UNRWA BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS USD 55.7 MILLION IN NEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 003716

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PRM AND NEA; PLEASE PASS TO USAID

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2012
TAGS: PREF PREL EAID KPAL KWBG IS JO
SUBJECT: UNRWA BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS USD 55.7 MILLION IN NEW
NEEDS, HINTS AT INCREASED ISRAELI COOPERATION ON
HUMANITARIAN ACCESS

REF: AMMAN 2999

Classified By: DCM GREG BERRY, PER 1.5 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Summary: On July 2, UNRWA Deputy Commissioner
General Karen AbuZayd briefed donors on UNRWA's USD 55.7
million in new financial needs following the March-April
military operations in the West Bank and Gaza. UNRWA warned
that its 2002 emergency appeal remains severely underfunded,
with pledges of only USD 53.2 million of the original USD 117
million appeal. Without significant new contributions, UNRWA
warned that it will be unable to implement emergency programs
after September 30. UNRWA also reported that it has seen
signs that Israel may be attempting to resolve the agency's
longstanding humanitarian access difficulties; following
meetings with IDF and MATAK officials (held at their
request),UNRWA finally received permission to deliver to
Gaza 42 tons of medical supplies that had been held at
UNRWA's Jerusalem warehouse for the last 22 months. UNRWA
West Bank Director Cook also reported that MATAK has asked
UNRWA to institute regularly scheduled meetings to resolve
such disputes. While our interlocutors found the news
encouraging, some skeptics questioned the Israelis' motives
-- especially given recent Israeli government statements
critical of UNRWA. End summary.


2. (U) On July 2, UNRWA Deputy Commissioner General Karen
AbuZayd briefed donors in Jerusalem and Amman on UNRWA's USD
55.7 million in new financial needs following the March-April
military operations in the West Bank and Gaza. AbuZayd was
accompanied by West Bank Director Richard Cook and Gaza
Deputy Director Kris Nordahl, who provided detailed updates
on the humanitarian situation in their respective fields.
Regional refugee coordinator and refugee assistant attended
the Amman briefing.

GRIM FINANCIAL PICTURE
--------------


3. (U) Deputy ComGen Karen AbuZayd reported that UNRWA's
original 2002 emergency appeal remains severely underfunded,
with pledges to date of only USD 53.2 million of the original
USD 117 million appeal. Without significant new pledges, she
warned, UNRWA will be unable to implement emergency programs
after September 30. Due to both limited financial resources
and the curfews and closures in the West Bank, UNRWA has been
able to implement only 22 percent of its job creation
programs, one-third of its community works programs, 28
percent of its emergency health programs and one of its two
scheduled food distributions in the West Bank. In Gaza,
UNRWA's short-term employment programs can continue through
October, but the agency will be unable to distribute
emergency food assistance after September.

MADE STILL WORSE BY ADDITIONAL NEEDS
--------------


4. (SBU) In a supplemental appeal issued on June 20, UNRWA
reported that it faces USD 55.7 million in additional
financial needs resulting from the March-April military
operations in the West Bank and Gaza. The majority of these
new needs, some USD 28 million, is required to rebuild Jenin
refugee camp. West Bank Director Cook reported that these
reconstruction expenses (which include infrastructure and
administrative support costs) should be covered by a still
unconfirmed USD 30 million pledge by the UAE. (UNRWA still
is negotiating with the UAE over the expenses that will be
covered by the donation. The UAE insists that only
construction costs should be covered, while UNRWA is pushing
for social services costs as well.) Other significant new
needs include USD 6.9 million in additional shelter
reconstruction in Gaza; USD 2.5 million in West Bank shelter
reconstruction and repairs outside Jenin camp; USD 2.4
million in non-Jenin infrastructure repairs in the West Bank
and USD 1.25 million in additional emergency food aid for the
West Bank.

SITUATION IN WEST BANK "VERY, VERY DIFFICULT"
--------------


5. (SBU) UNRWA West Bank Director Richard Cook told donors
that although the intensity of fighting had diminished in the
West Bank, the situation is still "very, very difficult," as
the West Bank is undergoing the "tightest, most intense and
prolonged closure" UNRWA has ever known. Due to daily IDF
incursions and curfews throughout the West Bank, it is nearly
impossible for UNRWA's 4,200 Palestinian staff to move around
the West Bank or report to the Jerusalem field office. Cook
added that the 392 Jerusalem permits required for UNRWA's
West Bank field office staff still have not been renewed.
Nevertheless, an average of ten staff per day manage to reach
the field office from the West Bank, in violation of Israeli
laws and at great personal risk. To manage operations
without those who are unable to reach Jerusalem, UNRWA has
set up internet workstations in some of its West Bank
installations, enabling employees to telecommute where
possible. To lead convoys and conduct food distributions,
the West Bank field still is relying on 12 international
drivers provided by the Swedish consulate.


