List of Palestinian refugee camps
Encyclopedia
Palestinian refugee camp
s were established after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
to accommodate the Palestine refugees who were forced, or chose to leave (depending on Israeli/Arab interpretations) Palestine after the creation of Israel
. UNGA
(United Nations General Assembly) Resolution 194 grants Palestinians the right to return to their homeland if they wish to 'live at peace with their neighbors, but Israel has refused to allow the vast majority of refugees to return.
This article lists the current Palestine refugee camps with current population and year they were established.
The UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) defines a Palestine
refugee
as:
UNRWA recognizes facilities in 59 designated refugee camp
s in Jordan
, Lebanon
, Syria
, the West Bank
and the Gaza Strip
. It also provided relief to displaced persons inside the State of Israel
following the 1948 conflict until the Israeli government took over responsibility for them in 1952.
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. Designated refugee camps, which developed from tented cities to rows of concrete blockhouses to urban ghettos indistinguishable from their surroundings, house around one third of all registered Palestine refugees. UNRWA also provides facilities in other areas where large numbers of registered Palestine refugees live outside of recognized camps.
UNRWA's services are available to all those living in its area of operations who meet this definition, who are registered with the agency and who need assistance. UNRWA's definition of a refugee also covers the descendants of persons who became refugees in 1948. The number of registered Palestine refugees (RPR) has subsequently grown from 914,000 in 1950 to more than 4.6 million in 2009.
.
is about 422,000.http://www.unrwa.org/etemplate.php?id=73 There are 12 official camps with 225,125 refugees.
The Palestinians' Lebanese camps became ghetto
s as the Palestinians were barred from citizenship, finding certain jobs, or traveling abroad. Some of these refugee camps, overcrowded and filled with angry refugees, helped seed the beginnings of Yasser Arafat
's Fatah
group; guerrilla attacks on Israel were launched from some of the Palestinian camps in Lebanon.
Following major armed conflict in one camp in 2007, the Lebanese government sought greater input into the rebuilding of the camp, and in the camp's ongoing management. The government wanted the ability to intervene in the future, and to exercise police powers there instead of the Palestinian armed forces that had policed the camp previously.
has 10 official camps with 119,776 refugees.
Additional unofficial camps in Syria:
has 19 official camps with 194,514 refugees.
has eight official camps with 478,854 refugees.
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s were established after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
to accommodate the Palestine refugees who were forced, or chose to leave (depending on Israeli/Arab interpretations) Palestine after the creation of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. UNGA
Unga
Unga may refer to:* Harvey Unga , American football running back* Unga, Alaska, United States* Unga , the largest land-living arthropod in the world* Unga , a traditional Scottish land measurement...
(United Nations General Assembly) Resolution 194 grants Palestinians the right to return to their homeland if they wish to 'live at peace with their neighbors, but Israel has refused to allow the vast majority of refugees to return.
This article lists the current Palestine refugee camps with current population and year they were established.
The UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) defines a Palestine
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
as:
- "Palestine refugees are persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948, who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War1948 Arab-Israeli WarThe 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
."
UNRWA recognizes facilities in 59 designated refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
and the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. It also provided relief to displaced persons inside the State of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
following the 1948 conflict until the Israeli government took over responsibility for them in 1952.
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. Designated refugee camps, which developed from tented cities to rows of concrete blockhouses to urban ghettos indistinguishable from their surroundings, house around one third of all registered Palestine refugees. UNRWA also provides facilities in other areas where large numbers of registered Palestine refugees live outside of recognized camps.
UNRWA's services are available to all those living in its area of operations who meet this definition, who are registered with the agency and who need assistance. UNRWA's definition of a refugee also covers the descendants of persons who became refugees in 1948. The number of registered Palestine refugees (RPR) has subsequently grown from 914,000 in 1950 to more than 4.6 million in 2009.
Jordan
There are ten refugee camps in JordanJordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
.
