Palestinian Refugee Camps in Hebron: Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank exist because of the mass displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (known as the Nakba, or “catastrophe”). When the State of Israel was established, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced to flee or were expelled from their homes in what became Israeli territory. Many sought refuge in neighboring areas, including the West Bank, which was then under Jordanian control.
To address this crisis, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was established in 1949 to provide aid and services to Palestinian refugees. Temporary camps were set up to house displaced populations, but the lack of a long-term resolution to the conflict became permanent over time.
There are 19 official Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank, housing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians and their descendants. Today, these camps are densely populated areas where generations of refugees live under challenging conditions, often facing poverty, overcrowding, and limited access to resources and opportunities.
Near Hebron, the refugee camps include Al-Fawwar, Arroub, and Al-Hussein (Al-Arrub). These camps face unique challenges, including overcrowding, limited infrastructure, and frequent military incursions due to their proximity to Israeli settlements and military installations. For instance, Al-Fawwar Camp, located just southwest of Hebron, is known for its dense population and the severe restrictions placed on residents’ movement, which hinders access to jobs, education, and healthcare.
Table of Contents
Life in the Palestinian Refugee Camps
Al-Fawwar is the largest refugee camp in Hebron, located on the city’s outskirts. At first glance, passing by in a car might appear like any other town, with its densely packed buildings and narrow streets. The camp has grown into a permanent settlement. Yet, its residents remain stateless, holding onto the hope of returning to the homes their families were forced to leave over two generations later.
The residents of camps like Fawwar face many challenges in their daily lives, such as:
Overcrowding and Infrastructure
The camp is densely populated, with narrow alleys and inadequate infrastructure for the population. Many homes are poorly constructed, and residents often face issues like water shortages, insufficient sewage systems, and unreliable electricity.
Access to Services
Basic services like healthcare and education are stretched thin. UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, runs schools and clinics in the camp. However, funding shortfalls limit their capacity and leave residents with limited quality care and education options.
Economic Hardship
Unemployment rates are high within the camp, made more difficult by restricted movement and the resulting limited access to jobs outside the camp. Many families are struggling to make ends meet.
Safety and Tensions
The camp regularly experiences military raids and arbitrary arrests of local residents. Sometimes, clashes lead to the use of weapons like tear gas. This creates an atmosphere of constant tension and insecurity, especially for children.
Despite the challenges, people in the refugee camps keep hope because they are waiting to return to their homes. They believe they will one day, and that belief runs strong, even through the generations.
On a recent trip to Al Fawwar Camp with Volunteer in Palestine, our volunteers visited one of four schools operating out of the camp. One of the teachers, Tahrir, invited the volunteers to her house to meet her mother. Over coffee, they spoke about how the camp began with only tents and how the buildings slowly rose up about them as the years passed.
Tahrir and her mother have lived most of their lives in Fawwar, and she says it feels like home but that she doesn’t belong there. There’s something missing. When asked if, given the choice, the people of Fawwar would stay in the home they’ve always known or return to the land they’ve only always heard about, Tahrir says they would go in an instant and without a second thought.
Volunteer Opportunities in the Palestinian Refugee Camps
While the resilience of Palestinians keeps their hope alive, there are many things that can be done to help make day-to-day life in the camps easier. Volunteer in Palestine provides great opportunities for volunteers to come and make a difference in places like Al Fawwar camp in Hebron.
1. Volunteer with Palestinian Refugees
Throughout the Palestinian Refugees Volunteer Program, you will work directly with Palestinian refugees in the city of Hebron, West Bank. Volunteers will have the opportunity to work with Palestinian women, children, and youths in order to enhance each other’s skills, create mutual understanding, engage in language exchange, and make a difference in each other’s lives.
2. Volunteer with Palestinian Communities
Volunteer in Palestinian Communities: This program offers an excellent opportunity for individuals of all ages, from students to retirees, to work directly with Palestinian communities in villages and rural areas of the West Bank, including Dura and the Hebron Hills, such as Masafer Yatta, Susya, Umm Al-Khayr, the Al-Fawwar refugee camp, and Bani Na’im.
3. Internship with Palestinian Children
Internship with Palestinian Children: This program offers an excellent opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students, professionals, retirees, social workers, and teachers interested in volunteering with Palestinian children. It is also ideal for both native and non-native English speakers who wish to gain experience working with children in Palestine.
4. The Human Rights Volunteer Program in Palestine
The Human Rights Volunteer Program in Palestine is designed to introduce the subject of Palestinian human rights in an environment that will help you grow both personally and professionally. This human rights volunteer opportunity in the West Bank is ideal for those seeking experience in humanitarian aid, diplomacy, refugees, political science, and international law while enhancing Arabic and intercultural skills.
5. Volunteer in Community Development
The Community Development Program through Volunteer in Palestine offers a unique opportunity to engage with the Palestinian community by working with local organizations. This program is ideal for those who wish to support Palestinian children, women, youth, and refugees in camps, as well as other community members in and around Hebron, West Bank.
