More Than Refugees: Memories of Loss and Stories of Hope

Published: June 18, 2020 | Our Blogs

In 1948, over 750,000 Palestinian men, women and children were expelled from their homes and forced to live as refugees in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. 72 years later, the Palestinian refugee population has grown to more than 5 million. Palestinians who experienced the Nakba in 1948 have since witnessed up to four successive generations endure even more displacement and poverty.

This Refugee Day, we recognise the struggles and bravery of millions of refugees around the world, including Palestinians, fleeing violence and persecution. All refugees and displaced people deserve stability, justice and peace. We hope these stories we share today will inspire you to learn more, get involved however you can and advocate for the rights of refugees to live in peace.

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“I remember the Nakba. I remember fleeing with my father and mother; we had nothing - we literally had nothing. My mother was carrying my 6 month old sister and she was crying out for milk. We had no milk to give her, no water; we had nothing to give her. That was when my mother put her on to the ground and left her. I saw her throw my baby sister away. I ran over to my baby sister, grabbed her and hid her under my dress. When my mother heard her crying again she said to me, ‘Why? Why did you bring her back?’ I cried out loud. And then I said: ‘We aren’t going to leave her, are we?’ My mother didn’t want to leave her. She scooped her back into her arms and we continued to walk until we reached the next town. My sister was crying more, she was hungry, she wanted to be fed; all she needed was water. We couldn’t even give her water.” - Nejma Younis, Al-Jalil refugee camp, Lebanon.