Palestine · A closer look
1949
The camps
The armistice lines left Israel with 78 per cent of Mandate Palestine; Jordan held the West Bank and Egypt administered Gaza. Israel barred the refugees from returning. In December the UN created UNRWA to feed and school them, and Resolution 194 affirmed their right to return home or be compensated. Tents became breeze-block. Today UNRWA registers around 5.9 million Palestine refugees.
An emergency institution
The General Assembly established UNRWA in December 1949, and the agency began operations in May 1950. It was created to provide relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees after the war. Its role concerned assistance, rather than the negotiation of a final political settlement. The distinction matters: providing food, education and healthcare did not decide questions about return, compensation, citizenship or the future of the territory.
Who lived in the camps
The refugee population included people living in designated camps and many living elsewhere. UNRWA's eligibility framework centred on those who had lived in Palestine before the 1948 conflict and lost both their homes and livelihoods; eligible descendants could also register. A refugee camp was therefore not the whole refugee experience, and registration for assistance should not be confused with residence in a particular camp or with citizenship status.
Source: UNRWA: Frequently asked questions about refugees and camps
From tents to neighbourhoods
Over time, many camps developed into densely built neighbourhoods, while the political questions that had produced them remained unresolved. Schools and clinics became lasting institutions in places originally associated with emergency relief. UNRWA does not govern the camps or police them; those responsibilities lie with the relevant authorities. The continued use of the word camp records the history and unresolved status of displacement, even where the physical environment has changed completely.
Source: UNRWA: Frequently asked questions about refugees and camps