A/55/13 United Nations Report of the Commissioner- General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East 1 July 1999-30 June 2000 General Assembly Official Records Fifty-fifth session Supplement No. 13 (A/55/13) General Assembly Official Records Fifty-fifth session Supplement No. 13 (A/55/13) Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East 1 July 1999-30 June 2000 United Nations • New York, 2000 A/55/13 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 [5 October 2000] Contents Chapter Paragraphs Page Abbreviations................................................................... v Letter of transmittal.............................................................. vi Letter dated 28 September 2000 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 ......................................... vii I. Introduction .......................................................... 1–18 1 II. General developments in Agency programmes.............................. 19–83 5 A. Education........................................................ 19–39 5 B. Health........................................................... 40–53 10 C. Relief and social services ........................................... 54–67 15 D. Income generation................................................. 68–74 19 E. Peace Implementation Programme ................................... 75–77 21 F. Projects ......................................................... 78–80 22 G. Lebanon Appeal .................................................. 81–83 23 III. Financial matters ...................................................... 84–103 24 A. Fund structure .................................................... 84–87 24 B. Budget, income and expenditure ..................................... 88–94 24 C. Extrabudgetary activities ........................................... 95–96 25 D. Current financial situation .......................................... 97–103 25 IV. Legal matters ......................................................... 104–127 26 A. Agency staff...................................................... 104–116 26 B. Agency services and premises ....................................... 117–126 30 C. Claims against Governments ........................................ 127 31 V. Jordan ............................................................... 128–146 31 A. Education........................................................ 128–133 31 B. Health........................................................... 134–138 32 C. Relief and social services ........................................... 139–146 33 iii VI. Lebanon ............................................................. 147–166 34 A. Education........................................................ 147–153 34 B. Health........................................................... 154–158 35 C. Relief and social services ........................................... 159–166 36 VII. Syrian Arab Republic .................................................. 167–182 38 A. Education........................................................ 167–170 38 B. Health........................................................... 171–175 38 C. Relief and social services ........................................... 176–182 39 VIII. West Bank ........................................................... 183–201 40 A. Education........................................................ 183–188 40 B. Health........................................................... 189–192 41 C. Relief and social services ........................................... 193–201 42 IX. Gaza Strip ........................................................... 202–218 45 A. Education........................................................ 202–205 45 B. Health........................................................... 206–209 45 C. Relief and social services ........................................... 210–218 46 Annexes I. Statistical and financial information tables....................................... 49 II. Pertinent records of the General Assembly and other United Nations bodies ........... 63 iv Abbreviations ACABQ Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions CBO Community-based organization CRC Community rehabilitation centre EC European Community IDF Israel Defence Forces PIP Peace Implementation Programme PLO Palestine Liberation Organization RSSD Relief and Social Services Department 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 28 September 2000 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 1999 to 30 June 2000, in compliance with the request contained in paragraph 21 of resolution 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 the 3.7 million Palestine refugees registered in its five fields of operation. As in previous years, the Agency’s financial situation threatened to disrupt those services, and the Agency was able to maintain its output only after receipt of additional pledges from donors to meet urgent needs. In the introduction in chapter I, a precis of events and developments in the region is provided, with particular reference to UNRWA operations in Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Chapter II covers general developments in UNRWA’s main programmes in education; health; relief and social services; income-generation; donor-funded projects; and projects funded under the Lebanon Appeal. 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, and with constraints affecting Agency operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Chapter V provides information on UNRWA’s operations and three 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. Following established practice, the annual report in draft form was distributed in advance to 10 members of the UNRWA Advisory Commission, whose relevant comments and observations were given careful consideration. The draft report was President of the General Assembly United Nations New York vi discussed with the Commission at a meeting held at Amman on 28 September 2000. 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 due 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 28 September 2000 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 28 September 2000 from the Chairman 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 28 September 2000, 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 1999 to 30 June 2000, which is to be submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session. The Advisory Commission noted with great appreciation the efforts of UNRWA, despite the severe financial constraints under which the Agency carried out its operations, to keep to a high standard the services UNRWA continues to provide to the more than 3.7 million Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic, Gaza and the West Bank. The Advisory Commission expressed great appreciation to the host Governments for their continuing