Head of UN agency for Palestine refugees urges greater relief aid to ease tensions
Palestine, Economics, 9/13/2001

The head of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Wednesday called for more humanitarian aid to the region in order to stem mounting tensions there.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Peter Hansen told a press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York that the 4 million refugees in the Middle East constituted "an extremely essential part of the conflict - some will find it to be the core issue."

He said the Agency, which is currently experiencing a financial crisis, is facing increasing demands for services. "This is a very, very difficult situation for us and it has of course been exacerbated by events over the past 11 months, where we have seen a great many deaths, a great many disabilities, a great deterioration in the social and economic situation of the refugees," he said.

He estimated that the Agency would only receive 50 per cent of needed funding this year, warning that this would result in a reduction in the emergency relief now being provided, "and I have all the reason in the world to worry that this cut-off, if indeed we will be forced to, will further exacerbate the situation, which is very tense already."

UNRWA provides education, health, relief aid and social services to 3.8 million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

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