UN agency aiding Palestinians halves emergency appeal for 2006 from 2005 sum
Citing recent agreements on freedom of movement and other developments, the main United Nations agency helping
Palestinian refugees has asked for $95.5 million in its annual emergency appeal, around half of last years request, to
allow it to carry out crucial relief operations for 1.6 million people in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
“Hope for progress in the peace process has been rekindled with Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip in August,
but the situation remains extremely fragile, requiring a great deal of nurturing by all parties involved,” Karen Koning
AbuZayd, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), told a meeting of donor
representatives earlier this week.
“UNRWA is greatly relieved to enjoy unrestricted internal access throughout Gaza following the disengagement,” she
added, saying that the recent agreement reached by the parties concerning entry points to Gaza and its link with the
West Bank, if fully implemented, will help revive Gaza’s shattered economy and improve movement of the Agency’s staff
and its ability to import humanitarian goods.
She stressed, however, that other decisive measures need to be taken to demonstrate the benefits of disengagement to
Palestinians, and urged increased international support for the development and humanitarian interventions she said
would be critical in the immediate, near and medium-term for socio-economic recovery.
“Optimism should not blind us to the need to address the rampant poverty afflicting Gaza and the West Bank after five
years of conflict and military closures,” she said.
She noted that UNRWA has cooperated with the diplomatic Quartet’s Special Envoy for Disengagement, James Wolfensohn,
developing Gaza-focused rapid action plans based on the Agency’s expertise in job creation, microfinance and
reconstruction of demolished shelters. Some donors have pledged support in those areas, but she said UNRWA awaits
further funding to carry out these activities.
The tone of this year’s appeal contrasted sharply with last year’s when UNRWA said 2004 had seen the worst levels of
destruction of the uprising, as Israel employed “drastic” measures against Palestinian militants firing rockets from
Gaza and other security threats.
The Emergency Appeal for 2006 of $95,485,216 will cover programmes in the areas of nutrition, cash assistance, mobile
health clinics and the hiring of unemployed persons and extra support staff.