Right of Return
By MIFTAH
December 16, 2005

11th December marked the 58th anniversary of the passage of UN General Assembly Resolution 194, which states that "Those (Palestinian) refugees who wish to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible."

58 years hence, Palestinian refugees, who now number at more than 4 million, are still waiting for their rights to be implemented. While the refugees are scattered around the globe and suffer from varying conditions of hardship, statelessness and homelessness, the situation of the 400,000+ Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is considered most dire.

According to the latest UNRWA figures (March 2005), the numbers and locations of registered Palestinian refugees are as follows: West Bank: 687,542; Gaza: 961,645; Lebanon: 400,582; Syria: 424,650; Jordan: 953,012.


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