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UN commemorates 65th anniversary of Palestine refugee agency

Xinhua, June 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

The United Nations on Tuesday marked the 65th anniversary of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), hailing the agency as a lifeline for Palestinian refugees to live better lives.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said "in the absence of a just and lasting solution to the plight of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA has become more than an agency."

While addressing a high-level conference on UNRWA, Ban said the agency was never meant to exist for this long, adding that it exists because of "political failure" and it is a lifeline for the vulnerable Palestinian refugees.

UNRWA is a UN agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection for a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. The agency began its operations in May 1950. Its services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, and microfinance.

UN General Assembly President Sam Kutesa noted last year's conflict in Gaza has had far-reaching, negative impacts on the 1.2 million people UNRWA provides assistance to there.

Furthermore, the conflict in Syria has also pummeled the Palestine refugee community. The Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp based in Damascus, the Syrian capital, has been faced with frequent attacks since the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front have taken of control of more than 90 percent of the camp.

Most of the Palestinian refugees fled to Syria in 1948 following the establishment of Israel. According to UN statistics, nearly 60,000 vulnerable Palestine refugees from Syria have fled to Lebanon and Jordan, putting pressure on these host communities.

In this context, Ban called on the international community to provide humanitarian and diplomatic support to Palestine refugees, and also urged leaders of Israel, Palestine and all parties to resume meaningful negotiations without further delay so as to address the issue in a fundamental manner. Endite