Educational Support
Volunteers can help teach English or support in developing other skills for children and adults alike. Some volunteers have done things like help people with their CVs, run specialized training sessions, and do presentations in their areas of expertise. These initiatives can help provide a great education and better employment opportunities for people within the camps.
Community Projects
Some volunteers organize community projects for people in the camps, like organizing health campaigns, clean-up initiatives, or recreational activities for the children. Such projects are valuable in helping build community care and cohesion.
Advocacy
Based on their experience at the camps, many volunteers choose to undertake some form of advocacy in order to help raise awareness about the situation of refugees. This includes sharing their experiences at the camps and the stories of people they meet on their own platforms or through media back in their home countries.
Role of Volunteer in Palestine
Volunteer in Palestine helps to facilitate connections between volunteers and refugee camps like Al Fawwar. While teaching English to students is one of our most common activities, there are many other ways that volunteers can help make a difference. The sky’s the limit!
For example, volunteers can organize various workshops and activities – such as resume writing workshops, arts and crafts workshops, sporting events, and cultural exchanges. Volunteers are also encouraged to use their existing skills and talents to enhance the program, create something new, or offer improvement.
For example, doctors or nurses can provide medical aid and assist other local medical NGOs in assisting refugees. Volunteers with a special skill or a history of working in the performance industry are encouraged to organize concerts and live performances.
The center also offers many free-of-charge workshops, seminars, and courses to support Palestinian refugees in and around the city of Hebron. Volunteers in Palestine can play an important role in contributing to the Palestinian community’s well-being. With Volunteer in Palestine, there are many volunteer projects in Palestine that support education and focus on community development.
Cultural and Emotional Impact on Volunteers:
Life is difficult in the refugee camps of Palestine. This can be seen in the day-to-day struggles of the residents and through the consistent yearning to return to the homes they had to flee. Working in this environment comes with its own challenges. It can be hard to hear so many stories of disadvantage and loss. It can also be hard to be surrounded by a place with such high-security considerations.
However, the experience of spending time with Palestinian refugees, learning more about their daily lives, and volunteering to help improve their standing is incredibly rewarding. Many people who come to Volunteer in Palestine reflect on the Palestinian people’s humanity, strength, and abundant hospitality.
Waleed, a 2024 volunteer at Volunteer in Palestine, says, “The most surprising thing I saw was the smiles on the faces of the kids in the Refugee camps. Going into the program and refugee camps, I was expecting the families and children to be unhappy and sad; however, most of the children were glowing and happy, whether it was from their faith or seeing a foreigner; it was really nice to see and know this.”
Louise, a 2024 volunteer from Australia, says, “I participated in the Palestinian Refugees program and had the privilege of teaching displaced young people in a camp near Hebron. I got to know so many people living in the camp and hear firsthand the stories of their lives and learn a lot about the history and current situation of Palestinians.”
Volunteer in Palestine has been honored with several prestigious Community Awards and recognized as the Best Language School and Top Volunteer and Internship Program Provider for 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. For more details, please visit our profiles on GoOverseas.com and GoAbroad.com.
Reviews, Ratings, and Community Awards
- +850 reviews (96%) on gooverseas.com
- +170 reviews (96%) on goabroad.com
- Internship in Palestine participants’ video testimonials
Summary
Palestinian refugee camps exist between two words – being at home and yet without a sense of belonging, trying to live their lives but still waiting to leave. They exist on the knife-edge of the Israeli occupation, their movement and opportunities restricted, always waiting for the next bout of violence to erupt. At the same time, these people never allow the grim reality of their situation to dampen their spirit or dull their kindness.
Any support that can be offered to improve day-to-day life in the West Bank’s refugee camps is incredibly welcome. That’s why Volunteer in Palestine offers international volunteers the opportunity to come and spend time with these communities, contributing skills and expertise while also showing solidarity with their cause.
If you’re interested in spending time in the West Bank and volunteering in refugee camps around Hebron, please contact Info@ecpalestine.org.
How To Apply and Make an Impact by Volunteering in Palestine
If you’re interested in volunteering in the Palestinian refugee camps in Hebron, please email us at Info@ecpalestine.org. We’ll send you an application form to complete and return, and we’ll guide you through the next steps of the process.
Get Further Information
For more information, please visit our website: https://volunteerinpalestine.org/
The Excellence Center in Palestine: https://excellencenter.org/
Engage in Palestine: https://ecpalestine.org/
WhatsApp:+972 599 479 880
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excellence.center
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter
Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/RafatECHebron
Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQSLdFZWZcBm6Uj0XMYuKg
Visit and Explore Palestine: https://www.facebook.com/ExplorePalestine
Tags: Life in Palestinian refugee camps, Palestinian refugee camps Hebron, Support Palestinian refugees Hebron, Volunteer programs with Palestinian Refugees, volunteer with Palestinian refugees
