Jordan Times
Friday, October 1, 2004
Commission reviews
report on UNRWA services
AMMAN (Petra) — An advisory commission of the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency (UNRWA) on Thursday discussed a draft report covering the agency's work
and activities which UNRWA Commissioner General Peter Hansen plans to present to
the UN General Assembly meeting later this year.
The report provides an appraisal of the level and quality of the services UNRWA
offers to the Palestinian refugees in its four fields of operations: Jordan,
Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
The report also lists the difficulties facing the agency and the adverse effects
of the financial deficit on its services.
During the session, the commission stressed the important role played by UNRWA
in alleviating the suffering of refugees, particularly in the West Bank and
Gaza, as a result of closures and other measures imposed by the Israeli
authorities.
The commission comprises representatives from Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, the
US, United Kingdom, France, Japan, Belgium and Turkey as well as the Palestine
Liberation Organisation, which has an observer status.
Underlining the importance of UNRWA's educational and health services to the
refugees, Department of Palestinian Affairs Director Abdul Karim Abul Heija said
at the meeting that the agency should be enabled to pursue its services until
the Palestinian refugees problem has been resolved.
Noting that UNRWA represents the world community and was set up to cater to the
needs of the refugees, Abul Heija said the agency's services should be upgraded
to meet the refugees' natural increase.
According to Abul Heija, Jordan is regarded as the major donor to UNRWA, hosting
1.8 million of refugees and directly and indirectly spending around $400 million
on services for the refugees every year.
Abul Heija referred to a recent international conference in Geneva which issued
recommendations and resolutions reaffirming the partnership between UNRWA, the
donor nations and the Arab countries hosting the refugees, in a joint effort to
provide basic services to the refugees and improve their living standards.
UNRWA's 2004 fiscal budget is estimated at $351 million, of which $321 million
is in cash and $20 million in the form of aid.