Table showing the number of Non-Jewish Families on Relief in Jerusalem - Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 682, . Chapter XVI: Social Services : Section 4: Social Welfare : Table 4

CHAPTER XVI.

126. Relief to the Arab community. The relief of destitution in the Arab community, in so far as the need was met by Government, was formerly the responsibility of the District Commissioners. The Department of Social Welfare took over the responsibility in July, 1D14. Direct relief to Arabs on a definite scale was introduced as a necessary service to meet difficulties arising out of the economic disruption caused by the disturbances of 1936-39. It was given at first to families where the breadwinner was detained under Emergency Regulations and was later extended to families which suffered indirectly from the prevailing conditions-the unemployed and the chronic poor. During the war the problem of the able-bodied unemployed almost ceased to exist and that state of affairs persists. The need for direct relief has considerably decreased and is in fact now mainly confined to Jerusalem. In .Jerusalem the problem of chronic poverty was always acute; and during the latter years of the war the depressed class or the population has suffered even greater privations owing to the high level of prices reached by even the simple necessities of life. Government assistance has continued to be given to this class as there is no local body at present able to deal adequately with the problem in accordance with a commonly applied scale of regular maintenance grants. Direct relief to Arabs takes the form mainly of tickets exchangeable for food in selected groceries. These tickets arc valued at 200 mil; each and one ticket per head per week is the normal scale of assistance. In certain cases of acute emergency, additional cash relief is given for specified needs but, generally speaking. the provisions of extra. needs is left to voluntary agencies.

127. The total numbers or non-Jewish families in Jerusalem assisted with relief during each of the years 1941 to 1944 inclusive are given in table 4 and the numbers of such families receiving relief at the encl of 1944, classified according to religious communities, are contained in table 5.

Table 4.

NUMBER OF JEWISH FAMILIES ON RELIEF in JERUSALEM

Year

1941 1942 1943 1944

682