General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
A/56/13 United Nations Report of the Commissioner- General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East 1 July 2000-30 June 2001 General Assembly Official Records Fifty-sixth Session Supplement No. 13 (A/56/13) Gene ral Assembly Official Records Fifty-sixth Session Supplement No. 13 (A/56/13) Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East 1 July 2000-30 June 2001 United Nations · New York, 2001 A/56/13 Note Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. ISSN 0082-8386 Contents Chapter Paragraphs Page Abbreviations ................................ ................................ v Letter of transmittal................................ ............................ vi Letter dated 25 September 2001 from the Chairperson of the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East addressed to the Commissioner-General of the Agency ................................ ........ viii I. Introduction ................................ ........................ 1–37 1 II. General developments in Agency programmes ............................ 38–105 7 A. Education ................................ ..................... 38–58 7 B. Health ................................ ........................ 59–72 11 C. Relief and social services ................................ ......... 73–84 16 D. Microfinance and Microenterprise ................................ 85–93 20 E. Peace Implementation Programme ................................ 94–96 22 F. Projects ................................ ....................... 97–99 23 G. Lebanon appeal ................................ ................. 100–102 24 H. Emergency appeals ................................ .............. 103–105 24 III. Financial matters ................................ .................... 106–129 25 A. Fund structure ................................ .................. 106–111 25 B. Budget, income and expenditure ................................ ... 112–119 25 C. Extrabudgetary activities ................................ ......... 120–123 26 D. Current financial situation ................................ ........ 124–129 27 IV. Legal matters ................................ ....................... 130–159 28 A. Agency staff ................................ ................... 130–144 28 B. Agency services and premises ................................ ..... 145–156 32 C. Other matters ................................ .................. 157–159 34 V. Jordan ................................ ............................ 160–176 35 A. Education ................................ ..................... 160–165 35 B. Health ................................ ........................ 166–168 36 C. Relief and social services ................................ ......... 169–176 36 VI. Lebanon ................................ ........................... 177–196 39 iii A. Education ................................ ..................... 177–183 39 B. Health ................................ ........................ 184–187 39 C. Relief and social services ................................ ......... 188–196 40 VII. Syrian Arab Republic ................................ ................ 197–212 42 A. Education ................................ ..................... 197–200 42 B. Health ................................ ........................ 201–205 43 C. Relief and social services ................................ ......... 206–212 44 VIII. West Bank ................................ ......................... 213–232 45 A. Education ................................ ..................... 213–218 45 B. Health ................................ ........................ 219–223 46 C. Relief and social services ................................ ......... 224–232 46 IX. Gaza Strip ................................ ......................... 233–251 49 A. Education ................................ ..................... 233–237 49 B. Health ................................ ........................ 238–241 50 C. Relief and social services ................................ ......... 242–251 50 Annexes I. Statistical and financial information tables ................................ ......... 54 II. Pertinent records of the General Assembly and other United Nations bodies .............. 68 iv Abbreviations ACABQ Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions CBO Community-based organization CRC Community rehabilitation centre EC European Community NGO non-governmental organization PIP Peace Implementation Programme PLO Palestine Liberation Organization UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East UNSCO Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories UNTSO United Nations Truce Supervision Organization WHO World Health Organization v Letter of transmittal 25 September 2001 I have the honour to submit to the General Assembly my annual report on the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for the period 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001, in compliance with the request contained in paragraph 21 of resolu tion 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949 and with paragraph 8 of resolution 1315 (XIII) of 12 December 1958. During the period covered by my report, UNRWA continued to deliver a wide range of basic services to some 4 million Palestine refugees registered in its five fields of operation. The Agency’s ability to assist the refugees, however, continued to be threatened by funding shortfalls. In the introduction in chapter I, an overview of the funding situation that UNRWA is facing and of events and developments in the region is provided, with reference to its five fields of operations in Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Chapter II covers general developments in the main UNRWA programmes in education; health; relief and social services; microfinance and microenterprise; donor-funded projects; projects funded under the Lebanon Appeal; and the Agency’s programme of emergency humanitarian assistance. Chapter III covers financial matters, with reference to the structure of the various funds; budget, income and expenditure; extrabudgetary activities; and the Agency’s current financial situation. Chapter IV deals with legal matters, in particular those relating to Agency staff, services and premises, as well as constraints affecting Agency operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Chapter V provides information on UNRWA operations and its main programmes in Jordan, while chapter VI deals with Lebanon, chapter VII with the Syrian Arab Republic, chapter VIII with the West Bank, and chapter IX with the Gaza Strip. Annex I provides statistical and financial information; annex II refers to pertinent records of the General Assembly and other United Nations bodies. President of the General Assembly United Nations New York vi Following established practice, the annual report in draft form was distributed in advance to 10 members of the Advisory Commission, whose relevant comments and observations were given careful consideration. The draft report was discussed with the Commission at a meeting held at Amman on 25 September 2001. The views of the Commission are contained in a letter addressed to me from the Chairperson of the Advisory Commission. A copy of the letter follows. I have maintained the practice of showing my report in draft form to representatives of the Government of Israel and giving du e consideration to their comments, both in the context of the situation prevailing in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 1967 and subsequent developments. In connection with the General Assembly’s decision in 1993 that the Advisory Commission establish a working relationship with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a representative of the PLO attended the meeting of the Commission on 25 September 2001 and a copy of the draft report was also shared with him. (Signed) Peter Hansen Commissioner-General United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East vii Letter dated 25 September 2001 from the Chairperson of the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East addressed to the Commissioner-General of the Agency At its regular session, on 25 September 2001, the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East considered your draft annual report on the Agency’s activities and operations during the period 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001, which is to be submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session. The Commission noted with concern the deteriorating political, social and economic situation in the region during the reporting period, affecting in particular the Palestinian refugees in the occupied Palestinian territory. These developments have in turn led to deteriorating living conditions for the refugees in Gaza and the West Bank. These conditions, which have persisted for a full year, causing losses and hardships