UNCCP Refugee and Population Statistics Questionnaire – Arab delegations’ replies

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

GENERAL COMMITTEE

REPLIES OF THE ARAB DELEGATIONS TO

THE QUESTIONNAIRE OF 19 MAY 1949

1. Number Of Arab refugees in the following categories:

(a) Separated families: Of 130,000 Arabs now living in areas under Israeli control, approximately 35,000 are living as individuals separated from their families. The 35,000 Arabs live principally in Lydda, in Western and Eastern Galilee, in the Gaza area and in the Haifa District; taking as a basis the modest estimate of five persons to a family, the separated families now living outside the territory under Israeli control would amount to approximately 140,000 persons.

(b) Workers in the citrus groves: 35000 Arabs, including skilled labourers, are required to operate the citrus groves. There are about 7,000 Arab owners of groves, who own 55 percent of the groves (the remaining 45 percent is owned by the Jews). Each grove of 100 dunums requires 12 Arab workers, working all the year round. There are 15,000 workers employed throughout the year, approximately 20,000 seasonal workers. Some Arab labour was employed in the Jewish-owned groves;

(c) Workers in the ports of Haifa Tel Aviv and Jaffa: The number of Arab workers in Haifa amounted to 5,000 and in Jaffa to 3,000. No figure was given for Tel Aviv;

(d) Workers at Lydda Airport: 100.

2. Number of Arabs in each of the administrative districts of Palestine on 31 December 1947: The figures for the six administrative districts as on 31 December 1946 are as follows:

To this total should be added the figure, static since 1931, of 66,553 nomad Bedouins in the region of Gaza and Beersheba. Allowing for natural increase at the rate of 26.56 per thousand for Moslems, 16.82 per thousand for Christians and 19:90 per thousand for others, the total would be raised to 1,333,169. The figure given for the nomad Bedouins is based on a rough census taken in 1941; if the food control figure is taken as a basis, the total would be 92,000; neither figure could be taken as accurate.

3. Number of Arabs on 1 May 1949:

(a) in the area of Palestine allocated to Israel by the United Nations under the resolution of 29 November 1947: 59,000 divided as follows:

(b) in the area of Palestine allocated to the Arabs under the resolution of November 1947 and at present occupied by the Israeli forces: 51,000 divided as follows:

(c) in the area of Palestine allocated to the Arabs by the United Nations on 29 November 1947:

(d) in the area of Palestine allocated to the Jews by the United Nations on 29 November 1947, and now occupied by Arab forces: the Arab delegations gave no reply on this point.

4. Miscellaneous information:

(a) The refugees are distributed as follows:

(b) Arabs living under Israeli control:

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