Preface

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and Natural Resources (PCBS) has the pleasure to present this report containing the final results of the survey of Living Conditions of the Palestinian Refugees living in Syria (LIPRIS) which was implemented by the PCBS during August and September of 2001. LIPRIS covered a sample of 5001 Palestinian families from all Palestinian camps and gatherings in Syria. The survey was conducted with the co-operation of the General Authority of Palestinian Arab Refugees in Syria (GAPAR) and Fafo AIS,  Institute for Applied International Studies in Oslo, and was financed by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This report contains basic tabulations about the Palestinian refugee population’s housing standards and residential areas. Furthermore, it provides statistics about households and individuals in such fields as demography, health, education, employment and income. In addition, the report contains some tables on the opinions of adult refugees on certain social, health and educational matters. Finally, it has some tables on the fertility of Palestinian women. Other outcomes of the 2001 LIPRIS fieldwork and the statistics it produced is an analytical report, published in both English and Arabic, by Fafo AIS.

PCBS takes this opportunity to express its gratitude to all those who have participated in the undertaking and contributed to the success of the survey. In particular we would like to thank GAPAR and Fafo for participating in implementing the survey, as well as the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for financing the entire study. PCBS profoundly appreciate the assistance of Jon Hanssen-Bauer, Jon Pedersen, Aage A. Tiltnes, Willy Egset, Laurie Blome Jacobsen, Gro Hasselknippe and Dr. Marwan Khawaja for providing technical advice in issuing these results.

We hope that this report will meet the needs of policy-makers as well as interested researchers in Palestinian refugee affairs, and that it well prove helpful in facilitating their work and hence benefit the Palestinian refugee population in Syria.

Yousef Al-Madi
Technical Manager
PCBS