Escwa plans rebuilding of Palestine

A conference for the re-construction of Palestine will be held in Beirut at the beginning of next year, under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (Escwa).

Mervat Tallawy, Escwa executive secretary, said Escwa is adopting a plan to re-construct what the Israeli troops damaged in the occupied Palestinian lands.

"Escwa is currently preparing a full report on the total damage during the past two years. The report aims at outlining clear plans for any country or individuals who want to re-construct what the war destroyed."

The report will include details on the houses, utilities, hospitals, centres and farms that were destroyed. Its statistics will be provided by different bodies, including the Palestinian Centre for Research and Studies as well as Palestinian officials.

"We have contacted Nabil Shaath, Palestinian Minister of Planning, on the issue. He told us his office was destroyed as well as all files on official Palestinian statistics."

Mervat said preliminary estimates show $6-9 billion worth of destruction caused by the Israelis within the past two years. "They have plucked 500,000 olive trees and thrown garbage in farms. They have also built roads to the settlements passing through Palestinian farms."

Escwa, she said, usually prepares a report to be forwarded to the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. "Recommendations of the re-construction plans will be forwarded to 190 countries."

On the water problems of Al Wazzani River, Mervat said: "The Israeli occupation that lasted 22 years in Southern Lebanon has deprived it of its rights. The water department in Escwa is tackling this issue."