In early 2025, Israeli military operations in the Jenin and Tulkarem refugee camps, in the West Bank, forced entire camp populations to flee. Streets were destroyed, homes were raided, and entire neighbourhoods became uninhabitable.
More than 40,000 Palestinian refugees, residents of the camps, were forcibly displaced, many leaving behind everything they owned.
Displaced families in the face of destruction, welcome EU-funded cash assistance
Today, many of these families are living in nearby towns and cities, renting apartments that they can barely afford. To help ease the burden, UNRWA provided a first round of EU-funded cash assistance, €411 per family, to help cover food and urgent housing needs.
Most of this support went towards rent. A second round of assistance, €751 per family, is now being rolled out, prioritising the most vulnerable displaced families, including those still living in collective shelters.
This support is made possible through funding from the European Union and other donors. It helps displaced families maintain a sense of dignity and privacy.
Families are doing their best to restore a sense of normalcy. They are holding on to the memory of home, while adjusting to unfamiliar surroundings and uncertain futures.
Access to their evacuated homes is strictly prohibited
A yellow gate installed by the Israeli army now blocks the main entrance to Jenin Camp, cutting it off from the rest of the city. Access is strictly prohibited, and residents report that even approaching the gate can result in confrontation with soldiers.
Al-Balawneh, the entrance to Tulkarem Camp lies in destruction. Evacuated homes line both sides of the street, now inaccessible to residents. Displaced families are not allowed to return, only soldiers move freely inside the camp.
Meet Osaid, Jamal, Jana, Anwar, Walid and Anwar: resilient in the face of loss
Osaid, a volunteer paramedic and former UNRWA staff member, holds his daughter Yasmine as he describes the hardship of displacement, job loss, and rising rent.
He now shares a small apartment with 14 family members. Osaid says,
‘We were scattered after fleeing the camp. Renting this place brought us back together, but it’s not easy: 4 families with only 1 kitchen and 2 bathrooms. We manage, but only because we have no other choice.’
Jamal, an elderly man, points toward his family’s burned-out home in Jenin Camp, visible from the apartment where 14 family members now live. Home is now out of reach.
‘We can see it, but we can’t go back.’
Jamal recalls the moment his family fled:
‘When you see death with your own eyes, you run. We left with nothing.’
He says support from the EU and UNRWA helped put a roof over their heads.
Jana prepares for her final school exams in the apartment her family now rents after fleeing Jenin Camp.
‘It was hard to focus on studying when we were running for our lives’,
Jana says.
The EU-funded cash support the family received has provided some relief amidst the harsh realities of the conflict.
Anwar, in her 20s, keeps company with her sister Rawan, who is also in her 20s and has special needs. During the last incursion, Anwar carried her on her back for over 30 minutes.
‘It was a long and difficult walk to escape, but I kept going’,
Anwar says.
Walid, currently unemployed, and his family were displaced from Tulkarem Camp. They were unable to bring any of their belongings. With EU-supported cash assistance, they settled in an unfinished house and began rebuilding.
Anwar, who lost his job at the start of the war, stands outside his relatives’ house, where he’s staying during displacement. Anwar suffers from diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome.
‘I can’t work, and we have nowhere else to go’,
says Anwar. He and his wife live in her sister’s home, where they fled after being displaced from Tulkarem Camp.
With no income, they can’t afford rent. Their children are scattered in relatives’ homes. They are awaiting cash for rent assistance. Like many displaced from Jenin and Tulkarem Camps, they just want to go home, be with family and neighbours, live in dignity, find decent work and build a future where their children can grow, learn, and thrive.
