Palestine Refugees/Ration distribution – SecGen report

UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR

PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST

Resumption of the ration distribution to Palestine refugees

Report of the Secretary-General

1. The present report is submitted to the General Assembly in pursuance of its resolution 43/57 F of 6 December 1988, the operative paragraphs of which read as follows:

"The General Assembly,

"…

"1. Regrets that its resolutions 37/120 F, 38/83 F, 39/99 F, 40/165 F, 41/69 F and 42/69 F have not been implemented;

"2. Calls once again upon all Governments, as a matter of urgency, to make the most generous efforts possible and to offer the necessary resources to meet the needs of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, particularly in the light of the interruption by the Agency of the general ration distribution to Palestine refugees in all fields, and therefore urges non-contributing Governments to contribute regularly and contributing Governments to consider increasing their regular contributions;

"3. Requests the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to resume on a continuing basis the interrupted general ration distribution to Palestine refugees in all fields;

"4. Requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Commissioner- General, to report to the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session on the implementation of the present resolution."

2. The Agency has continued to distribute rations to the most needy sector of the refugee population, special hardship cases, who numbered 137,963 persons in December 1988.

3. In Lebanon, a one-time emergency distribution of food was made in 1988 to about 220,000 refugees.  In the West Bank in the same year, approximately 680,000 food packages were distributed.  Food commodities were also distributed on three occasions to refugee families through some 90,000 school children in the Gaza Strip.  Food will continue to be distributed in all three fields as long as the emergency need remains and supplies are available.

4. Owing to continuing financial constraints and lack of donations, it has not been posible to resume the general ration distribution to all refugees.

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*A/44/150.

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