Where did many Palestinian refugees go after the 1948 war?
Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the displacement of the Arab population resulted in a significant refugee crisis. Many individuals fled to the West Bank, which received approximately 276,000 refugees, and the Gaza Strip, which took in between 160,000 and 190,000 people.1
Others sought refuge in neighboring countries:
* Lebanon: Approximately 100,0001
* Jordan: Approximately 100,0001
* Syria: Between 75,000 and 90,0001
* Egypt: Between 7,000 and 10,0001
* Iraq: Approximately 4,0001
Many of these refugees were settled in camps established by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) across these regions. While some refugees were able to integrate into the economies of their host countries, many others remained in these camps, where they faced harsh living conditions, poverty, and a profound sense of dislocation.23