It was a happy moment when I heard the news that UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) launched in coordination with Google Earth, a new layer that focus on refugee camps around the world. This should be a great tool to follow the crisis of Palestinian refugees under occupation and expose it to the world through one of the most used Web 2.0 applications (Google Earth claims to have more than 350 million downloads and counting).

In their press release, UNHCR said:

Google Earth's new mapping programme takes you on a virtual reality tour with the UN refugee agency of some of the world's major displacement crises and the humanitarian efforts aimed at helping the victims.

The first use of this geospatial tool focuses on refugees and displaced people located in remote areas of Chad, Iraq, Colombia and Sudan's volatile Darfur region. Sit in front of your computer and, with a few clicks, see, hear and develop an emotional understanding of what it is like to be a refugee.

Highlighted are not only the physical area of the camp and surrounding country, but key parts of daily life such as education and health in photo, text and video format. Within seconds, Google Earth brings the daily life of a refugee camp into your home thousands of kilometres away.

To start your journey, click here.

However, my happiness did not last for long when I discovered that NONE of the Palestinian refugee camps within the Occupied Palestinian Territories are published there (see map below). So, even if you "Sit in front of your computer", with a few clicks you can "see, hear and develop an emotional understanding of what it is like to be a refugee", but not the Palestinian refugees' experience. They don't exist!

(Click image to enlarge)

Note: Blue icons are original bookmarks by UNHCR of Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, but nothing in West Bank and Gaza.

This misfortune seems to be a result of one of two things:

1. Either the issue of the Palestinian refugees under Israeli occupation got solved and nobody told me (in this case I only blame myself for missing last night's news), or;

2. The UNHCR does not recognize the Palestinian refugee camps in the Occupied Palestinian Territories all together as "refugee camps who needs emotional understanding", so they are not one of the "major displacement crises," thus do not require "the humanitarian efforts aimed at helping the victims"! We understand that UNHCR mandate is to take care of refugees all around the world, but not those inside Occupied Palestinian Territories, UNRWA does that. However, one of UNHCR's mandates is to offer refugees to return to their home country, an act that is rejected by Israel. Hence, this does not justify the UNHCR to wash its hands of Palestinian refugees under occupation and not mention them altogether. They are still refugees no matter if they have been able to make the best of a horrible situation, and they all should be represented.

It is disturbing to see such a horrible mistake (intentional or unintentional, we need to know) spread by a UN agency which claims to be taking care of refugees all around the world. The UNRWA lists the name of all the refugees camps in West Bank (19 camp) and Gaza (8 camps) and their population (West Bank 486,479, Gaza 478,272, total 964,751). Not only that, but they also have location maps for these refugees camps on their website:

(Click image to enlarge)

The question is, how can UNHCR ignored a total of 27 Palestinian refugee camps in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, populated with almost one million inhabitants?

Understanding that in general, refugee camps almost by definition have limited visibility, and the Palestinian refugee camps in Palestine are located in a war zone, such camps go unseen by most of the world except when the occasional crimes conducted by Israel are fortunately picked up by some reporters who might write a small segment for the evening news about that "incident".

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) claims and hopes to give more visibility to the work that it does in refugee camps around the world by bringing the reality of refugee life into the laptops and living rooms of web surfers, but not the Palestinian refugee camps under occupation!!! This is not acceptable.

Action Alert:

1. Use UNHCR contact form here http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/contact and ask them to correct this mistake immediately. Sample letter can be as follows:

Dear UNHCR,

We are pleased to know that UNHCR launched it's 'Google Earth Refugee World' layer to take Google Earth users on a virtual reality tour with the UN refugee agency of some of the world's major displacement crises and the humanitarian efforts aimed at helping the victims.
Reference: http://www.unhcr.org/events/47f48dc92.html

However, we are disappointed to see that Palestinian refugee camps in Occupied Palestinian Territories were not shown anywhere.
Reference: http://tinyurl.com/4jnpoy

We are sure that this is an oversight on UNHCR part, but 27 Palestinian refugee camps that exist in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are not shown on your new Google Earth Refugee World layer. Over one million people live in these camps. Do you not believe that they are living under most non humanitarian conditions and should be mentioned on UNHCR's 'Google Earth Refugee World' like all other refugees?

Please correct your listings to include these camps. They DO EXIST and they MUST be known about.

Alternatively, you may write to Mr. Antonio Guterres (the UN high commissioner for refugees) and ask him to correct this mistake immediately (Headquarters contact form here: http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/contact?hq=y). Sample letter can be as follows:

Dear Mr. Guterres,

We are pleased to know that UNHCR launched it's 'Google Earth Refugee World' layer to take Google Earth users on a virtual reality tour with the UN refugee agency of some of the world's major displacement crises and the humanitarian efforts aimed at helping the victims.
Reference: http://www.unhcr.org/events/47f48dc92.html

However, we are disappointed to see that Palestinian refugee camps in Occupied Palestinian Territories were not shown anywhere.
Reference: http://tinyurl.com/4jnpoy

We are sure that this is an oversight on UNHCR part, but 27 Palestinian refugee camps that exist in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are not shown on your new Google Earth Refugee World layer. Over one million people live in these camps. Do you not believe that they are living under most non humanitarian conditions and should be mentioned on UNHCR's 'Google Earth Refugee World' like all other refugees?

