Over 6 Million Palestinian Refugees Suffer Displacement, Reports Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported that over 6 million Palestinian refugees continue to endure displacement.
In a report released to mark World Refugee Day, which falls on June 20 each year, the Bureau stated, “More than 6 million refugees are still registered with UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) in Palestine and the diaspora, suffering from displacement due to their forced expulsion from their lands during the Nakba of 1948.”
According to the report, cited by the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA), UNRWA records indicate that as of January 2022, approximately 5.9 million Palestinian refugees were registered with the agency. Of these, around 2.5 million are in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, constituting about 42% of the total Palestinian refugees (15% in the West Bank and 27% in the Gaza Strip).
The report also highlighted that 40% of the Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA reside in Jordan, while 8% and 10% reside in Lebanon and Syria, respectively.
These estimates represent the minimum number of Palestinian refugees, considering there are unregistered refugees. The count excludes those displaced after 1949 up to the eve of the June 1967 war and those who were displaced during the 1967 war who were not initially refugees.
In 2017, refugees made up about 42.2% of the total Palestinian population residing in Palestine, with 26.3% of the population in the West Bank being refugees, compared to 66.1% in the Gaza Strip.
The report noted that there are no significant differences in the socio-economic conditions of Palestinian refugees compared to non-refugees within the region. Education indicators show that the illiteracy rate among Palestinian refugees in the West Bank is about 1.9%, compared to 2.3% among non-refugees. In Gaza, the illiteracy rate is 1.7% for refugees versus 2.0% for non-refugees.
Unemployment rates in 2022 were higher among refugees, with 47% in Gaza compared to 42% among non-refugees. In the West Bank, the unemployment rate was 14% among refugees and 13% among non-refugees.
