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Palestinians Displaced by the War in Syria: Governmental Responses and Refugee Networks of Assistance
Abstract
As publicized by media outlets, the ongoing Syrian civil war has exacted a tremendous toll on the country’s civilian population. Among those civilians are Palestinian refugees who numbered about 500, 000 prior to the war. All of Syria’s 12 Palestinian refugee camps have been affected by the war, some more than others. More than half of Syria’s Palestinian population has been displaced due to hostilities, most of them internally. Among the displaced, approximately 100, 000 have fled across Syrian borders to neighboring countries in the region. A few have gone farther afield, to Europe or East Asia. In this paper, I reflect on the conditions of Palestinians from Syria who have once again become refugees and are now scattered across the Middle East. The paper is based on interviews conducted in Spring 2015 with Palestinians from Syria who are now living Lebanon, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates as well as interviews conducted with UNRWA employees at the agency's Amman headquarters. First, I give an overview of the different governmental responses to Palestinian refugees who have been able to reach Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. Then, I examine the existing as well as emerging regional social networks that are being mobilized by Palestinian refugees themselves in order to assist other Palestinians who have fled the war in Syria. Finally, I compare and contrast these governmental responses to the existing and emerging social networks that are being used by Palestinians to assist fellow Palestinians who have been displaced from the war in Syria. I reflect on the ethical concepts and ideologies that inform the responses of governmental bodies as well as those of Palestinian refugees themselves and on the ways in which such concepts inform and/or complicate dominant understandings of humanitarianism.
Discipline
Anthropology
Geographic Area
All Middle East
Sub Area
Diaspora/Refugee Studies