Syria's communities and civilizations – history, sites and heritage
Palestinians in Syria
Self-designation: فلسطينيون Filasṭīniyyūn
الفلسطينيون في سوريا
Ethnic and linguistic communities
Palestine refugees came to Syria mainly in 1948 from northern Palestine and are served by UNRWA in a dozen camps and gatherings, the largest being Yarmouk in Damascus. The community was badly hit by the war after 2011.
Most Palestine refugees in Syria arrived in 1948, mainly from Safad, Haifa and Jaffa in northern Palestine. In 1967 about 100,000 people, including Palestine refugees, fled the Golan to other parts of Syria, and a few thousand refugees came from Lebanon in 1982 (UNRWA).
Sources and details
UNRWA counted 526,744 registered refugees on 1 January 2011 and estimated about 438,000 in 2024 (estimate; EUAA 2025). UNRWA serves 12 camps and gatherings, including the official camps of Khan Eshieh, Khan Dunoun, Sbeineh, Qabr Essit, Jaramana, Dera'a, Homs, Hama and Neirab and the unofficial camps of Yarmouk, Latakia and Ein el-Tal (list as given by the Jewish Virtual Library, citing UNRWA).
Yarmouk, Ein el-Tal and Dera'a camps were largely destroyed in the war; returns to Yarmouk began in late 2020, and about 15,300 people lived there in February 2025. UNRWA reported that about 89 per cent of Palestine refugees in Syria lived below the poverty line. After December 2024 the new authorities disarmed Palestinian factions and closed their military facilities, while allowing some political offices to remain open (EUAA, July 2025).
Sites connected with this community 0
Further sites (not yet in the atlas)
- Yarmouk Camp مخيم اليرموكDamascus
Largest Palestinian refugee community in Syria; largely destroyed in the war, partially repopulated since 2020.
- Neirab Camp مخيم النيربAleppo
Official UNRWA camp near Aleppo.
These categories describe history, language and faith – not exclusive identities. Many Syrians belong to several, and some names refer to civilizations of the past.