REPORT of the COMMISSIONER-GENERAL of the UNITED NATIONS RELIEF and WORKS AGENCY Lj __ I for PALESTINE REFUGEES '::; in the NEAR EAST
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REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY lj __ I FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES '::; IN THE NEAR EAST 1 July 1979-30 June 1980 GENER/tL ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL RECORDS: THIRTY-FIFTH SESSION SUPPLEMENT No. 13 (A/35/13) UNITED NATIONS New York, 1980 ----- ----- ----~- -- ------ ----- - - -----~---- --- - ----------~ - - --------- ----1 .:,. Let Let NOTE the Ref 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. INT s Cha 1. LOrisinal: Arabic/English/ French! ll8 September 198rjJ CONTENTS Paragraphs Letter of transmittal ••• . .. v Letter from the Chairman of the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for palesti\e Refugees in the Near East ••••••••••••• vi ,, INTRODUCTION . 1 - 9 1 , 't SUMHARY 10 - 64 5 '.~! Chapter 1. REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF THE AGENCY FROM 1 JULY 1979 TO 30 JUNE 1980. •••••••• 65 -197 13 A. Education and training services • 65 - 94 13 General education. ••••• . .. 68 - 79 13 2. Vocational and technical education • 80 - 83 16 3. Teacher training •••••• 84 - 92 17 4. University scholarships. 93 94 20 B. Health services . .. 95 - 127 20 1. Medical care • .. 96 - 102 20 2. Control of communicable diseases • 103 - 106 21 rl 3. Maternal and child health. • 107 - 112 22 , ~ , L: • Nursing services •• 113 23 '.'·.···.·.··.·····.'····;::; 5. Environmental health • ... .. .. 114 - 119 23 I 6. Nutrition, including supplementary feeding. •....•••.•... 120 124 24 7. Medical and paramedical education and training •••••••••• 125 127 25 C. Relief services ••••••••• . 128 - 162 26 1. EliGibility and registration • ... 133 26 Rations. •••••••• •• . ... 134 - 137 27 -iii- -~"--""-- - - ----_.. - - '-_. j CONTENTS (continued) Parar.:raphs Page 3. Camps and shelters ·· · · · ·· 138- 155 28 4. \velfare. .. · < ·· ·· · ·· ·· · · 156 - 162 32 D. Relations with other organs of the United Sir Nations system. · ·· · · · 163 ~ 166 33 E. Personnel matters . .. 167 - 170 34 · ·· · · ·· · war 1. Staff relations. - 168 · · 167 34 Nea 2. Possible termination of teachers owing the to financial situation . · ·· · · · · 169 34 par 3. Changes in the manning table · · 170 35 F. Le~al matters . 171 - 184 35 the · the le Agency staff · · 171 - 179 35 2. Agency services. 180 36 · dev 3. Agency premises. · ··· · 181 36 4. Refugee shelters 182 37 · ··· · · · · by Exemption from t.axataon, 183 5. · 37 The 6. Claims against Gcvernment s · ··· · · 184 37 Financial operations. G. · ···· ·· ·· ·· 185 - 197 38 var rep n. PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 1981 AND BUDGET FOR 1980 249 · · · 198 - 43 bad A. Introduction. .. · . · 0 ··· · ·· · 198 - 210 43 B. Budget estimates. 211 - 247 45 set · ···· · a c 1. Education services 212 - 219 · · · · ·· · · 49 mad: 2. Health services. 220 - 228 50 COmI · · · · · · · GOVI 3. Relief services. 229 - 236 52 I hi 4. Common costs · ··· c 237 - 246 53 , 5. Other costs. · ··· · 247 55 are C. Financing the bud~et - 1980 and 1981. 248 - 249 55 the · · ·· tak D. Provision for separation costs. 250 56 ANNEXES I. Tables 1 - 20. • • • • 57 11. Pertinent resolutions, reports and other documents of the General Assembly and other United Nations bodies ••••••••••••••••• 89 The Uni New -iv- LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 3 September 1980 Sir, I have the honour to submit my annual report to the General Assembly on the work o~ the United Nations Relie~ and Works Agency ~or Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) ~or the period 1 July 1979 to 30 June 1980 in compliance with the request in paragraph 21 o~ resolution 302 (IV) o~ 8 December 1949 and paragraph 8 o~ resolution 1315 (XIII) o~ 12 December 1958. As has been done in recent years, in the introduction to the report I invite the General A5~embly's attention to the serious ~inancial di~~iculties ~aced by the Agency. Chapter I of the report describes the Agency's programmes and their development during the year which ended on 30 June 1980. Chapter II presents the Agency's proposed budget ~or 1981, ~or consideration by the General Assembly at its ~orthcoming session, and the budget ~or 1980. These chapters are preceded by a summary. O~ the two annexes to the report, the ~irst contains statistical data on various aspects o~ the Agency's work, and the second lists pertinent resolutions, reports and other documents o~ the General Assembly and other United Nations bodies. The Advisory Commission o~ UNRWA examined this report in draft. Its views are set forth in a letter dated 2 September 1900 from its Chairman, of which I enclose a copy. Your particular attention is drawn to the recommendation of the Commission made in the letter. I have had the benefit of the advice of the members of the Commission in preparing th~ ~inal text but it should not be assumed that the Governments represented on the Commission