Palestinian expulsion from Kuwait
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Palestinian expulsion from Kuwait
| Total Kuwaiti Palestinian refugee population today (including descendants): | ~0.5 million |
|---|---|
| Total refugees in 1991: | 443,000[1] |
| Regions with significant populations: | 
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| Languages: | Arabic |
| Religions: | Sunni Islam |
The Palestinian expulsion from Kuwait or 1991 Palestinian exodus from Kuwait took place at the end of the Gulf War, when Kuwait expelled almost 450,000 Palestinians.[1] The policy which led to this exodus was a response to the alignment of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the PLO with Saddam Hussein, who had earlier invaded Kuwait. The exodus took place during one week in March 1991, following Kuwait's liberation from Iraqi occupation. The story received little media attention in the aftermath of the liberation of Kuwait.
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Background
Prior to the exodus, Palestinians made up about 30% of Kuwait's population of 2.2 million.[2] More 400,000 Palestinian Arabs and their desendants resided in Kuwait in 1990.[3] Palestinians arrived to Kuwait in three different phases, beginning with the large scale development of oil production, coinciding with the 1948-1949 dispersion.[3] Later, Palestinians arrived to Kuwait promarily from Jordan, attracted by favorable conditions of high education and employment through 1960s and 1970s.
Exodus
The policy which led to this exodus was a response to the alignment of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the PLO with Saddam Hussein, who had earlier invaded Kuwait. The exodus took place during one week in March 1991, following Kuwait's liberation from Iraqi occupation. On March 14, only 150,000 Palestinians were still residing in Kuwait, out of initial 450,000 - many of them fearful for their fate.[4]
In total, Kuwait expelled 443,000 Palestinians.[1] Several Palestinians were killed by vigilante groups including some with links to the royal family.[5] With the completion of the exodus only 7,000 Palestinians remained.[1]
Aftermath
Only a few thousand Palestinians stayed behind or have returned since.[6] By 2006, only a few had returned to Kuwait and today the number of Palestinians living in Kuwait is less than 40,000 (under 3% of the population).[citation needed]
In 2004, Kuwait allegedly did put off a planned visit by Mahmud Abbas, then the number two PLO official after Arafat.[6] Palestinian officials denied reports that this was because he would not apologize for Mr Arafat's support for the 1990 invasion.[6]
On December 12, 2004, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas apologized for the PLO's support of Saddam Hussein during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.[7] On the first visit to Kuwait by a top Palestinian official since the invasion by Iraq, Mahmud Abbas said: "I say we yes, we apologise over our stand towards Kuwait."[6]
Responses
Kuwait According to the New Yok Times, Kuwaitis said the anger against Palestinians was such that there was little chance most of those who had left during the seven-month occupation can ever come back to live here again and relatively few of those remaining will be able to stay.[4]
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c d [1], BBC News, May 30, 2001
- ^ Kuwait - Population
- ^ a b [2]
- ^ a b [3]
- ^ Crystal, Jill. "Kuwait: Post-War Society". The Persian Gulf States: A Country Study. Library of Congress. http://countrystudies.us/persian-gulf-states/33.htm. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- ^ a b c d [4]
- ^ Abbas apology to Kuwait over Iraq, BBC News, December 12, 2004
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