Resilient Palestinian refugees are starting to suffer societal collapse, UNRWA chief warns 

Date: 21 / 06 / 2007 Time: 21:47

Bethlehem - Ma'an - 

Marking World Refugee Day, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN agency responsible for the welfare of Palestine refugees in the Near East, held a special event in the Palestinian National Theatre (Al Hakawati) in Jerusalem, focusing on "Testimonies from the Second Flight".

A collapsing society

UNRWA Deputy Commissioner General Filippo Grande gave the main address, in which he described as "positive" the interest the international community has shown in "supporting the Palestinian people and revitalizing the peace process". However, Mr. Grandi warned that "the majority of citizens in Gaza – and increasingly the West Bank – are desperately struggling to maintain societal values, while societal structures are collapsing, creating room for violence and radicalism".

"For the sake of peace and for the sake of saving human lives, the international community must re-engage in a meaningful, constructive way with all Palestinian people", said Grandi.

Gaza: a ticking time bomb

Regarding recent events in the Gaza Strip, Grandi recalled the words of former UN humanitarian coordinator, Jan Egeland, who, in August 2006, described Gaza as "a ticking time bomb" that would likely experience a "social explosion," but one did not know if this explosion would take place "in 10 days or 10 months." Some nine and a half months later, Egeland's words came true, Grandi said.

The UNRWA ceremony was dedicated to three Palestinian workers who had lost their lives in fighting over recent weeks: two of these workers were killed in Fatah-Hamas crossfire in the Gaza Strip on 13 June, while the third was killed during fighting between Fatah Al Islam militants and Lebanese troops in Nahr El Bared Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon at the end of May.

Following the ceremony, Filippo Grandi told a Ma'an staff member how, in the Gaza Strip, full UNRWA services resumed on Monday after 2-3 days during which only emergency services could take place due to the dangerous level of violence. Grandi stressed that the main requirement now is for the crossings to be opened, particularly Karni crossing, so that essential supplies may enter the strip. As only the small Kerem Shalom crossing is currently open, basic food, medical and sanitation supplies are running low, Grandi said.

As for any Palestinians fleeing the Gaza Strip as a result of last week's fighting, UNRWA has stressed to all authorities that their humanitarian concerns should be addressed and the agency will assist in this as far as possible. However, such displaced Palestinians do not fall within UNRWA's current programme, Grandi said.

Grandi also assured that UNRWA is dealing with all necessary officials from all sides, in the Gaza Strip and elsewhere, in order to deliver the essential humanitarian relief.

Humanitarian needs

Regardless of violence on the ground, Grandi stressed that, "In the short term, humanitarian assistance must continue to be provided to those in need – in the West Bank and in Gaza."

The UN special coordinator for humanitarian affairs, Kevin Kennedy, highlighted that 87% of the population of the Gaza Strip live below the poverty line. Noting that the average Gazan family comprises of 7 members, he clarified that, therefore, 87% of Gazan families struggle to feed seven people on less than $18 a week.

He also drew attention to the fact that UNRWA, along with the UN World Food Programme, provides food for over 2 million Palestinians a month, representing over half the population of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Root causes and reconciliation

"In the long term," Grandi continued, "no pursuit of peace will be successful unless assistance geared towards development and the building of institutions resumes for the entire occupied Palestinian territory, the root causes of the conflict are tackled and - now in particular - reconciliation among Palestinians is actively promoted".

He made it clear that the root cause of most of the Palestinians' problems was the Israeli military occupation in its myriad forms. Over the last year, the situation has been aggravated by the Palestinian Authority's inability to pay its employees a stable salary, he added.

Comparing the situation in the West Bank with that of Gaza, Grandi said "just as in Gaza, trade is almost non-existent and the movement of humanitarian workers and goods is becoming increasingly difficult".

"In the West Bank, the occupation manifests itself in the form of restrictions of movement and access, of confiscated land, illegal settlements and outposts". Grandi drew particular attention to "a hardening permit regime", and warned against the use of swipe cards at Israeli checkpoints.

Vulnerability of refugees

Commenting on the situation in Nahr El Bared refugee camp, the Palestinian camp in northern Lebanon which has been the site of heavy fighting for over a month, Grandi said: "As recent developments in Lebanon have demonstrated, Palestine refugees are especially susceptible to instability. For the 27,000 residents of Nahr El Bared camp, who have run away from the fighting to find refuge in another already overcrowded camp, the conditions are dismal and the situation is bleak. Our television screens have been showing plumes of black smoke rising from the camp for over two weeks. And yet the shelling continues, resulting in further civilian casualties".

Grandi later told Ma'an that one of the main challenges now is access to the camp, necessary in order to provide assistance to the remaining residents and in order to assess the extent of the damage in the camp.

The vast majority of the 27,000 camp residents who have fled Nahr El Bared, out of UNRWA's estimated total of 31,000, wish to return, Grandi said, and UNRWA intends to assist in any reconstruction necessary in the camp once a cessation of hostilities allows. According to Grandi, the Lebanese government has also pledged assistance in reconstruction once the fighting stops.

Another major concern for the future is unexploded ordnance in the camp. Grandi expects significant amounts of munitions to now litter Nahr El Bared camp, presenting further obstacles to aid delivery.

As for the identity of the militant Islamist group holed up in Nahr El Bared camp, Grandi said that UNRWA's contacts in the camp have assured that the group is predominately non-Palestinian and they have little to no Palestinian support.

Praise to the workers

Throughout the event, UNRWA paid tribute to the "strength, dignity and resilience" of Palestinian refugees. Grandi described all refugees, but particularly the Palestinian refugees as "courageous and resourceful."

Particular tribute was paid to UNWRA workers, especially to the three workers who recently lost their lives during recent violence in Gaza and Lebanon.

A short film was shown highlighting the dedication of two UNRWA workers in 1967, Yousef Qinawi and Mahmoud Abdullah. Qinawi described the stress at the time, when dealing with thousands of fleeing, desperate refugees. He was once fired, and re-employed, seven times in 12 hours, he recalled. Emotions ran high as dedicated workers told their bosses they would continue to help their people, whether employed or not, he said.

During the 1967 war, after which Israel had occupied the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights and the West Bank (including east Jerusalem), some 525,000 people were displaced. In Gaza, of the 310,000 1948 refugees, about 48,000 were forced to flee once again.

Two other UNRWA workers presented on stage their testimonies from 1967. Dr. Arafat Hidmeh, who was made head of UNRWA's health services in the West Bank as the 1967 war broke out, described how he found the villages of Beit Nuba and Latroun – now the location of Canada Park west of Jerusalem – totally destroyed. Dr. Yousef Hushieh, who was only 11 at the time and living in what he described as a "borderline village", recalled fleeing his home with his mother and baby sister after waiting in vain for his father to return.

Redoubled efforts

Concluding his address, Grandi urged the international community, represented by many diplomats and humanitarian workers seated in the audience of this east Jerusalem theatre, to redouble their efforts to bring about a peaceful settlement to the Palestine refugee issue and thus to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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