ABSTRACT This paper examines how the October 7, 2023 attacks and the subsequent assault on Gaza have reshaped Palestinian refugees’ imaginaries of asylum, particularly in Lebanon and among refugees from Syria. Europe, once imagined as a moral geography of rights and recognition, is increasingly narrated as a ‘hostile north’ – a space of complicity, ideological hostility, and selective solidarity. Drawing on 150 interviews across five refugee camps in Lebanon, the study interrogates how Europe’s pro-Israel stances, securitised migration regimes, and suppression of pro-Palestinian activism have eroded its symbolic status as sanctuary. Findings reveal disillusionment not only with Europe but with asylum itself as an emancipatory horizon. The paper theorises this as a ‘mental state of confinement’, where technical possibilities of movement may persist but belief in refuge as a meaningful horizon has withered. Some participants reimagine solidaristic geographies beyond Europe, privileging dignity over material guarantees, while others embrace ‘displacement in place’, resigning to immobility as resistance.

The ongoing war on Gaza has a devastating impact on Palestinians, particularly on their psychological well-being. To assess mental health disorders and coping strategies among Palestinians displaced to Egypt during the 2023 Gaza war. A cross-sectional study included Palestinian refugees older than 18 years. Impact of Event Scale-6, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Coping Strategies Inventory-Short Form were used to assess posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and coping mechanisms, respectively. Among the 558 participants, 62.2% were females, with a mean age of 33.91 ± 11.84 years. Prevalence rates of PTSD, anxiety, and depression were 37.5%, 94.1%, and 94.8%, respectively. Emotion disengagement was the most adopted coping strategy. Multiple linear regression showed that PTSD was positively associated with being female, anxiety, depression, and the use of problem engagement, problem disengagement, and emotion disengagement coping strategies. Very good financial status and difficulty accessing healthcare were negatively associated with PTSD. Anxiety was associated with older age, being female, difficulty finding a job, war-related injury, PTSD, depression, and problem disengagement, while emotion engagement was protective. Depression was associated with a family history of mental illness, housing difficulties, emotion disengagement, anxiety, and PTSD, while problem engagement and being female were protective. Context-sensitive psychosocial interventions that strengthen coping strategies are essential to alleviate the psychological burden among this vulnerable population.

Abstract This article intervenes in discussions of the relationship between refugee camp and city by analyzing the now‐destroyed Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus and the experiences of its former residents. Based on ethnographic, archival and digital research of Yarmouk, it argues that camp space ought to be understood as arising situationally and relationally—that is, as camps urbanize, those qualities that often characterize refugee camp space, such as legal exception, biopolitical management or humanitarian intervention, may recede. However, even if they slip into abeyance, they do not fully disappear. Rather, as Yarmouk shows, these qualities continue to arise in certain circumstances—with consequences for how the camp is experienced. In taking the refugee camp as situational and relational, this approach accounts for the inevitable dynamism that occurs throughout a single camp’s history and across camps in different contexts, showing how camps oscillate between urban exclusion and integration at different moments. Finally, in parsing the relationship between camp and city and the stakes of refugee camp space, the article demonstrates the need to hold on to camp and city as distinct analytical categories amid ever‐broadening theoretical applications of each.

Palestinian refugee children are prone to using energy drinks (EDs) and smoking tobacco because of their stressful lives. Limited research has focused specifically on Palestinian adolescents in the context of depression and substance use. This study aims to examine the effects of ED intake and tobacco smoking on the mental health of refugee children on the West Bank. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 among 362 Palestinian refugee schoolchildren (aged 12–15) in 5 camps on the northern West Bank. Data on ED and tobacco use were collected through structured interviews. Depression was assessed via the Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children, psychosomatic symptoms were self-reported for the most recent 1-month period, and waist circumference was measured. χ2 tests, Fisher exact test, and logistic regression analyses were performed to examine associations between substance use, depression, and obesity. Among the 329 participants, 53.8% reported using ED, 22.8% smoked waterpipe (WP), and 11.6% smoked cigarettes. Depression was noted in 28.9% of children. Logistic regression revealed that depression was more prevalent among girls (OR = 2.7, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.57–4.98, P-value < .001) and was associated with cigarette smoking (OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.15–5.98, P-value = .022) and ED intake (OR = 1.808, 95% CI: 1.04–3.17, P-value = .038). No associations between WP use and electronic cigarette use were detected. The study revealed that depression and risky behaviors were highly prevalent among Palestinian refugee children. ED and tobacco use were strongly associated with depressive symptoms and psychosomatic complaints. These findings highlight the urgent need for early detection, culturally tailored school-based interventions, and mental health support programs for refugee adolescents. Future research should explore longitudinal effects and preventive strategies to reduce substance use and improve child mental health in conflict settings.

