UAE reiterates its commitment to continue financial and economic aid to UNRWA

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) appreciates humanitarian efforts made by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) aimed at providing health, educational, social and humanitarian services to the Palestinian refugees, and reiterates its commitment to continue its financial and economic assistance to the Palestine refugee communities.

’’This also includes the annual contribution of the UAE to the Agency’s regular budget and its direct and indirect financing of the infrastructure projects in the Palestinian camps,’’ said UAE Minister of State H.E. Reem Al Hashimy in an intervention she made here yesterday before the High-Level Event of UNRWA’s 60th Anniversary as part of 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly’s First Debate Panel on "Contributing to a Better Future: UNRWA’s Record and Road Ahead".

Al Hashimy added :’’In this regard, the UAE calls upon the international community to carry out its political, legal and humanitarian responsibility towards these Palestinian refugees and ensure its fulfillment of the following obligations: To force Israel, the Occupying State, to stop its repeated aggression against the Palestinian refugee camps and remove all blockades and closures, including obstacles placed by Israel in the way of the plans and programs of the Agency and on the movement of its personnel, in order to enable the Agency to undertake its humanitarian work in accordance to the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy, international law, the 1967 Comay-Michelmore Agreement and the Fourth Geneva Convention and its two Protocols.

To reiterate the responsibility of the United Nations towards the Palestinian refugees as an inseparable part of the Palestinian issue and the comprehensive settlement.

’’This requires supporting the mandate of UNRWA until a just and permanent settlement for the refugees is achieved in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194, and in order to ensure the voluntary return of the refugees to their homes and their receipt of the necessary compensation for all the damages they have suffered throughout the past decades,’’she indicated.

To call upon the international community, particularly donor countries and specialized financial and economic institutions such as the World Bank, to double their contributions and donations to the UNRWA programs, in order to enable the Agency to overcome the difficulties it faces and narrow the enormous gap in its budget. This will ensure the expansion of its humanitarian services to the Palestinian refugees.

’’In this regard, we call upon donor countries to fulfill their financial commitments of financing the rebuilding of Al Bared Camp in north Lebanon and alleviate the suffering of 34,000 people who live in this camp. The UAE is one of the first countries to fulfill its financial obligations in the reconstruction plan of the camp. Moreover, a number of temporary schools and hospitals were built in the Camp by various charity institutions in the UAE.

Following is the full text of Al Hashimy’s intervention at the meeting: At the outset, I would like to thank the organizers of this High-Level Event of the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which reflects an international recognition of the important political and humanitarian role played by this Agency over the past six decades in areas of providing relief, protection and care to Palestinian refugees.

As you are all aware, when this Agency was established in 1949, in accordance with the General Assembly resolution 302(D-4) of December 1949, it was accommodating nearly 750 Palestinian refugees who were displaced from their homes in 1948. However, as the Palestinian issue evolved over the years along with Israel’s occupation and confiscation of additional Palestinian territories, the workload in the Agency has grown significantly. The responsibilities of the Agency have also increased to include fulfillment of humanitarian, health and educational basic needs of more than 4.5 millions of Palestinian refugees who now live in refugee camps in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and along the Egyptian borders.

Furthermore, the Agency tries to rehabilitate the Palestinian refugees and increase, as much as possible, their participation and productivity in social, economic, cultural and scientific areas. This is in order to ensure their survival until their dream of returning to their homeland is realized in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy, particularly resolution 194.

In recent years, the responsibilities of the Agency have multiplied to include carrying out operations for the rescue, relief and evacuation of thousands of Palestinians who were affected by the repeated Israeli military operations. These military operations have unfortunately resulted in the destruction of the facilities and the schools of the Agency.

Moreover, the blockades and closures imposed by Israeli forces have often impeded the access of the Palestinian refugees to basic humanitarian assistance, including food, fuel and medicine. This was abundantly clear during the Israeli attacks against Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009 and beyond. The Agency still faces increasing difficulties in reaching areas where new refugees are concentrated in order to provide them with the humanitarian emergency needs. The warehouses and depositories of the Agency have virtually run out of basic food and medical supplies, which led to indefinite delay in its services to the refugees.

The UAE appreciates humanitarian efforts made by UNRWA aimed at providing health, educational, social and humanitarian services to the Palestinian refugees in its five areas of operations, and reiterates its commitment to continue its financial and economic assistance to the Palestine refugee communities. This also includes the annual contribution of the UAE to the Agency’s regular budget and its direct and indirect financing of the infrastructure projects in the Palestinian camps. In this regard, the UAE calls upon the international community to carry out its political, legal and humanitarian responsibility towards these Palestinian refugees and ensure its fulfillment of the following obligations: To force Israel, the Occupying State, to stop its repeated aggression against the Palestinian refugee camps and remove all blockades and closures, including obstacles placed by Israel in the way of the plans and programs of the Agency and on the movement of its personnel, in order to enable the Agency to undertake its humanitarian work in accordance to the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy, international law, the 1967 Comay-Michelmore Agreement and the Fourth Geneva Convention and its two Protocols.

In conclusion, I reiterate my thanks to the High Commissioner of the Agency, Ms. Karen Abuzaid, and all personnel for their efforts, and I wish the Agency every success in overcoming its problems and the continuation of its services to the Palestinian refugees without changing their level or volume.

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