GA adopts text on assistance to Palestinian people – GA Debate – Press release (excerpts)

Plenary

54^th & 55^th Meetings (AM & PM)

Recognizing Evolving Nature of Humanitarian Crises, General Assembly Encourages

Dialogue among Member States, UN Agencies to Bolster Emergency Response System

Assembly Adopts Texts on Strengthening Disaster Relief Assistance,

Safety, Security of Humanitarian Workers, Assistance to Palestinian People

Adopting today a number of resolutions focused on the vital humanitarian interventions of the United Nations and its partners, the General Assembly – recognizing that populations around the world were becoming ever more vulnerable to the effects of disasters, conflicts and the ongoing fall out from the global financial and economic crisis – called for a more coordinated, strategic and accountable response to such increasingly complex challenges.

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In addition, a report of the Secretary-General on assistance to the Palestinian people (document A/67/84-E/2012/68), contains an assessment of that assistance, as well as needs still unmet and proposals for responding to them.  The report further describes efforts by the United Nations, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, donors and civil society, to support the Palestinian population and institutions over the course of the reporting period (May 2011 to April 2012).

It states that, during that period, the Palestinian Authority completed its two-year State-building programme.  The United Nations enhanced its support to those efforts through its Medium-Term Response Plan.  The Organization was currently executing $1.2 billion of works under that plan and was seeking an additional $1.7 billion for planned projects.  That complements the humanitarian programming outlined in the 2012 Consolidated Appeal of $416.7 million, of which 38 per cent had been funded as of April 2012.

RIYAD MANSOUR, Permanent Observer of Palestine, said his people had been living under Israel’s ruthless occupation for more than four decades.  For millions of Palestinian families, assistance had been the main source of survival and sustenance.  “The latest figures regarding the humanitarian and economic situation in Palestine are astounding and tragic,” he said.  The negative repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the socio-economic conditions of the Palestinian people had been intensified by the fact that the Palestinian National Authority continued to suffer from a severe fiscal crisis, partially triggered by shrinking external budget support.  While the total financing needs for the Authority during the first half of 2012 had amounted to $749 million, the external financial support received had been only $446 million, leading to increased borrowing needs and debt.

He went to note that, among other unacceptable acts, Israel continued to deny the Palestinian people sovereignty over their natural resources, while it continued unabatedly to exploit those resources.  For example, more than 90 per cent of Palestinian water resources were exploited by Israel, most notably for the use by its more than 500,000 illegal settlers in the Palestinian Occupied Territory, including East Jerusalem.  With less than 10 per cent left for use, daily average Palestinian water consumption was only 70 litres per capita, below the 100 litres recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), and far less than the 300 litres in Israel.

The socio-economic situation of the Palestinian people in Gaza remained dire, too, with the Israeli blockade adversely impacting the viability of all aspects of life.  “Economic, health, education and other social indicators reveal the magnitude of the humanitarian suffering that has been deliberately inflicted by the occupying Power on the Palestinian civilian population in what definitely constitutes collective punishment on the scale of a war crime,” he said.

The international community must step up pressure on Israel to abide by its legal obligations under international law, humanitarian and human rights law, because after more than 45 years of occupation, he said, the world could no longer stand idle by while an entire people continued to be denied their inalienable human rights, including the right to live in freedom and dignity.

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AHMED AL-JARMAN ( United Arab Emirates)

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Finally, the United Arab Emirates was gravely concerned about the deteriorating economic and humanitarian conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory resulting from the continued Israeli occupation and its policies of aggression and closure, especially of the Gaza Strip.  He therefore renewed his country’s demand for the international community to compel Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza, to immediately facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people and to end its occupation of Arab lands.

GARY QUINLAN ( Australia)

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During its term on the Security Council, Australia would continue to advocate positive outcomes for women and children in conflict zones, he said.  He urged Israel and the Palestinians to adhere to the terms of their recent ceasefire.  He was concerned by reports that almost 65 per cent of those killed in the Gaza conflict were civilians.  The humanitarian response system must be more open, accountable to beneficiaries and responsive to country and local leadership.  Humanitarian agencies must show how they were rolling out the Transformative Agenda reforms.  The food and nutrition crisis in the Sahel region showed the importance of long-term disaster recovery solutions.  He welcomed the introduction of a three-year consolidated appeal in Somalia.  Flexible funding from donors was crucial for integrating disaster risk reduction and recovery.

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HUSSEIN HANIFF ( Malaysia)

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Turning lastly to the report on “Assistance to the Palestinian People”, he reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to providing such assistance, and took note that additional support was urgently needed for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) core budget, which faced a 2012 shortfall of $70 million.  In that regard, Malaysia had pledged an additional $1 million to help Palestinians affected by Israel’s most recent aggression in Gaza.  He further urged donor countries to continue their financial assistance to UNRWA, allowing it to carry out its mandate, and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to work towards the realization of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

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FIKRY CASSIDY ( Indonesia)

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Indonesia also joined the consensus achieved in the resolution on assistance to the Palestinian people.  He said that his country remained deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people, in particular in the Gaza Strip, especially after the recent destruction caused by the disproportionate use of force inflicted by the occupying Power that had ultimately caused death and despair to the people in that area.  On 29 November 2012, the international community voted a resounding “yes” to endorse the request of Palestine to become a United Nations non-Member Observer State.  By according that status to Palestine, “we are signalling the primacy of diplomacy and rejection of violence,” he said.

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