Who Are We
Beneficiaries
Who Are the Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon (PRL)?
The Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon (PRL) are descendants of those who were forcibly displaced to Lebanon following the 1948 Nakba in Palestine. This displacement happened as a result of the ethnic cleansing occurring due to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The PopulationRegistered Versus Resident
500K
Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon registered with UNRWA.
180K
Estimated number of Palestinian Refugees actually present in Lebanon.
According to UNRWA, there are just under 500,000 registered PRL in the organization records. This number is not indicative of the actual number of resident PRL. A recent UNRWA and Government of Lebanon update estimates that there are around 180,000 PRL present in Lebanon. This discrepancy is due to multiple factors including that many might have left the country.
Systematic Discrimination& Denied Rights
The PRL face all kinds of discrimination despite their long presence in Lebanon (76 years). They are not granted the civil and legal rights enjoyed by Lebanese citizens. Two of those denied rights that majorly affect PRL are the right to ownership and the right to work. Since 2001, refugees are not allowed to own property assets in Lebanon.
On the labor level, PRL are banned from 39 professions per the Lebanese labor law. These professions are distributed among healthcare, engineering, public sector and law, transport and fishing, services and day-care, and other fields.
74+
Years
The Length of time Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon have been in Lebanon since the 1948 displacement.
39+
Professions
The number of job categories from which Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon are banned by Lebanese law.
Who Are We
Life in Camps Versus Gatherings
There are 12 officially recognized Palestinian camps in Lebanon. It is estimated that around 45% of PRL reside in the camps. Approximately 99,000 PRL reside in areas outside the camps, mainly in Palestinian gatherings or informal settlements, which are PARD’s target areas.
The gatherings are not legally and officially recognized. Many are at constant risk of evacuation. Residents suffer from precarious housing conditions, with many living in overcrowded dwellings, apartments affected by humidity, and houses affected by darkness.
12
Offially registered Refugees Camps
45%
Estimated percentage of resident PRL living inside the official camps.
99K
Estimated number of resident PRL living outside camps, in gatherings (PARD's target area).
Who We Are
The Education Crisis
The general level of school enrollment in the primary school age (6-12) is 89%. For the preparatory school age (13 to 15), this number decreases to 66%. Attendance rates continue to drop upon transitioning to university, with only a third (32%) of 19 year-olds being enrolled. Reasons include economic factors and the child “not liking school”.
89%
School enrollment rate for PRL children of primary school age (6-12).
66%
Enrollment rate for preparatory school age (13-15).
32%
Enrollment rate for 19 year-olds (university age).
Who We Are
The Livelihoods Crisis
The share of households that have no employed member increased from 24% in 2017 to 29% in 2022. Because of the devaluation of the Lebanese Pound, the monthly average earnings fell drastically from USD 365 in 2017 to USD 100 in 2022. UNRWA figures estimate that around 4,500 Palestinian children engage in some form of child labor.
29%
Share of households in gatherings with no employed member (up from 24% in 2017).
$365 to $100
The drastic fall in average monthly earnings between 2017 and 2022.
4.5K