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 47/69 F of 14 December 1992, in which the Assembly expressed regret that its resolutions 37/120 F  of 16 December 1982,  38/83 F  of 15 December 1983,  39/99 F of 14 December 1984, 40/165 F of 16 December 1985, 41/69 F of 3 December 1986, 42/69 F of 2 December 1987, 43/57 F of 6 December 1988, 44/47 F  of 8 December 1989,  45/73 F of 11 December 1990 and 46/46 F of 9 December 1991 have not been implemented; called 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 (UNRWA), particularly in the light of the interruption by the Agency of the general ration distribution to Palestine refugees in all fields, and therefore urged non-contributing Governments to contribute regularly and contributing Governments to consider increasing their regular contributions; requested the Commissioner-General of UNRWA to resume on a continuing basis the interrupted general ration distribution to Palestine refugees in all fields; and requested the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Commissioner-General, to report to the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session on the implementation of the resolution.

2. The Agency has continued to provide food assistance to the most needy sector of the refugee population, the special hardship cases, who numbered 179,397 persons in December 1992.

3. The Agency is also continuing its emergency distributions of basic commodities, such as flour, rice, sugar, animal protein and skim milk to those in need, including non-registered Palestinians in the occupied territory and Lebanon.  In 1992, 15,036 tons of these commodities were distributed in the Gaza Strip; 7,970 tons in the West Bank; and 3,208 tons in Lebanon.

4. Given the lack of additional resources, it has not been possible for the Commissioner-General to consider resumption of a general distribution of basic food rations to all refugees.

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