Recommendations resulting from Technical Cttee investigations – UNCCP’s Technical Cttee on Refugees – report

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON REFUGEES

Measures suggested to the Conciliation Commission

by the Technical Committee as a result of its investigations

The Technical Committee feels that the urgency of certain questions justify consideration of the following points by the Conciliation Commission:

1) The figure given by Mr. Loftus constitutes at the present moment a practical basis for estimating the total number of the refugees. This figure can be used in discussions with the Israeli and Arab delegations, but it should not be utilized in connection with the distribution of relief.

2) The Commission might contact the Israeli delegation and request that those persons who have remained in their villages and who are today separated from their farms by the armistice line, should be allowed to cultivate their lands on the Israeli side of the line and harvest their crops.

3) The Commission could also stress the fact, to the United Nations, that continuation of relief is absolutely necessary.

4) However, the refugees must be put to work at the earliest possible moment; one practical step to be taken in that direction is to promote the establishment of the revolving fund envisaged by the UNRPR.

5) The Commission may desire not only to take urgent steps for the preservation of the orange groves, but also to inform itself as to what measures of conservation may have been taken in Israel for the protection of Arab properties, or to suggest certain urgent measures which might be taken in that direction.

6) Finally, the Technical Committee wishes to stress the necessity of setting up, at the beginning of the work of the Economic Survey Mission, a close collaboration among all the organs which are called upon to take part in the solution of the refugee problem. The constitution of the Economic Survey Mission will necessitate not only coordination between the Mission and the organizations already working in the field, in particular UNRPR, but in addition, with other organs already existing or to be created.