Israel and the Arab countries housing refugees from Palestine were equally criticized today in a report by Henry R. Labouisse who appeared before the General Assembly’s special political committee to open discussion of the work of the agency which he heads, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees.
Mr. Labouisse’s full report on the work of UNRWA, as well as the report on UNRWA’s advisory commission, which includes four member countries of the Arab League, was already before the committee. Labouisse criticized Israel for the manner in which it arranged the unfreezing of blocked Arab bank accounts, declaring this transaction was “unduly complicated.”
On the other hand, he admitted that there have been differences between UNRWA and the “host governments” where the refugees live now – Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon. Jordan’s failure to help UNRWA clear its rolls of fraudulent cases, Labouisse said, has actually resulted in the agency’s inability to feed many Arab refugee children.
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