Arab Immigration to Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 795. Chapter XVIII: Town Planning and The Problem of Housing : Section 2: Present Housing Needs :

CHAPTER XVIII.

30. Rural population. The natural increase in the number of family units of the Arab rural population is obtained as follows :

Total natural increase (Arab) Deduct increase in urban areas

Increase in rural areas

say 80,000 family units.

118,712 83,366

80,346

31. When dealing with the Jewish community and the Arab urban population 1 deficiencies in housing accommodation were expressed in terms of nominal "room units" - a "room unit" being an arbitrary conception consisting of 27 square metres of built-up area comprising one room together with its due proportion of hall, kitchen, bath-room and W.C. according as the house contained one, two or three room units. In Arab villages, the dwelling is usually a very simple structure consisting of four walls, a floor and a roof with built-up structures for storage and possibly having a raised mustaba or dais for sleeping. In the Arab rural areas housing accommodation may, therefore, be expressed more simply in terms of "rooms". In estimating requirements of housing one is faced with the conflict between the accommodation which is desirable from a sanitary point of view and that to which the villager has been accustomed. Although such a standard may not be financially attainable for some time to come, it is considered desirable that the target of housing accommodation in Arab rural areas should be taken as two rooms, comprising a built-up area of about 50 square metres. The number of rooms required to accommodate the natural increase of family units of the Arab rural population during the period 1936-1945 at 2 rooms per family is therefore 160,000.

(2). Immigration.

32. Although different considerations from those relevant to Jewish immigration apply to Arab immigration, special consideration need not be given to the latter as, out of a total number of 360,822 immigrants who entered Palestine between 1920 and 1942, only 27,981 or 7.8% were Arabs. The number of room units required to house Arab immigrants has, therefore, been calculated on the same basis as Jewish immigrants and amounts to 5 ,660 room units. This figure, however, includes provision for British police, etc. who are normally accommodated in police barracks, etc. (vide paragraph 12 of chapter XV). The corrected figure of the number of rooms required to house immigrants other than British police, etc. has been estimated as follows :

795