"In the West Bank, many Palestinians, refugees and non-refugees alike, continue to experience severe restrictions on movement and fundamental freedoms. We are particularly concerned by the sustained pace with which home demolitions, evictions, permit denials and other forms of unacceptable pressure on Palestinian homes and properties are proceeding, notably in East Jerusalem, while at the same time Israeli settlements continue to expand on occupied land. This is a source of grave suffering for many already vulnerable to poverty and the daily humiliations from the occupation. It generates multiple situations of displacement among refugees already dispossessed, including rural and herder communities, while denying fundamental human rights to those affected. The Separation Barrier and its associated regime of draconian restrictions permanently disrupt normal life for many Palestinians, placing impediments to their enjoyment of normal social and family interactions. I observe this first hand every day, given that access limitations are especially severe for Palestinians from the West Bank entering Jerusalem, historically their economic, social and cultural centre.

In short, nowhere else in the Middle East is human dignity trampled upon as gravely as it is in the occupied Palestinian territory." Filippo Grandi, UNRWA Commissioner-General

Palestine Refugees in Today’s Middle East