Situation in the Palestinian refugee camps – Letter from Yemen

Letter dated 4 June 1986 from the Permanent Representative of

Democratic Yemen to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour, in my capacity as Chairman of the Arab Group for the month of June 1986, to enclose herewith a letter dated 2 June 1986 addressed to Your Excellency by Mr. Zehdi Labib Terzi, Permanent Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations.

I would be grateful if this letter could be circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under items 77 of the preliminary list and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Abdalla S. AL-ASHTAL

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

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ANNEX

Letter dated 2 June 1986 from the Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I am instructed by Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, to bring the following to your urgent attention. For the past three months the Palestine refugee camps in Beirut have been under attack by AMAL and the sixth brigade of the Lebanese Army acting on its own.

Since 16 May the attacks have intensified.  On 23 May AMAL militia and the sixth brigade of the Lebanese Army completely surrounded the camps and proceeded to heavily bombard them using all kinds of weapons, including tanks. On 30 May the attacks were so severe that the camps were totally isolated to the point where the Palestinians were unable to evacuate the wounded neither were they able to receive food or medical supplies. Today the camps are again being attacked.

For the past two weeks all institutions in the camps, including those belonging to UNRWA, and all schools were shut down. The International Committee for the Red Cross is unable to enter the camps to evacuate the wounded and provide medical help.

The number of Palestinian casualties during the past two weeks is 25 killed and more than 200 wounded. There are 1,000 displaced Palestinians from Shatila camp and they have temporarily sought refuge in Mar Elias refugee camp.

We call upon the Secretary-General to secure an immediate end to these attacks which have resulted in the mass slaughter of innocent civilians and to undertake effective measures to guarantee the safety and security and the legal and human rights of all Palestinian refugees in United Nations protected refugee camps.

(Signed)  Zehdi Labib TERZI

Permanent Observer

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