This study examines political cartoons depicting Trump's proposal to own Gaza and displace its people, while identifying the predominant themes within these cartoons. The dataset comprises ten political cartoons, purposively selected from an initial corpus of 50, sourced from various Arabic online newspapers. Multimodal discourse analysis, an approach that integrates language analysis with the analysis of other semiotic elements such as images, gestures, and symbols to interpret meaning (O’Halloran et al., 2011), is employed for the analysis. Kress and Van Leeuwen's Visual Social Semiotics framework, drawing on Halliday's functional socio-semiotic theory of language, is adopted to analyse the cartoons’ visual elements through its three metafunctions – representational, interactive, and compositional. The findings revealed ten predominant themes: (i) the hidden agenda of Trump's plan: ethnic cleansing of Palestinians; (ii) the Palestinian rejection of forced displacement; (iii) regional opposition and outrage against Trump's displacement plan; (iv) standing together: Arab unity against displacement; (v) fuelling occupation: power and materialism driving displacement; (vi) displacement and oppression are universal struggles; (vii) the unyielding steadfastness of Palestinians in the face of adversity; (viii) the land resists: defying displacement and occupation; (ix) the inevitable failure of the displacement plan; and (x) the right of return for Palestinian refugees. The author concludes that the significance of studying political cartoons cannot be overlooked.

Children displaced by armed conflict are at high risk of experiencing psychological distress. The ongoing war in Gaza has resulted in widespread trauma among Palestinian youth, yet limited data exist on their mental health following displacement. This study assessed the prevalence and correlates of anxiety and depressive symptoms among war-displaced Palestinian refugee children and adolescents resettled in Qatar. To estimate the prevalence of clinically significant anxiety and depressive symptoms and to identify psychosocial and trauma-related factors associated with symptom severity in this population. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 350 Palestinian children (aged 8–17 years) residing in a residential compound in Qatar. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured using the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders-Child Version and the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire-Child Version, respectively. A Resilience and Demographic Questionnaire was devised to assess trauma exposure and psychosocial variables. Multiple linear regression identified factors associated with symptom severity. Clinically significant anxiety and depressive symptoms were found in 70.9 and 46.0% of participants, respectively. Separation anxiety was the most common subtype. Female gender, witnessing death, physical injury and disrupted caregiving were significantly associated with worse outcomes. This study highlights the urgent need for trauma-informed, culturally sensitive mental health services for displaced Palestinian children and young people. While clinical interventions are vital, a sustainable resolution to the conflict is essential to mitigate further psychological harm.

Association between size at birth, rapid weight gain in infancy, and overweight status among Palestinian refugees under 5 years old: a retrospective cohort study.

The abstract is translated in Arabic below. The Nakba, a pivotal event in Palestinian history, inflicted widespread devastation upon Palestinian society, with enduring repercussions that persist in contemporary Palestinian life. This lingering impact is exacerbated by the ongoing politics of dismemberment and the entrenched settler-colonial system, which continuously evoke and perpetuate the trauma of the Nakba. Drawing upon extensive fieldwork conducted among Palestinian refugees residing in West Bank camps since 1948, this article critically examines the transformation of Western-dominated knowledge and social work practice into instruments of the marginalization and suppression of refugee voices. Specifically, it explores how such frameworks contribute to the ongoing silencing and marginalization of refugees, compounding their continuous trauma and suffering. By delving into the intricate psychosocial dynamics and survival strategies employed by refugees in response to trauma, the article underscores the significance of Indigenous knowledge in fostering anti-oppressive practices. The article emphasizes the importance of social workers understanding refugees’ historical contexts, promoting active listening, addressing their needs, and supporting traditional healing practices.

BackgroundPremenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common menstruation-related condition among adolescent girls. Vulnerability to environmental and social factors such as living under war, exposure to political violence (EPV), and human insecurity significantly influence the health and well-being of adolescents more generally. However, research on the association between PMS and social determinants in conflict settings remains limited. This study aimed to identify the severity of PMS and its association with EPV, human insecurity, and well-being among adolescent girls in Palestine refugee camps in the West Bank.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 1,399 girls aged 15–18 years residing in 19 Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank, occupied Palestinian territory. PMS severity was measured using a scale developed based on the literature, expert input, and the girls’ experiences, comprising two categories: “none to mild” and “moderate to severe.” EPV was assessed based on past experiences at individual, familial, collective, and cumulative levels. Multivariate analyses were conducted using five regression models with a primary focus on the relationship between PMS severity and EPV.ResultsThe prevalence of PMS with at least one symptom was 92.1%. PMS severity was positively associated with collective EPV (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–2.1), whereas individual and familial EPV were only significant when included separately in the model. Girls who experienced two or three types of cumulative EPV (AOR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.6–3.7) were more likely to experience severe PMS. High levels of human insecurity (AOR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0–1.6) and depression-like symptoms (AOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3–2.7) were significantly associated with PMS severity.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate a significant association between PMS severity and EPV, human insecurity, and low levels of well-being. These findings suggest that prolonged occupation and unresolved conflict may adversely impact adolescent health and exacerbate PMS symptoms, highlighting the need to recognize PMS as a public health concern. In protracted conflict settings, integrating psychosocial support and menstrual health education into schools and community-based programs such as primary healthcare facilities may help adolescent girls manage PMS, menstruation-related symptoms, and associated stressors more effectively.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12978-025-02104-z.

ABSTRACT The conflict in Gaza that began in October 2023 triggered widespread protests in Jordan, which is host to more than 3 million Palestinian and Syrian refugees. With young people’s civic and political identities and participation increasingly being framed as a critical dimension of global development, understanding the impact of this unprecedented conflict on young refugees is important for informing strategies to support their future civic engagement. This article analyses findings from participatory research with young refugees in Jordan aged 19–24 undertaken in February–March 2024 to explore how the conflict is changing young refugees’ civic engagement and political identities. We find that while historically refugees have tended to refrain from public political discourse, the Gaza-Israeli conflict has triggered increased political expression by young refugees. The conflict has also underlined complex tensions between refugee and adopted country identities, especially given repression and perceived inaction by authorities and the wider international community. Transnational belonging and religious identities are emphasised by refugees as a way to navigate these tensions. Despite these shifts, opportunities for refugees to engage with politics remain distinctly gendered. As such, efforts to support and affirm young people’s citizenship practices must address social and political inequalities.

BackgroundProlonged patient waiting times in healthcare settings, particularly within humanitarian contexts, pose significant challenges to the provision and quality of care received. This study examines the persistent issue of extended waiting periods among patients, including Syrian and Palestinian refugees and Lebanese nationals seeking care at humanitarian clinics in Lebanon. The study aims to highlight the challenges faced by these populations and their impact on care and health outcomes.MethodsThis study analyzed secondary data for 111,998 patient records receiving care at Multi Aid Programs clinic between December 2018 and June 2023. Descriptive statistics were performed on the compiled data. Additionally, an Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model was developed to forecast patient waiting times over the next 14 days, providing a data-driven approach to understanding and optimizing healthcare service delivery.ResultsA total of 442,332 patient visits were analyzed. The vast majority of patients treated at the clinic were Syrian refugees (84.6%), Lebanese patients (15.3%), and Palestinian refugees(0.1%). Females accounted for 55% of visits, slightly outnumbering males (45%). Approximately 21.4% of patients left the clinic without receiving medical care, likely due to extended waiting times. The average waiting time was 1.4 h with an average of a 1-hour wait for emergencies and a 2-hour wait for orthopedic appointments. The study team, along with clinic staff and administration, observed patients waiting in overcrowded rooms. Little improvement has been reported in waiting times since 2019. The predictive ARIMA model for patient waiting time forecasting yielded a notably low RMSE of 0.18, indicating excellent fidelity between the modeled and true wait times.ConclusionPatient waiting time represents a significant issue in the humanitarian setting, jeopardizing patient access to medical care and often resulting in patients leaving clinics before being seen by a physician. Future research should explore the underlying causes and broader consequences of prolonged wait times, including their impact on patient satisfaction, healthcare provider burnout, and overall system efficiency.

IntroductionThis article analyzes Palestinian refugee childhood memories, focusing on how displacement and survival intersect within the context of ongoing settler-colonial violence. Challenging conventional Western trauma frameworks that view trauma as discrete, time-bounded events amenable to therapeutic resolution, this research conceptualizes Palestinian children’s experiences as sociogenic trauma emerging from colonial structures rather than individual pathology.MethodsDrawing on 34 interviews with Palestinian refugees from Lydda who experienced the 1948 Nakba as children or were born shortly after, the study uses the child as method framework to analyze childhood memories as complex and dynamic sites where trauma and adaptive survival mechanisms coexist and shape individual and collective experiences.ResultsFindings reveal systematic processes of “unchilding”—the deliberate eviction of Palestinian children from childhood through invisibilization, dehumanization, and forced premature maturation—alongside survival strategies such as selective sensory silencing and strategic memory suppression. The study demonstrates how Palestinian refugees mobilize childhood memories to position themselves within ongoing displacement, deploying childhood as a cultural-political category to navigate present conditions of ongoing Nakba and resistance.DiscussionThis study contributes to scholarship that centers Palestinian perspectives by illuminating how childhood memories function as sites of resistance that protect Palestinian knowledge from appropriation. It calls for fundamental changes in academic and professional practice, advocating approaches that honor Palestinian epistemologies while challenging Western frameworks’ claims to universality in understanding trauma and survival.

