This study attempts to draw attention to the conditions of Palestinian refugees in the Syrian uprising. It focuses on the composition of the refugees, their history and their political position, following the Syrian uprising. The plight of Palestinian refugees in Syria, during the unfolding civil war, provides a clear glimpse of the many challenges faced by Palestinian refugees and it is hoped this study will help bring this to our attention.

Much of the findings are based on field surveys and personal examinations by me. In addition, news reports about the conditions of Palestinian refugees in the Syrian camps are included as a primary source of information. However a conscious effort was made to filter out information that has inundated news channels and social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, primarily because the Syria regime used the same channels of information for the porpoise of propaganda.

The numbers and statistics of Palestinian casualties in this report are based on the most recent published data. This study tries to give an overall analysis of the unfolding events and does not focus on any single event in detail. We focused on the most significant events within the Syrian uprising in Daraa, Latakia, Al Yarmouk Camp and Damascus; all of which are considered as key areas in sketching the conditions of Palestinians in Syria. The study also briefly looked at the other small camps inhabited by Palestinian refugees. The study ends with a number of conclusions and recommendations.

Author: Tarek Hamoud