-
- 1955, Amman New CampAmman New CampAmman New Camp, locally known as Wihdat , is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in the world with a population of 380,443 registered refugees as of March, 2009. It was previously operated by the UNRWA but is now operated by Department of Palestinian Affairs.-External links and references:* ,...
(Wihdat), 49,805 - 1968, Baqa'aBaqa'aThe Baqa'a refugee camp , first created in 1968, lies 20 km north of the Jordanian capital Amman, and is home to around 80,100 Palestinians who are registered as such with the United Nations, making it the largest camp in Jordan....
, 80,100 - 1968, Husn (Martyr Azmi el-Mufti), 19,573
- 1968, Irbid camp, 23,512
- 1952, Jabal el-Hussein, 27,674
- 1968, Jerash camp, 15,696
- 1968, MarkaMarka refugee campThe Marka refugee camp is one of six "emergency" camps erected in 1968 to shelter 15,000 Palestinian refugees and displaced persons who left the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as a result of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war...
, 41,237 - 1967, SoufSoufSouf is a City in Jordan, set over a series of mountains at an altitude of 1,000 meters. Souf is situated 35 miles north of Amman the capital of Jordan. The total population of Souf exceeds 25,000 people, while it covers a wide area of agricultural land considered the widest in Jerash...
, 14,911 - 1968, Talbieh, 4,041
- 1949, Zarqa camp, 17,344
- 1955, Amman New Camp
Lebanon
The total number of registered refugees in LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
is about 422,000.http://www.unrwa.org/etemplate.php?id=73 There are 12 official camps with 225,125 refugees.
The Palestinians' Lebanese camps became ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
s as the Palestinians were barred from citizenship, finding certain jobs, or traveling abroad. Some of these refugee camps, overcrowded and filled with angry refugees, helped seed the beginnings of Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
's Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
group; guerrilla attacks on Israel were launched from some of the Palestinian camps in Lebanon.
Following major armed conflict in one camp in 2007, the Lebanese government sought greater input into the rebuilding of the camp, and in the camp's ongoing management. The government wanted the ability to intervene in the future, and to exercise police powers there instead of the Palestinian armed forces that had policed the camp previously.
-
- 1955, Beddawi campBeddawi campBeddawi camp is a second camp in north Lebanon. It is located in the high region which is in front of Tripoli city. It has two entrances, one southward from the Al-qobi region and the other northward from Beddawi city. It was established in 1955 in 1 km2. It is 120m above sea level and...
, 15,695 - 1948, Burj el-Barajneh, 19,526http://photos.cmaq.net/main.php?g2_itemId=12049http://www.monitor.upeace.org/archive.cfm?id_article=30
- 1955, Burj el-ShemaliBurj el-ShemaliBurj el-Shemali is a Palestinian refugee camp located 3 km east of the city of Tyre, Lebanon. According to the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East the camp has 19,074 registered refugees. The camp was established temporarily in 1948 after the...
, 18,134 - 1956, DbayehDbayehDbayeh in arabic , is a town located on the mediterranean sea in the matn district mount-lebanon governorate, between Beirut the capital of Lebanon ,and jounieh , almost all the population is christian exluding some gulf arabs muslims who reside in Dbayeh during the summerThe "Dog River" cuts...
, 4,223 - Dikwaneh, destroyed
- 1948, Ein el-HilwehAin al-HilwehAin al-Hilweh is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon with over 70,000 refugees, located on the outskirts of the port of Sidon. Because Lebanese Armed Forces are not allowed to enter the camp Ain al-Hilweh has been called a "zone of unlaw" by the Lebanese media...
, 44,133 - 1948, El-Buss, 9,840
- Jisr el-Basha, destroyed
- 1952, Mar EliasMar EliasMar Elias is a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, by Beirut. The camp is rare as it composed mainly of Christian Palestinians; almost all the rest of the refugee camps contain Muslim Palestinians...
, 1,406 - 1954, Mieh MiehMieh MiehMieh Mieh is a village in southern Lebanon east of Sidon.-Etymology:The name of Mieh Mieh village derives from one of two origins:...