This study examines the conditions of Palestinian refugees in Kuwait from 1948 to 1993, focusing on the political, economic, and social dimensions of their experience. It explores the initial waves of Palestinian migration following the 1948 Nakba and Kuwait’s reception policies. The research analyzes the legal and administrative frameworks governing Palestinian residency, as well as their employment across various sectors including education, health, and engineering. The study highlights the political activism of Palestinians in Kuwait, particularly during the First Intifada in 1987, and the resulting tensions between the Palestinian community and the Kuwaiti government. Furthermore, it investigates the economic and social challenges faced by Palestinians, including labor market restrictions and social integration issues. The study also considers the indicators of change preceding the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and their impact on the Palestinian community. Ultimately, the research provides a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted experience of Palestinians in Kuwait, shedding light on their resilience amid successes and challenges, and offers insights for future policies addressing refugee communities in the Gulf region.

This study examines the conditions of Palestinian refugees in Kuwait from 1948 to 1993, focusing on the political, economic, and social dimensions of their experience. It explores the initial waves of Palestinian migration following the 1948 Nakba and Kuwait’s reception policies. The research analyzes the legal and administrative frameworks governing Palestinian residency, as well as their employment across various sectors including education, health, and engineering. The study highlights the political activism of Palestinians in Kuwait, particularly during the First Intifada in 1987, and the resulting tensions between the Palestinian community and the Kuwaiti government. Furthermore, it investigates the economic and social challenges faced by Palestinians, including labor market restrictions and social integration issues. The study also considers the indicators of change preceding the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and their impact on the Palestinian community. Ultimately, the research provides a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted experience of Palestinians in Kuwait, shedding light on their resilience amid successes and challenges, and offers insights for future policies addressing refugee communities in the Gulf region.

Gaza has been subject to numerous manufactured humanitarian crises since 2006, a year after the Israeli withdrawal of civilian settlers across the strip. Many of these crises are supported by the refusal of the West to recognise the sovereignty of the Palestinian people and their basic human rights. The starvation and total collapse of the health of Gazan people is not simply a matter of neglect, but rather an active process of dispossession that began with the numerous proposals for the splitting of historical Palestine, and the advent of the Palestinian refugee problem with the establishment of the state of Israel. This paper considers the history of the West’s contentious relationship with United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from its conception to the present day. This history includes long-term shortfalls in promised financial support to UNRWA across the Middle East and existential crises for the agency due to funding withheld based on flimsy accusations. The paper will examine demands to end the agency in favour of others even further removed from the goal of refugee return and resettlement.

Mental health promotion interventions have some evidence of improving well-being outcomes among children in humanitarian settings. Yet, are they sufficient to ensure health equity, particularly in contexts of structural oppression and protracted displacement? We describe Qaderoon (We Are Capable), a year-long social skills building intervention for mental health promotion among Palestinian refugee children, which was implemented in 2008-2009 in Burj El Barajneh Camp (BBC) in Beirut, Lebanon. Qaderoon consisted of 45 sessions for children, 15 for parents, and six workshops for teachers, all developed through a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach involving an academic institution and a Community Youth Coalition. Session implementation was supported by youth mentors from BBC. The effectiveness of the intervention on mental health outcomes of the children was measured through a mixed-methods quasi-experimental design. Post-intervention quantitative results indicated statistically insignificant difference in the mental health scale scores between intervention and comparison groups. Meanwhile, qualitative interviews with children post-intervention indicated unanimous positive experiences of their engagement, with intermediate mechanisms consistent with the intervention's logic model. These discrepant findings warrant serious reflection on the premise underlying mental health interventions within the context of prevailing structural oppression and protracted displacement. Our article describes the intervention, its CBPR approach, potential explanations for the contrasting results, and raises critical questions about the conditions necessary for health equity among refugee populations, which continue to be relevant today. To achieve health equity, public health research and practice must move upstream to promote social justice and dismantle structural oppression.

