Secretary-General U Thant rejected today an invitation extended to him by 12 member states of the Arab League who had asked him to visit the Arab refugee camps in the Middle East “to witness the deteriorating conditions of the refugees and the prevailing dangerous situation in the area.”
Without closing the door entirely, Mr. Thant informed the delegations: “With regard to the invitation, I think at this time Juncture I need say only that whenever it may become clearly apparent to me that a visit to the area and to the refugee camps would produce some specific, positive and beneficial results, I will not hesitate to make such a visit.”
The invitation to Mr. Thant to visit the camps–which are located in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and in the Gaza Strip–had mentioned a deficit facing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. Israel’s envoy here, Ambassador Michael S. Comay, had pointed out to Mr. Thant in response to the Arab letter that UNRWA has recently raised sufficient funds to cover current budgetary needs, and declared that the claim “that the agency faces an immediate financial crisis would, therefore, appear to be unwarranted.”
In his letter to the Arab delegates today, Mr. Thant stated: “I am encouraged by the knowledge that, although a deficit in the current budget of the agency may still exist, its total amount has been substantially reduced by further contributions that have been made or are in prospect since your letter to me was written. In fact, the Commissioner-General (of UNR WA) has recently stated that it now seems possible for the agency to carry out the program of activities envisaged in its (UNRWA’s) last annual report to the General Assembly.”
The Secretary-General pointed out further that the refugee problem is discussed each year by the General Assembly, which acts on the issue, and that he is in constant touch on the question with Laurence Michelmore, head of UNRWA. He noted that the General Assembly could, if it wants to, ask the Secretary-General “to take any steps that it might consider to be helpful.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