Please correct your listings to include these camps. They DO EXIST and they MUST be known about.

2. Sign this petition asking UNHCR to correct this mistake and add all Palestinian refugees camps within the Occupied Palestinian Territories to their "Google Earth Refugee's World Layer".
Petition: http://tinyurl.com/4re8du

3. Republish, share and e-mail this post. Click following "ShareThis" link below.

Update (Apr 11, 2008): Good news! I just got a positive reply to my email to Mr. Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

from: Antonio Guterres
to: haitham.sabbah@gmail.com,
date: Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 6:27 PM
subject Re: Palestine Refugee Camps on Google Earth

Dear Mr. Sabbah,

Thank you for your email. You are absolutely right. However, as we have only just launched "Google Earth Refugee World" layer, we only have three sites for the moment: Iraq, Colombia and Darfur. Other sites will follow.

With best regards,
António Guterres

I replied to Mr. Guterres and urged him to put adding Palestinian Refugee Camps on top of their priorities.

Related posts:

• Israeli city demand Google Earth to erase Nakhba – Palestinian Catastrophe – info, Google says NO!
• Google Earth
• Plight of Palestinian refugees worsening in most parts of Middle East

The Washington Post is reporting today that 50,000 refugee are fleeing their homes a month, and they need help. As is so often the case with Iraq, the U.S. administration has been slow to recognize the problem and even slower to respond.

The U.S. response has been shockingly small. Though it is spending $8 billion a month on the war, the Bush administration has budgeted only $20 million for refugee assistance this year. Only 466 Iraqis have been allowed to immigrate to the United States as refugees since 2003, including 202 last year. Most shameful has been U.S. treatment of translators and drivers who have risked their own and their families’ lives to work for military units in Iraq: Just a handful have been granted asylum, and a special visa program has a six-year waiting list. [Washington Post full article]

What a shame!

BBC today also reported “warnings of Iraq refugee crisis.” BBC said:

…The rest of the world has almost completely ignored the problem and the crisis is coming to a head, spokesman Kasaram Mufarah said.

“Most of the borders of the neighbouring countries of Iraq are very difficult to pass,” Mr Kasaram, who co-ordinates the work of aid agencies in Iraq, said…

Earlier this month, the UN refugee body appealed for $60m (£30.8m, 45m euros) in emergency aid for those fleeing the violence in Iraq - the largest long-term displacement of people since the uprooting of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948.

Among all these, Palestinian refugees in Iraq are not in better conditions. In fact, somehow their conditions are worse.

Last year, Human Rights Watch issued a report in which they said that the Palestinians refugees who fled Iraq are unlike Iraqi nationals, they cannot enter Jordan on tourist visas and are left into the no man’s land between the Iraqi and Jordanian border.

Attacks on a Palestinian neighborhood in Baghdad and lack of protection for Palestinians in Iraq is nothing new. To add insult to injury, UNHCR’s deputy director said: “Palestinians have very limited freedom of movement and no possibility to leave the country.”

“We are urgently appealing to the Iraqi government and the multinational forces to provide protection and safety or an alternative safe location for this targeted group.

“We also ask the world to stop turning their back and provide a humane solution and safe haven to these people who have no way out.”

Ironically, UNHCR has appealed to Israel to allow admission into the occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank. No constructive response has been received from Israel. The agency said that from resettlement countries, only Canada and Syria had taken Palestinians from Iraq in the past.

To spot more light on the issue, kindly read the following email, which I received from my friend at Baqa’a Refugee Camp blog, and I feel I should share it with you:

Dear friend,

I am writing to inform you, that the Welcome to Baqa’a Refugee Camp website has currently got up a special edition that is dedicated to the plight of Palestinians inside of Iraq.

It has a series of useful articles, which highlight the fact that Palestinians are being targeted and forced to leave Iraq, without much notice or argument by Western governments or the occupation forces.

Once again, Palestinians are being displaced and the question which remains is what is being done? You will find on the site, within the side bar, ways of being able to help, where you can contact the media through our Palestine Media Campaign, along with being able to leave messages of support in our Guest Book.

You can freely use information from the site, as a foundation for writing to the local/national media, your local MP and councillors and enquire what they are doing in defence of the Iraqi Palestinians.

You will also find a variety of useful links to Palestinian support organisations around the world, in our Baqa’a Links sections and a link where donations can made.

All of this can be found on www.baqaacamp.blogspot.com and you can e-mail enquiries to us on baqaarefugeecamp@yahoo.co.uk

Yours in solidarity,

Mr. Hussein Al-alak
Chair
The Middle East Cultural Association
The Iraq Solidarity Campaign

I hope the conditions for these people get eased and the International Community do something to help the innocent Iraqis, Palestinians and all refugees of Iraq.

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• CFL ALERT: PALESTINIAN REFUGEES STRANDED AT AL-WALID BORDER BETWEN IRAQ AND SYRIA
• Iraq: The Women’s Story
• Iraq arrested as deserter in Florida