necessarily subscribe to all o~ the views I have expressed. Since 1967, a major part of the Agency's operations has been conducted in areas occupied by Israel. Consequently, I considered it appropriate to continue the practice of showing the report in draft to its representatives and I have taken their views and comments into account also. Accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. (Signed) Olof RYDBECK Commissioner-General The President o~ the General Assembly United Nations New York -v- -- J LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ADVISORY COMMISSION OF T~S UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST 2 September 1980 rt I ; !. Dear Mr. Rydbeck, I, i i' In its meeting held in Vienna on 2 September 1980, the Advisory Commission !' of UNRWA has considered the draft report on the Agency's services and activities during the period 1 July 1979-30 June 1980 which you intend to submit to the United Nations General Assembly at its thirty-fifth session. The Commission notes that you will do your best to restore the traditional level of UNRWA services, and attempt to augment them, bearing in mind the serious consequences of reductions. The Commission emphasizes its deep concern for the continuing deficit in UNRWA's budget. Taking into consideration that the financing of UNRWA is the responsibility of the entire international community, the Commission calls upon all States Members of the United Nations to make a concerted effort to support the work of UNRWA and contribute in so far as pos-sible to the effective and stable financing of the Agency until a just, permanent and comprehensive solution td the problem of Palestine is found, especially as the United Nations General Assembly is due to consider the extension of the mandate of UNRWA at its thirty-fifth session. In this regard, and in the light of your annual report to the General Assembly, the Advisory Commission recommends, through you, to the General Assembly that it call upon the Working Group on the Financing of UNRWA to study the Agency's financial deficit and to make specific reco~nendations, before the next regular meeting of the Advisory Commission, for measures to increase income and to find new sources of finance for UNRWA. The Commission takes note with reeret of the difficulties occasioned to the work of the Agency in Lebanon and the Occupied Territories by the events described in your draft report. The Commission recalls that the major part of the UNRvTA Headquarters is still outside its area of operations, and requests you to consider consolidation of the Headquarters in Beirut or elsewhere within the area of operations, in accordance with United Nations General Assembly resolution 33/112. The Commission also notes the progress UNRWA has made in education and employment of women. In this regard it requests you to include in your next report to the General Assembly the progress you have made in this respect. Mr. Olof Rydbeck Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief'and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East -vi- 1 Finally, the Commission expresses its appreciation 0f your efforts and those I of the UNRWA staff in performing your duties in spite of the difficulties. I I Yours sincerely, j ~ (Signed) Edmonde DEVER ,j Chairman ,,1 of the Advisory Commission '1 I :1 ':1 1S ~ing 1; bed ti of aua.L ons , ,", = bed ill 'le = port .i " ,.' :-; :-i i t! 'i ~.) J .1 1 -vii- --. J INTRODUCTION 1. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near .\ East (UNRvlA) observed the conclusion of 30 years of service to Palestine refugees on ,I 30 April 1980. The current mandate of the Agency expires on 30 June 1981. It is therefore appropriate that UNRWA's functions should be reviewed in the light of present circumstances and needs for the future. The critical financial situation of the Agency makes a re-examination of the terms of UNRWA' s mandate all the more urgent. 2. Over the last three decades. the General Assembly has passed many resolution ~ relating to UNRWA (see annex 11 to the present report). These have taken account f UNRWA's changing role in the political situation in the Near East. General Assembly resolutioll 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949 ~ may be regarded as the founding charter of I.i.•.i.• UNRWA. In the resolution the Assembly recognized the necessity of continued r assistance for the relief of the Palestine Tefugees to prevent conditions of ~ starvation and distress among them. It also recognized that constructive measures should be undertaken at an early date with a view to the termination of international assistance for relief. In the resolution the Assembly foresaw the termination of direct relief by 31 December 1950~ by whi ch time the "worka" function was to have superseded the "re.lLef'" function of the Agency. Hhile the Assembly acknowledged the urgent need for international relief, it envisaged the early transfer to the Governments of the area of responsibility for all forms of assistance to those refugees who were not repatriated.