Washington urges Gulf states and Europe to support UNRWA budget
Palestine-Regional, Economics, 6/8/2004

The US yesterday urged the Gulf and European states to provide more aid to the Palestinian refugees estimated at 4 millions persons. This was expressed at the inauguration of the largest conference convened on this matter since more than 50 years.

The US under secretary of state Arthur Dewe said this should not continue and the Donors should return back to the previous rates of aid so as to finance the campaigns to raise funds as used to be before and the others have to carry out their due roles.

Some 67 countries are taking part in the conference which lasts for two days and organized by the Swiss government and UNRWA, studying methods of reviving support for UNRWA.

In 2003, UNRWA's general budget did not increase 344 million, with one quarter of it came from the US. Officials said that it seemed that the budget will be worse this year. Dewe said that the "European states gave more than much in the past and we do hope that the Scandenavian states will return back to its levels of support." He expressed his hope that the Gulf states will abide by obligations to give the Palestinian refugees aid during the conference.

For its part, the secretary general of the UN Kofi Annan called on the International community to exert more efforts to help the Palestinian refugees. He said in a message addressed to the conference " the Palestinian refugees are still fighting for adaptation with social and economic difficulties at a time when the future seems vague before them."

Previous Stories:
  Islamic Development Bank needs more financial support for Palestine   (10/18/2003)
  Donors' conference for Palestinian refugees opened in Amman   (9/24/2003)
  Palestine, new member in Arab Social and Economic Council   (9/14/2002)

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