UNRWA discusses financial, administrative corruption issues

Donor countries of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the near east (UNRWA) will discuss issues of corruption in some of its foundations in Lebanon, Palestinian sources said on Tuesday.

The U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan formed a committee of two experts to investigate corruption issues in some of UNRWA's foundations.

The committee carried out several field visits in Ein El-hilwa and Mia mia towns at Sidon in South Lebanon to follow up UNRWA institutions and projects, the Palestinian sources added.

Thorough investigations with Senior officials at UNRWA centered on the way of carrying out projects.

The committee will submit its final report to Annan, who will adopt measures to end the corruption in UNRWA.

More than 350,000 Palestinian refugees are living in Lebanon, 65,000 of them in Ein El-hilwa camp in eastern Sidon, official statistics said.

There are 20 camps in Lebanon, most of them in south Lebanon.