UAE | General
Arab nations 'must help Palestinian refugees'
A UN body has called on Arab nations to support the rebuilding of the Nahr Al Bared refugee camp in Palestine.
- By Alice Johnson, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:38 April 8, 2008
Dubai: A UN body has called on Arab nations to support the rebuilding of the Nahr Al Bared refugee camp in Palestine.
"My main purpose is to draw attention to rebuild the Nahr Al Bared camp, which is going to cost more than $200 million (Dh734m) for long-term reconstruction. Normally we look to Western donors to provide the bulk of our financing, but Nahr Al Bared is a special case.
This is inter-Arab fighting and I think there's a general expectation in the region that regional donors will help to make things better for the long-term. This implies record-breaking donations for Palestine refugees," Peter Ford, representative of Commissioner General Karen Koning Abuzeyd of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said during a visit to Dubai.
Ford continued that the UAE has been the "biggest Arab supporter" of Palestinian refugees. The Red Crescent Authority helped rebuild the West Bank town of Jenin and the Shaikh Zayed Foundation for Charitable and Humanitarian Works has donated $6 million to build six schools in Gaza in the West Bank.
Ford was visiting Dubai for the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition (DIHAD).
He added: "Our second priority is Gaza - everyone knows the situation is fairly desperate. We very much need cash for Gaza to buy food, fuel and give cash payments to the absolutely destitute refugees."
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