Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2004 - 2005 BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency & Refugee Rights i BADIL is a member of the Global Palestine Right of Return Coalition Preface The Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons is published annually by BADIL Resource Center. The Survey provides an overview of one of the largest and longest-standing unresolved refugee and displaced populations in the world today. It is estimated that two out of every five of today’s refugees are Palestinian. The Survey has several objectives: (1) It aims to provide basic information about Palestinian displacement – i.e., the circumstances of displacement, the size and characteristics of the refugee and displaced population, as well as the living conditions of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons; (2) It aims to clarify the framework governing protection and assistance for this displaced population; and (3) It sets out the basic principles for crafting durable solutions for Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons, consistent with international law, relevant United Nations Resolutions and best practice. In short, the Survey endeavors to address the lack of information or misinformation about Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons, and to counter political arguments that suggest that the issue of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons can be resolved outside the realm of international law and practice applicable to all other refugee and displaced populations. The Survey examines the status of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons on a thematic basis. Chapter One provides a short historical background to the root causes of Palestinian mass displacement. Chapter Two examines the demographic characteristics of the Palestinian refugee and displaced population. Chapter Three provides a basic overview of the living conditions of Palestinian refugees and displaced persons. Chapters Four and Five examine international assistance and protection. Chapter Six provides an overview of the framework for durable solutions. Each chapter includes basic background information and highlights from the previous year. The Survey also provides a list of recommendations concerning implementation of the rights of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons in the context of a just and comprehensive solution to the conflict in the Middle East. The Survey complements other information and advocacy materials prepared for BADIL’s Campaign for Palestinian Refugee Rights and for the Global Coalition for the Right of Return. Many of the specific issues raised in the Survey are addressed in more detail in other BADIL publications. BADIL Resource Center May 2006 ii Table of Contents Executive Summary vii Recommendations x Glossary xiii Abbreviations xx Chapter 1 - Historical Background 1.1 Background 3 1.2 From Mandate to Partition 5 1.3 The Nakba 11 1.4 Displacement after the 1948 War 15 1.5 The 1967 War 20 1.6 Military Occupation after 1967 21 1.7 Developments in 2004-2005 23 1.7.1 Israel’s Wall and Its Associated Regime in the Occupied West Bank 23 1.7.2 Forced Displacement in the 1967-occupied Palestinian Territories 26 1.7.3 Forced Displacement in Israel 28 1.7.4 Walls Separating Palestinians and Jews in Mixed Cities in Israel 28 1.7.5 Decolonization and Redeployment in the Occupied Gaza Strip 29 Notes and Endnotes 30 Chapter 2 - Population 2.1 Background 47 2.2 Distribution 51 2.2.1 Refugees in Camps 57 2.2.2 Refugees Outside of Camps 63 2.3 Demographic Indicators 66 Notes and Endnotes 69 Chapter 3 - Living Conditions 3.1 Employment, Labour Force Participation and Income 77 3.1.1 Employment Structure 77 3.1.2 Labour Force Participation 77 3.1.3 Employment 80 3.1.4 Income 81 3.2 Housing 83 3.2.1 Overcrowding 83 3.2.2 Infrastructure 86 3.2.3 Environment 87 3.3 Education 88 3.3.1 Enrolment 91 3.3.2 Educational Attainment 92 3.3.3 Achievement 93 3.3.4 Literacy 93 3.4 Health 94 3.4.1 Chronic Illness/Disability 95 3.4.2 Women’s Health 96 3.4.3 Violence against Women 97 3.4.4 Children’s Health 98 3.4.5 Violence against Children 99 Endnotes 100iii Chapter 4 - Assistance 4.1 National and Regional Assistance - General Background 105 4.1.1 Arab Host State 105 4.1.2 League of Arab States 106 4.1.3 Assistance in/by Israel 107 4.2 National and Regional Assistance - Developments until 2005 109 4.2.1 Health 109 4.2.2 Education 110 4.2.3 Housing and Infrastructure 112 4.2.4 Financial Contributions 115 4.3 International Assistance - General Background 117 4.3.1 The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) 117 4.3.2 Assistance through UNRWA 120 Endnotes 133 Chapter 5 - Protection 5.1 National and Regional Protection 141 5.2 Protection in Israel and the 1967-occupied Palestinian Territories 142 5.2.1 Protection Practice Regarding Palestinian IDPs in Israel 143 5.2.2 Protection Practice Regarding Refugees