In this publication, the author presents the issue of migration, particularly focusing on the plight of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Migration, complex and multifaceted, poses challenges that both refugees’ countries of origin and host countries face. Despite its small size and numerous internal problems, Lebanon is one of the countries hosting refugees on a large scale, but its policies remain inconsistent and often hostile towards a particular nationality – the Palestinians. In refugee camps such as Ain al-Hilweh, where overcrowding and violence are a daily occurrence, people are forced to struggle to survive in conditions that are far from basic living standards. Lack of possibility to gain citizenship, limited access to the labour market and formal employment, and housing restrictions exacerbate the social and economic isolation of Palestinians. The marginalisation of these people results in increasing poverty and perpetuates a cycle of exclusion that seems to have no end. In the shadow of government restrictions and political gridlock, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) try to provide a minimum of support, but their efforts often fall short. Lebanon, although officially a host to refugees, often turns a blind eye to their suffering and the camps become spaces ruled by Palestinian factions and armed groups, creating further dangers. In such realities, any choice can be dramatic – joining armed groups or fleeing the camp are decisions that mark the lives of the refugees. What emerges in the article is a picture of a society left on the margins, constantly having to struggle for recognition of its rights and survival in the shadow of a neglected system of international protection.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between mental health and life orientation among Palestinian refugees in the Occupied Territories, focusing on their psychological well-being and outlook on life. Method: A quantitative approach was employed, utilizing the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), the Life Orientation Test revised, and sociodemographic data collected from 125 refugees living in United Nations Relief and Works Agency facilities. Results: The findings revealed that 64.8% of participants experienced moderate to severe mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, while 58.9% exhibited a pessimistic life orientation, reflecting a lack of hope for the future. Additionally, 90.4% reported exposure to violence, highlighting the profound impact of conflict on their well-being. Income and age were identified as significant predictors of mental health outcomes. Conclusions: The study underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to address mental health disparities, enhance resilience, and improve the quality of life for this vulnerable population.

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is a crucial public health strategy that reduces infant morbidity and mortality, yet rates remain suboptimal among refugee populations. This study examines breastfeeding practices and determinants of EBF among long-standing Palestinian refugees in Jordan through a cross-sectional survey of 249 mothers at the UNRWA Zarqa Camp Health Center. The prevalence of EBF among infants under 6 months was 38.2%, declining with age. Key predictors included birth order, mode of delivery, labor analgesia, and breastfeeding initiation timing. Mothers who delivered vaginally avoided analgesia, and initiated breastfeeding within the first hour had significantly higher EBF rates. Perceived insufficient milk supply was the primary reason for formula introduction. Breastfed infants experienced fewer acute illnesses, antibiotic use, and allergic conditions. Despite moderately positive maternal attitudes toward breastfeeding, fewer than half of the mothers received breastfeeding education, with no significant association between maternal knowledge and feeding methods. These findings underscore the need for interventions promoting early breastfeeding initiation, reducing unnecessary cesarean sections and analgesia, and strengthening breastfeeding education to improve EBF rates and infant health in refugee settings.

The weight impact of caffeine and nicotine use by adolescents, unlike adults, has not been conclusively determined. The prevalence of obesity among adolescents, especially in vulnerable populations such as refugee adolescents, is a crucial public health concern. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of central obesity and its associated risk factors among refugee adolescents. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 on refugee teenagers aged 11-15 in four refugee camps in West Bank. Data was collected through surveys and anthropometric measurements to assess waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index. Statistical analyses evaluated the relationship between caffeine and nicotine use and central obesity measures while accounting for potential confounders. A total of 454 participants (51.3% boys, 48.7% girls) were included in the study. The median age was 14.49 years, with a median BMI of 21.7. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 24% and 21.1%, respectively. 14.1% had high waist circumferences. The study found significant associations between central obesity and cigarette smoking (p = 0.03), waterpipe smoking (p = 0.008) and energy drink (p = 0.016) and coffee (p = 0.027) consumption. Adjusted multiple logistic regression revealed an association between overweight status and energy drink consumption (AOR = 3.035, p = 0.009) and the interaction between energy drink and coffee consumption (AOR = 3.924, p = 0.010). Obese status showed a significant association with waterpipe smoking (AOR = 2.975, p = 0.021). Obesity is a significant health concern among Palestinian refugee adolescents, with various factors contributing to its prevalence. Central obesity, in particular, is associated with increased health risks, emphasising the importance of identifying its determinants, including caffeine and nicotine use among adolescents.