Host countries refuse to minimize UNRWA services before solving refugee issue

The annual nonofficial meeting of the main donor and host countries for the Palestinian refugees was held on Wednesday in Amman. UNRWA's commissioner general, Peter Hansen, reviewed during the meeting the current financial condition of UNRWA and the deficit it suffers until the end of the current year, 1999, estimated at US $20 million to be able to continue to provide the minimum of its services rendered to refugees in the health, educational and social areas.

He also focused on the proposed budget for UNRWA for the years 2000 and 2001, estimated at US $750 million for the five operational areas of UNRWA in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, where the number of Palestinian refugees registered are 3.5 million.

Heads of the hosting countries' delegations noted their countries' observations of the financial conditions of the agency and the level of services they render to the refugees. They expressed their countries' total opposition to the minimization of services or to liquidating the agency until the Palestinian refugee question is settled according to international legitimacy resolutions.

Today, the agency's constitutional committee will hold a meeting. It includes representatives of several countries, including the host countries and the US and Japan. The participants in the meeting will discuss UNRWA's annual report, which will be submitted by Peter Hansen to the UN General Assembly later this year.

Meanwhile, Jordanian Prime Minister Abdul Raouf al-Rawabdeh has stressed the need to continue the services and tasks of UNRWA and its activities in the five operational areas until a just solution is maintained for the Palestinian question.

During his meeting in Amman on Wednesday with Peter Hansen, al-Rawabdeh commended the continued financial backing provided by the main donor states to the agency to enable it to continue its responsibilities.