6. (SBU) Cook said the continued closures are affecting
"every aspect of life" in the West Bank. Although UNRWA had
made plans to extend the school year by 10 to 30 days in the
West Bank, to make up for the tens of thousands of teacher
days lost to closures, the continued tight closures and
curfews are making it impossible for teachers to reach their
schools. In response to a donor question, Cook said that
UNRWA probably will be able to make up for lost classroom
time in the next school year -- assuming the school year
proceeds without significant closures or curfews -- but that
the lost classroom time will have a significant,
unrecoverable effect on students if such disruptions continue
beyond this summer.


7. (SBU) In the health sector, Cook reported that the
continued closures are having a particularly difficult effect
on refugees with chronic illnesses such as cancer, kidney
failure or heart disease who require regular treatments. In
the last seven days of June, for example, 33 of UNRWA's 34
West Bank health centers were closed for at least one day.
UNRWA also is coping with an increased number of refugees in
need of physical therapy. Cook reported that 80 refugees
resident in the West Bank are in need of life-time physical
rehabilitation care following the March-April incursions,
including 46 in Jenin camp.

JENIN CAMP UPDATE
--------------


8. (SBU) Due to the continuing problems of unexploded
ordnance (UXO) and ongoing IDF incursions into Jenin, UNRWA's
reconstruction efforts are proceeding slowly, often only at
three to four-hour intervals per day. At this rate, and
without the necessary UXO removal equipment (ref),UNRWA
estimates that it will take at least nine months to remove
all of the rubble from Jenin refugee camp. In the meantime,
a total of 35 Palestinian refugees have been wounded and two
killed by UXO since mid-April.

GAZA CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE
--------------


9. (SBU) UNRWA's Deputy Gaza Director Kris Nordahl reported
that the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to
deteriorate. 215 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since
March 1, and the demolition and bulldozing of Palestinian
refugees' property continues. 516 Palestinian refugee
shelters have been demolished since September 2000, including
418 families still in need of new shelter. From early March
until early May, the Gaza Strip was trisected by Israeli
checkpoints and 750 UNRWA employees were unable to report to
work. As a result, the Gaza Men's and Women's Training
Centers were closed for 60 days. UNRWA's medical specialists
(cardiologists, ob/gyns and opthamologists),who work in
clinics throughout Gaza, also were unable to work for 60
days. Now that Gaza is only bisected by checkpoints, UNRWA
staff and Training Center students are able to move through
the Strip, although it can take four to seven hours to make a
one-way journey. Nordahl reported that UNRWA's food
distribution program was severely delayed by the closures, as
UNRWA was not allowed to import commodities until May 29.
Due to the internal closures, UNRWA still is not allowed to
distribute food to the impoverished southern al-Mawassi
enclave. Nordahl reported also that Gaza's already weakened
economy deteriorated still further following the March-May
closures, as even internal construction projects Gaza ground
to a halt. UNRWA has increased its selective cash assistance
in Gaza by 45 percent to combat growing unemployment, and
seeks an additional USD 1 million in emergency funding to
further increase this assistance.

SOME SIGNS ACCESS MAY BE IMPROVING, BUT PROBLEMS REMAIN
-------------- --------------


10. (C) UNRWA reported that it has seen some signs that
Israel may be attempting to resolve the agency's longstanding
access difficulties. During the week of June 24, former
MATAK commander General Spiegel met with UNRWA officials as
part of the Israeli Government's ongoing review of IDF
actions during Operation Defensive Shield. West Bank
Director Richard Cook reported that Spiegel listened
carefully to UNRWA's complaints, took notes, and made no
attempt to argue or defend IDF actions that violated UNRWA's
immunities or mandate. UNRWA's regular IDF liaison and the
MATAK West Bank Commander then followed up with separate
requests for briefings and regularly scheduled meetings with
UNRWA officials. Cook told donors that he has had more
contact with MATAK and the IDF in the last few days than he
had had during his previous five years of service in the West
Bank. He also reported that, as a result of these meetings,
Israeli authorities finally granted UNRWA permission to
deliver to Gaza the 42 tons of medical supplies held in
UNRWA's Jerusalem warehouse since September 2000 due to
Israeli security restrictions. In Gaza, although UNRWA
continues to have internal distribution and staff access
problems, UNRWA reported that Israeli authorities have opened
Sufa crossing exclusively for UNRWA containers. According to
Gaza Deputy Director Nordahl, the Israelis have not allowed
any other organization to import containers into Gaza.


11. (C) While our interlocutors at the briefing found the
reports of increased Israeli cooperation on humanitarian
access issues encouraging, some skeptics questioned Israeli
motives -- especially given recent Israeli government
statements critical of UNRWA. Following the briefing, for
example, one host country representative speculated to
refcoord that perhaps the Israelis were easing restrictions
on UNRWA as part of their master plan to displace Arafat --
as it would be impossible for the Palestinians (and Israel)
to weather such a political crisis without a fully
functioning international relief system.
Gnehm