, 5,078 - Nabatieh campNabatieh campNabatieh was a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon that was destroyed between the years 1982-1991. Most of the population was moved to Ein el-Helweh....
, destroyed in 1973 - 1949, Nahr al-BaredNahr al-BaredNahr al-Bared is a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, 16 km from the city of Tripoli. Some 30,000 displaced Palestinians and their descendents live in and around the camp, which was named after the river that runs south of the camp...
, 28,358 destroyed in 2007 - 1963, RashidiehRashidiehRashidieh is a Palestinian refugee camp south of Tyre in Lebanon.As of 2003 there are 25,580 registered refugees in the camp.-Further reading:* Robert Fisk: Pity the nation: Lebanon at war....
, 24,679 - Sabra destroyed
- 1949, ShatilaShatila refugee campThe Shatila refugee camp is a long-term refugee camp for Palestinian refugees, set up by UNRWA in 1949. The camp is located within the Lebanese capital Beirut. As of December 2003, it housed 12,235 registered refugees...
, 11,998 - 1948, WavelWavelWavel is a Palestinian refugee camp near the city of Baalbeck in Lebanon. It was originally French army barracks, but in 1948 refugees from the Palestine war found shelter there. In 1952, UNRWA took over responsibility for providing services in the camp....
, 7,357
- 1955, Beddawi camp
Syria
SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
has 10 official camps with 119,776 refugees.
-
- 1950, Dera'a, 5,916
- 1967, Dera'a (Emergency), 5,536
- 1950, HamaHamaHama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...
, 7,597 - 1949, HomsHomsHoms , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
, 13,825 - 1948, JaramanaJaramanaJaramana is a city in the Rif Dimashq Governorate in southern Syria.Its location, 10 Kilometers southeast of the Syrian capital, makes it a bustling town in the greater Damascus metropolitan area, with a Christian and Druze majority...
, 5,007 - 1950, Khan Dunoun, 8,603
- 1949, Khan Eshieh, 15,731
- 1948, Neirab, 17,994
- 1967, Qabr Essit, 16,016
- 1948, Sbeineh, 19,624
Additional unofficial camps in Syria:
-
- 1955-6, Latakia camp, 6,534 registered refugees
- 1957, Yarmouk (Damascus), 112,550 registered refugees
- 1962, Ein Al-Tal, 4,329 registered refugeeshttp://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/syria/eineltal.html
West Bank
The West BankWest Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
has 19 official camps with 194,514 refugees.
-
- 1950, AidaAida (camp)Aida is a Palestinian refugee camp situated 2 kilometers North of Bethlehem and 1 kilometer North of Beit Jala in the central West Bank...
, 4,151 - 1949, Am'ariAm'arial-Am'ari Refugee Camp is a Palestinian refugee camp in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, located 2 kilometers South of Ramallah in the central West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics , the Camp had a population of 5,719 inhabitants in mid-year 2006. The al-Am'ari...
, 8,083 - 1948, Aqabat Jabr, 5,197
- 1950, Arroub, 9,180
- 1950, Askar, 31,894
- 1950, BalataBalataBalata Camp is a Palestinian refugee camp established in the northern West Bank in 1950, adjacent to the city of Nablus. It is the largest refugee camp in the West Bank. Balata Camp is densely populated with 30,000 residents in an area of 0.25 square kilometers.-History:In 1950, the UN gave the...
, 41,681 - 1950, Beit Jibrin'AzzaAzza, [also spelled Azzeh, Azzah or Alazzeh] or Beit Jibrin is a Palestinian refugee camp in the Bethlehem Governorate located within the city of Bethlehem. It is the smallest refugee camp between the 59 refugee camps in the West Bank and the other Arab countries...
('Azza), 1,828 - 1950, Camp No.1Ein Beit al-Ma'Ein Beit el Ma , also known as Camp No. 1 , is a Palestinian refugee camp established in the northern West Bank in 1950, adjacent to the city of Nablus. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics , 'Ein Beit el Ma Camp had a population of approximately 5,036 inhabitants in mid-year...