and IDPs in the 1967-occupied Palestinian Territories 145 5.3 Protection in Arab Host States 149 5.3.1 Instruments and Mechanisms of the League of Arab States 149 5.3.2 Protection Practice in Arab Host States 152 5.4 Protection in Countries Outside the Middle East 160 5.5 International Protection 163 5.5.1 The United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine 165 5.5.2 The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees 166 5.5.3 The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees 166 5.5.4 International Committee of the Red Cross 167 5.5.5 The UN Collaborative Response to Situations of Internal Displacement 168 5.5.6 International Protection Activities 170 Endnotes 178 Chapter 6 - Durable Solution 6.1 Durable Solutions 189 6.1.1 Durable Solutions for Palestinian Refugees 190 6.1.2 The Right of Return 193 6.1.3 The Right to Housing and Property Restitution 195 6.1.4 The Right to Compensation 197 6.2 Mechanisms for Implementation of Durable Solutions 200 6.2.1 The United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine 200 6.3 Bilateral and Multilateral Negotiations for Durable Solutions 206 6.3.1 Negotiations concerning 1948 Palestinian Refugees 207 6.3.2 Negotiations concerning 1967 Refugees 210 6.4 Developments in 2004-2005 212 6.4.1 The Road Map 212 6.4.2 The Wall and its Associated Regime 213 iv 6.4.3 Disengagement from the Gaza Strip 214 6.4.4 Israel’s Unilateral Disengagement Plan 214 6.4.5 The United Nations 215 6.4.6 Regional Organizations 216 6.4.7 Human Rights Organizations 217 6.4.8 Refugee Activist Organizations and Initiatives 217 Endnotes 219 Annexes 1. UN General Assembly Resolution 194(III), 11 December 1948 225 2. UN General Assembly Resolution 302(V), 8 December 1949 227 3. UN Security Council Resolution 237, 14 June 1967 230 4. UN General Assembly Resolution 2252(ES-V), 4 July 1967 231 5. UN General Assembly 3236(XXIX), 22 November 1974 232 6. UN General Assembly Resolution 36/146(C), 16 December 1981 233 7. UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/48/40(A-J), 10 December 1993 234 8. UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/ES-10/15, 2 August 2004 235 Index 239 List of Tables Table 1.1: Estimated Number of Palestinians Displaced, by Period of Displacement 3 Table 1.2: Palestinian land confiscated and isolated by the Wall in the Occupied West Bank, by June 2005 27 Table 2.1 - Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Palestinians (IDPs) 48 Table 2.2 - Number of Convention Refugees, People of Concern to UNHCR and Number of Internally Displaced Persons in the World, 2004-2005. 50 Table 2.3 - Localities in Israel Hosting 100 or more Palestinian IDPs (1948-1950) 52 Table 2.4 - Distribution of 1948 Registered Refugees, by District of Origin and by Field 56 Table 2.5 - Registered Refugees in Official Camps 57 Table 2.6 - Population of Palestinian Refugees in Camps (Official and Unofficial), 2005 61 Table 2.7 - Major Localities in the 1967 Occupied Palestinian Territories, by Refugee Population 65 Table 2.8 - Distribution of Palestinian Refugees Outside Camps in Lebanon 66 Table 3.1 - Employment Structure of Employed Refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, OPT, 2003 78 Table 3.2 - Main Sources of Income 81 Table 3.3 - Infrastructural Amenities in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon (% of households), 2004 87 Table 3.4: % of Households with Indoor Environmental Problems 88 Table 3.5 - Dissatisfaction with Housing and Indoor and Outdoor Environment (% of households), 2004 88 Table 3.6 - Refugee Camps Destroyed in Lebanon 89 Table 3.7 - House Demolition in the Occupied Gaza Strip per Area Since the Beginning of the 2nd Intifada, 2004 90 Table 3.8 - Enrolment Levels (by age) in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria 92 Table 3.9 - Highest Level of Education Completed in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and OPT 92 Table 3.10 - Illiteracy (by age) in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria 94 Table 3.11- Percentage of Adults (ages 15+) with Health Problems 96 Table 3.12 - Select Health Indicators for Women 97 Table 3.13 - Select Child Health Indicators 98 Table 4.1 - Palestine Red Crescent Society Services 107 Table 4.2 - Percentage of Refugee Medical Consultations by Provider, 2003 110 Table 4.3 - Institutions and NGOs in Palestinian Refugee Localities 114 Table 4.4 - Total Arab State Contributions to UNRWA, Including Regular Budget, Emergency Appeal and Projects, 1950-2004 116 v Table 4.5 - Top 13 UNRWA Donors in 2004 (in US dollars) 119 Table 4.6: Selected Indicators for Impact of Donor Shortfalls to UNRWA 120 Table 4.7 - UNRWA School Population, Number of Schools, Teachers, Training Places 123 Table 4.8 - Health Resource Indicators, UNRWA and Host Authorities, 2003 124 Table 4.9 - Summary of Emergency Appeals in the OPT, 2000-2005 132 Table 6.1: UNCCP Summary Schedule of Land Settled by Cadastral Survey and Non-settled Land (excl.