the occupied Palestinian territory, Child Basic Indicators, UNICEF Website, 2005. Statistics for Palestinian-Arab

population in Israel were obtained from “The Arab Population of Israel 2003”, Statistilite 50, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics.

30 The labor force participation rate is defined as the proportion of employed and working persons above the age of 15 to the total population

of that age. Employed persons include everyone who has worked for at least one hour within a set reference period for pay in cash or in
kind, as well as those temporarily absent from a job they perform on a regular basis. The unemployment range is defined as the proportion
of unemployed persons among the total labor force. Unemployed persons include everyone who did not work in the set reference period,
not even for one hour, although they were available for work and actively sought work during that period.

31 Jacobsen, op. cit. (2003), p. 114–15.
32 Palestinians in Israel: Socio-Economic Survey 2007, The Galilee Society and Rizak, 2008, p. 162.
33 Gross National Income and cost of living in Syria, however, is also lower. The situation is very different in Lebanon, where GNI and cost of

living are much higher; see:

Jacobsen, Laurie Blome, Finding Means: UNRWA’s Financial Crisis and Refugee Living Conditions, p. 148. Cost

of living in the OPT is comparable to Israel and higher than in most Arab host countries.

34 Statistical Abstract of Palestine 9, PCBS, 2008. p. 121
35 The fiscal crisis of the Palestinian Authority resulted in severe income losses for about a quarter of its work force and their dependents –

about 25% of the OPT population. UN OCHA, A Year of Decline: The Financial and Institutional Status of the Palestinian Authority, OCHA
Special Focus, Jerusalem, April 2007.

36 Prolonged Crisis in the occupied Palestinian Territory: Socio-Economic Developments in 2007, UNRWA, 2008. In 2007, the standards for

poverty and deep poverty in the OPT for an average household of 6 persons (two adults and four children) were defined as NIS 2,362 (USD
572) and NIS 1,886 (USD 457) in monthly expenditures respectively (at average NIS/USD exchange rate of 4.1).

37 “Food Security in Palestine” Palestine Monitor, 5 May, 2009
38 Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA): West Bank and Gaza Strip, UN Food and Agriculture Organization and

UN World Food Program, January 2007, p. vi.

39 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 2008: Press release on refugee demography on World Refugee Day.
40 Life in the Gaza Strip six weeks after the armed conflict 27 December 2008–17 January 2009. Evidence from a household sample survey,

FAFO and UNFPA, 2009.

41 Inside Gaza: Attitudes and perceptions of Gaza Strip residents in the aftermath of the Israeli military operations, UNDP, 2009
42 “The Human Rights Status of the Palestinian Arab Minority, Citizens of Israel” October 2008, Mossawa Center, p.20.
43 “Two-thirds of Arab children in Israel live in poverty”, Mossawa Center, 30 January, 2007.
44 “Ethnicity and social status determines poverty rates” (www.arabic.people.com.cn, accessed 10 April, 2009)
45 Jacobsen, Laurie Blome, Finding Means: UNRWA’s Financial Crisis and Refugee Living Conditions, p. 58.
46These figures exclude kitchens, bathrooms, hallways and verandas. Non-camp figures for Lebanon and Syria only include refugee “gatherings”

(defined as a community outside a camp with 25 or more households). Jacobsen, Laurie Blome, op. cit. (2003), p. 64.

47 “Access to adequate sanitation and water resources is lacking in Syria compared to many other countries in the region. UNDP estimates

(2001) report that some 10% do not have access to proper sanitation (compared to 1% in Jordan and Lebanon) and 20% do not have access
to ‘improved’ water resources (compared to 4% in Jordan and none in Lebanon).” Jacobsen, Laurie Blome, “Community Development of
Palestinian Refugee Camps: Analytical support to Jordan’s preparations for the June 2004 Geneva Conference on the humanitarian need
of Palestinian refugees”, The Material and Social Infrastructure, and Environmental Conditions of Refugee Camps and Gatherings in Lebanon,

Jordan and Syria, FAFO Institute for Applied International Studies, Oslo, 2004, p. 4 of report on Syria and Table 5.

48 Palestinians in Israel: Socio-Economic Survey 2007, The Galilee Society and Rizak, 2008, p. 111-132.
49Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, 1 July 2004–30 June

2005. UN GAOR, Sixtieth Session, Supp. 13 (A/60/13), 2005 para. 82, p. 20.

50 Jacobsen, Laurie Blome, op. cit. (2003), p. 80.
51 UNICEF Humanitarian Action, Donor Update, 8 December, 2005, p. 3.
52 “Education under Occupation: Disruptions to Palestinian Education Stemming from Israeli Military and Settler Activity, 1 September,

87

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERISTICS

2003–30 June, 2005,” Trend Analysis, Palestinian Monitoring Group, Ramallah, 30 October 2005, p. 3.

53 A Year of Decline: The Financial and Institutional Status of the Palestinian Authority, OCHA Special Focus, Jerusalem, April 2007.
54 Ibid.
55 For statistics based on a variety of official and NGO sources, see for example: http://www.ifamericansknew.org/ (accessed 13 May, 2009).

See also Chapter One, 1.2.1 Excessive and Indiscriminate Use of Force; Deportation; Detention and Torture

56 Impact of the Expansion and Annexation Wall on the Socioeconomic Conditions of Palestinian Households in the Localities in which the Wall

Passes Through in the West Bank (August 2005), Press Conference on the Survey Results, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Ramallah,

February 2006, p. 7.

57 “Finding Means: UNRWA’s Financial Situation and the Living Conditions of Palestinian Refugees, Summary Report”, FAFO: Institute for

Applied Social Science, 2000. Figures for Lebanon and Syria include camps and “gatherings” (defined as a community outside a camp with
25 or more households).

58 Some 80% of refugee children in camps receive their full range of vaccinations at 12 through 23 months in the OPT and Jordan. These

figures are 70% for Syria and 75% for Lebanon. Jacobsen, Laurie Blome, op. cit. (2003), p. 10.

59 Infant mortality rates among registered refugees have dropped from 180 deaths per 1,000 live births in the 1960s, to 32–35 per 1,000 in

the 1990s. This is well ahead of the World Health Organization (WHO) target for developing countries of 50 per 1,000 by the year 2000.
“The stagnation of infant mortality rate [in the OPT] is due mainly to slow progress or worsening of neonatal mortality rates.” UNICEF
Humanitarian Action, Donor Update, 8 December, 2005, p. 2.

60 Occupied Palestinian Territory, Selected Statistics, UNICEF, Jerusalem, updated 21 July 2006.
61 Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, 1 July, 2004–30 June,

2005. UN GAOR, Sixtieth Session, Supp. 13 (A/60/13), 2005 para. 68, p. 17.