Palestinian Refugees in Syria: an overview
In 2011, approximately 61% of the Palestinian refugees lived in the 15 Palestinian camps in Syria.[6] By November 2013, this percentage fell to half, as only 27% of the registered Palestinian refugees remained in camps.[7] By the end of November 2014, all 26,487 residents of Sbeineh refugee camp, the 32,533 residents of al-Huseiniya camp as well as the 6,385 Palestinian refugees of Ein Al-Tal camp, were displaced as ongoing violence turned the camps into empty places.[8] In February 2015, the Action Group for Palestinians in Syria announced that 2,629 Palestinian refugees had died during the Syrian crisis. At least 286 victims were killed by torture and 267 by sniper fire. Furthermore, 84 refugees were executed, and 986 were killed in different bombings.[9]
Camps as sheltersAlthough located in the center of confrontations, some refugee camps serve as a safe haven for displaced Palestinians and Syrians. Until the end of 2012, al-Yarmouk camp was a shelter for thousands of displaced Syrians as well as Palestinians.[15] The military attack in December 2012, however, displaced almost 80% of the entire camp. The Syrian regime has been imposing a blockade on the camp since July 2013, denying residents all access to food or medicine. As of late April 2015, the residents of al-Yarmouk had undergone more than 656 days under siege, while power was cut for at least 736 days and without any access to water for 226 days.[16] More than 1,053 Palestinian al-Yarmouk residents died,[17] at least 128 of them from starvation.[18]
Further away from most violent areas, Jaramana camp represents an important shelter for Palestinians, accommodating nearly 5,000 displaced families, mainly from al-Yarmouk, Qabr Essit and Sbeineh camps, and from al-Thyabiah, a town north of al-Huseiniya camp.
As of June 2014, the number of internally displaced people in Syria was approximately 6.8 million, 280,000 of whom are Palestinian refugees[23].
* Katrien De Bock is a research intern for BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights. She has a Master’s degree in Educational Sciences, and another in Human Rights, Conflict and Development.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Palestinian Return Centre, Action Group for Palestinians of
Syria, and Filistin Dayanışma Derneği (FİDDER), Report on the
Conditions of Palestinian Refugees in Syria, 53.
[2] Ibid., 42.
[3] Al-Ramel is an unofficial camp, known as the Latakia camp.
[4] BADIL Staff, “Palestinian Refugees from Syria: Ongoing Nakba,
Ongoing Discrimination,” 3.
[5] UNRWA, “Syria Regional Crisis Response Update 84,” February 27,
2015.
[6] BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee
Rights, Survey, 2010-2012, VI:13.
[7] Palestinian Return Centre, Action Group for Palestinians of
Syria, and Filistin Dayanışma Derneği (FİDDER), Report on the
Conditions of Palestinian Refugees in Syria, 6.
[8] Action Group for Palestinians of Syria, Camps without
Refugees.
[9] Action Group for Palestinians of Syria, Daily Report on the
Situation of Palestinian Refugees in Syria.
[10] Palestinian Return Centre, Action Group for Palestinians of
Syria, and Filistin Dayanışma Derneği (FİDDER), Report on the
Conditions of Palestinian Refugees in Syria, 33.
[11] UNRWA, Syria Regional Crisis Emergency Appeal 2015, 2.
[12] BADIL, Rights in Principle - Rights in Practice, 233.
[13] BADIL Staff, “Palestinian Refugees from Syria: Ongoing Nakba,
Ongoing Discrimination,” 2–3.
[14] Palestinian Return Centre, Action Group for Palestinians of
Syria, and Filistin Dayanışma Derneği (FİDDER), Report on the
Conditions of Palestinian Refugees in Syria, 32.
[15] Ibid., 53.
[16] Action Group for Palestinians of Syria, Civic Council in
Besieged al-Yarmouk Camp: al-Yarmouk Camp Is Dying, We Demand the
Return of Normal Life.
[17] Action Group for Palestinians of Syria, The Detailed
Statistics of the Palestinian Refugee Victims in Syria, 2011-2015,
2011–2015.
[18]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10686208/Syrian-forces-committing-war-crimes-by-starving-Palestinian-camp.html
[19] Palestinian Return Centre, Action Group for Palestinians of
Syria, and Filistin Dayanışma Derneği (FİDDER), Report on the
Conditions of Palestinian Refugees in Syria, 12.
[20] Action Group for Palestinians of Syria, “Khan Dannon Camp
Hosts Thousands of People from the Camps That Have Deteriorated
Security Conditions.”
[21] Palestinian Return Centre, Action Group for Palestinians of
Syria, and Filistin Dayanışma Derneği (FİDDER), Report on the
Conditions of Palestinian Refugees in Syria, 54.
[22] Noura Erakat, “Palestinian Refugees and the Syrian Uprising:
Filling the Protection Gap during Secondary Forced Displacement,”
611.
[23] UNRWA, “Syria Crisis | UNRWA.”