Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden on 23 April 2001 visited Jerash camp in Jordan, where she looked into the services that UNRWA provides to Palestine refugees.

The camp, situated near the Roman ruins of Jerash about 45 kilometres north of Amman, accommodates about 14,000 Palestine refugees originally from the Gaza Strip, who took refuge in Jordan following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

The Princess first visited the UNRWA health centre, including the mother-and-child health clinic. She then toured the self-sustaining women's programme centre in the camp. The women of the centre presented the Princess with a gift of embroidered cloth. After that, the Princess visited the UNRWA elementary and preparatory girls' schools, which cater to 1,800 refugee pupils. Princess Victoria visited four classrooms, including an English class for first-year pupils, the science laboratory, library, a computer lab period for eighth-grade students and a special class for slow learners. After departing the school, the Princess walked in the camp and visited the shelter of a refugee family registered with UNRWA as a special hardship case.

Princess Victoria was accompanied on the visit by UNRWA Jordan Field Director William Lee and the Swedish Ambassador to Jordan Mr. Klas Gierow, as well as by Jordanian government officials including Mr. Abdel Karim Abu al-Heija, Director-General of the Department of Palestinian Affairs.

On the previous day, 22 April, Princess Victoria, accompanied by the Swedish Ambassador, had visited UNRWA's Field Office in Amman where she was briefed by Mr. Lee and the chiefs of the education, health and relief and social services programmes of Jordan Field on the history of UNRWA and the services it provides to Palestine refugees in Jordan and the other fields of operations.

Reviewing the Agency's financial situation, Mr. Lee, on behalf of UNRWA, thanked Sweden for the continued generous support it has provided to UNRWA over the years. This year, Sweden has pledged 160 million Krona (about $16.6 million) to UNRWA, making it the second largest single donor to the Agency's general fund.

Crown Princess Victoria, who is known for her interest in UN activities and humanitarian programmes, arrived in Amman on 21 April for a few days' visit to Jordan during which she called on other UN organizations and attended a European Union information day. Her visit coincided with Sweden's six-month presidency of the EU which began on 1 January.