This monthly memo provides news, updates, commentaries and analysis of events relating to Palestinian refugees around the world, over the past month. It covers stories from Palestine 1948, the Occupied Territories, host countries and Palestinians in diasporas. It also offers news and updates on institutions directly working with Palestinian refugees such as UNRWA.

1          INTRODUCTION and HEADLINES                                                            Page 3

2         ISRAEL AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES                                             Page 4

3          UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency)                                   Page 5

4          INTERNATIONAL NEWS                                                                          Page 7

6          COMMENTARY                                                                                        Page 8

INTRODUCTION

For the past 62 years, millions of Palestinians have been living as refugees in areas of the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT) and in surrounding host countries - mostly in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has described their plight as “by far the most protracted and largest of all refugee problems in the world today”

While there is much focus on the Israeli Palestinian conflict on a political level there is very little, if any, mention of the refugees and internally displaced Palestinians who comprise three quarters of the global Palestinian population. There is also very little attention given to the routine demolition and expulsion which continue to swell the number of refugees. The 7.1 Million Palestinian refugees face many difficult challenges which require greater attention from the international community.

This bulletin provides an update on the condition of Palestinian refugees around the world over the past month. It covers stories from the Occupied Territories, internally displaced Palestinians in Israel, UNRWA, host countries, Palestinians in the Diaspora and commentaries relating to the refugees.

HEADLINES

•    UN report slams Israel over Nakba day bloodshed•    Israel asked Canada to reverse decision on funding for UN Palestinian refugee agency•    UN officials visit West Bank Village where home demolitions have increased•    Sharp increase in demolitions threatens to destroy West Bank communities •    UNRWA responds to Gaza protests

Palestinians are continually evicted from their homes in East Jerusalem. Since its occupation in 1967 Israel has boosted its Jewish population to the great detriment of Palestinians. It is estimated that 180,000 or more Palestinians have been evicted from their homes.   Refugees are the most vulnerable within the occupied territory. Three quarters of Gaza’s1.7 million, who are still under siege, are refugees, and in the West Bank a quarter of the population are refugees  

Read Full MEMO here...