This 1950 short film was produced by the Council for Relief of Palestinian Arab Refugees and is the first to document Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East. The Film is introduced and closed by Dorothy Thompson, who was a civil rights activist, journalist, and had just recently returned from an extended visit to the Middle East. She stresses the importance of relief of which without the refugees would otherwise die of starvation and disease.

In English, Black and White, Run time: 28:32

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This 1950 film is introduced and closed by Dorothy Thompson, who was a civil rights activist, journalist, and had just recently returned from an extended visit to the Middle East. She stresses the importance of relief of which without the approximately one million refugees would otherwise die of starvation and disease.

This film was produced by the Council for Relief of Palestinian Arab Refugees and is the first to document Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East and marks the beginnings of a large scale American public concern for those marginalized by the religious and natural resource conflicts that, to this day, continue to haunt the Middle East.

Makeshift schools, workshops, hospitals, and kitchens in the Gaza strip are the focus of the footage of this film. Footage of refugees living in ancient roman ruins is also shown despite the fact that these people refuse to allow close up shots to be taken because of religious beliefs. The narrator refers to them as 20th century cave dwellers who lifestyle is barely fit for wildlife. The films main goal is to show the suffering of these refugees to encourage increased donations by Americans who sympathize with their plight.

Oddly enough the reason why the refugees have been forced to flee there homes in not even addressed. The efforts of the United Nations and its UNICEF branch to help these refugees are stressed. The daily rations given to the refugees total 1400 calories per day, which is severely short of the 2000+ calories that are needed to sustain good health.

In English, Black and White, Run time: 28:32