(Ein Beit al-Ma'), 6,221 - 1949, Deir AmmarDeir AmmarDeir Ammar is a Palestinian refugee camp in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, located northwest of Ramallah in the northern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics , the camp had a population of 2,229 inhabitants in mid-year 2006.The Deir Ammar camp was...
, 2,189 - 1949, DheishehDheishehDheisheh Refugee Camp is a Palestinian refugee camp located just south of Bethlehem in the West Bank. Dheisheh was established in 1949 on 0.31 square kilometers of land leased from the Jordanian government...
, 10,923 - 1948, Ein as-SultanEin as-SultanʿEin as-Sulṭān alsoʿAin Sulṭān Camp is a village and Palestinian refugee camp in the Jericho Governorate in the eastern West Bank situated in the Jordan Valley, located 1 kilometers north-west of Jericho near the spring ʿEin as-Sulṭān. ʿEin as-Sulṭān had a population of over 1,469 inhabitants in...
, 1,888 - 1949, Far'aFar'aFar'a or al-Fari'ah is a Palestinian refugee camp in the foothills of the Jordan Valley in the northwestern West Bank, located 12 kilometers south of Jenin and 2 kilometers south of Tubas , three kilometers northwest of Tammun and 17 kilometers northeast of Nablus...
, 11,836 - 1949, Fawwar, 7,072
- 1949, JalazoneJalazoneJalazone is a Palestinian refugee camp in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, located seven kilometers north of Ramallah and adjacent to the village of Jifna. It was established in 1949, following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, on 253 dunams of Jifna's land...
, 9,284 - 1953, JeninJeninJenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
, 35,050 - 1949, KalandiaKalandiaKalandia also Qalandiya is a Palestinian village and a refugee camp located between Jerusalem and Ramallah. In 2006, 1,154 people were living in the village of Kalandia according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics...
, 9,188 - 1952, Nur ShamsNur Shams, TulkarmNur Shams is a Palestinian refugee camp in the Tulkarm Governorate in the North Western West Bank, located 3 kilometers East of Tulkarm. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Nur Shams had a population of approximately 7,889 inhabitants in mid-year 2006. 95.1% of the...
, 8,179 - 1965, Shu'fat, 9,567
- 1950, TulkarmTulkarmTulkarem or Tulkarm is a Palestinian city in the northern Samarian mountain range in the Tulkarm Governorate in the extreme northwestern West Bank adjacent to the Netanya and Haifa districts to the west, the Nablus and Jenin Districts to the east...
, 17,259
- 1950, Aida
Gaza Strip
The Gaza StripGaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
has eight official camps with 478,854 refugees.
-
- 1948, Beach camp (Shati), 76,109
- 1949, Bureij, 30,059
- 1948, Deir el-Balah camp, 20,188
- 1948, JabaliaJabaliaJabalia also Jabalya is a Palestinian city located north of Gaza City. It is under the jurisdiction of the North Gaza Governorate, in the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Jabalia had a population of 82,877 in mid-year 2006...
(Jabaliya), 103,646 - 1949, Khan YunisKhan YunisKhan Yunis - often spelt Khan Younis or Khan Yunnis - is a city and adjacent refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics the city, its refugee camp, and its immediate surroundings had a total population of 180,000 in 2006...
, 60,662 - 1949, MaghaziMaghazi (camp)Maghazi is located in the Deir al-Balah Governorate in the central Gaza Strip. It is a Palestinian refugee camp that was established in 1949. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the Refugee Camp had a population of 24,284 in mid-year 2006...
, 22,536 - 1949, Nuseirat, 64,233
- 1949, Rafah campRafah campRafah camp is one of eight Palestinian refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. It is located in the Rafah Governorate along the Egyptian-Palestinian Authority border. It was established in 1949 and currently forms part of the city of Rafah...
, 90,638
External links
- UNWRA Camp Profiles
- Photo Essay: Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon, William Wheeler and Don Duncan World Politics Review, 11 March 2008
- Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon
- Palestinian Refugees in Syria
- Palestinian Refugees in Jordan
