MGLE01: GOL PROPOSES NEW PROGRAM FOR PALESTINIAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BEIRUT 001482

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WERNER/SINGH
AMMAN FOR REFCOORD KANESHIRO
STATE FOR PRM/ANE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IS JO KDEM KPAL LE PGOV PREL PTER SY
SUBJECT: MGLE01: GOL PROPOSES NEW PROGRAM FOR PALESTINIAN
REFUGEES


1. (U) This messsage contains an action request. See para

24.

SUMMARY
--------------


2. (U) PM Siniora called a 5/5 meeting of foreign
ambassadors assigned to Lebanon to explain a comprehensive
government-approved program of improvements for the
Palestinian refugee camps located throughout the country.
Siniora explained that deteriorating health and living
conditions, longstanding neglect of water, sewer and
electrical infrastucture, and a worsening security
environment have made improvements to the camps a high
priority goal of his government. Over the past several
weeks, GOL has worked with UNRWA to develop a list of
projects that would address the most serious deficiencies.
UNRWA Director Richard Cook briefed the meeting on the
four-year, 32 project, USD 50 million program. Siniora asked
the assembled envoys to request immediate funding support
from their respective governments. Reaction from attendees
was generally supportive, although concerns were expressed
over funding sources, as well as possible political
ramifications resulting from popular anxiety in Lebanon that
Palestinian refugees intend to settle in the
confessionally-balanced Lebanese society. End summary.


3. (U) PM Fouad Siniora informed his audience of
approximately 22 envoys that his government has decided to
take immediate and significant action to improve living
conditions in Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps, and he
was asking concerned governments to assist the GOL in the
effort. Admitting that serious problems in the camps have
festered for decades, Siniora argued that unless substantive
action was taken, the camps could become violent incubators
of radicalism and instability. He admitted that the GOL had
allowed the situation to worsen due to a lack of confidence
in the ability of the state to provide refugees an acceptable
standard of life, while not encouraging them to settle
permanently in Lebanon.

IMPORTANT FOR REGIONAL STABILITY
--------------


4. (U) Due to his government's own economic difficulties,
Siniora said Lebanon was seeking cooperation and funding
commitments from its friends in the international community.
He indicated it was important for regional stability to
address some of the solvable grievances of the Palestinian
community, and specifically, the lack of decent living
conditions and the inability to earn a livelihood.


5. (U) The pro-reform Prime Minister conceded that
Lebanon's own history -- civil war, political instability, an
unpredictable security environment -- had exacerbated
conditions for refugees in the camps, but he insisted that
almost all Lebanese now recognize that the impoverished state
of the refugees is unacceptable for a country that considers
itself a responsible member of the international community.


6. (U) As he has explained in other fora, PM Siniora listed
four "pillars" of his government's new Palestinian policy:
genuine improvement in living conditions, establishment of
formal bilateral relations with the Palestinian people,
disarming Palestinian militias located outside the camps, and
finally, disarming militias in the camps themselves while
re-establishing GOL authority. Siniora emphasized his
government's intent to assume full responsibility for the
security of the camps by declaring, "It is the right of the
State to be the sole holder of arms in Lebanon."


7. (U) Siniora also stressed that the four policy
objectives were equal in importance and the accomplishment of
each would be independent of the others. Siniora maintained
that one objective would not be predicated on another. And
to the best of its ability, Siniora promised that his
government would move forward on all four tracks
simultaneously.

STEPS ALREADY TAKEN
--------------


8. (U) Siniora claimed that his Cabinet had already taken
some steps to improve refugee living standards.

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Specifically, he said LAF troops now allowed building
materials into the camps to fulfill longstanding renovation
needs. Additionally, the Labor Ministry was currently
expediting the issuance of work permits to qualified
refugees. Although they are not yet implemented, the
government will soon permit the ownership of real estate and
stop the practice of canceling travel documents of refugees
who work abroad. In Siniora's view, these steps, along with
the first-ever visit of Cabinet ministers to the camps, will
not only improve living conditions, but should also provide
assurance to the refugee community that the Lebanese
government is credible and committed to addressing the
refugee issues seriously.


9. (U) The Prime Minister said that Lebanon wanted to help
Palestinian refugees "preserve their identity until they find
a way to return to a homeland." To do otherwise, he argued,
would ignore a "time bomb" of grievances. He said the
reports of his ministers convinced him that the situation was
building to the point "where desperate people would resort to
desperate measures." He acknowledged the generous role
already played by the international community, but emphasized
that not only would this program address longstanding needs
of the Palestinian refugee community, but would also provide
important support for the creation of a secure, stable
environment in Lebanon.

UNRWA DIRECTOR EXPLAINS PROGRAM'S GOALS
--------------


10. (SBU) Richard Cook, Director of UNRWA Affairs, Lebanon,
supported the Prime Minister's contention that conditions in
Lebanon's refugee camps were approaching a crisis. Problems
of population density, crumbling infrastructure, health
issues, and squalor rivaled anything he had witnessed in his
several decades of refugee work. He pointed out tht the
original 12 camps in Lebanon were designed in 1950 for
approximately 127,000 refugees, while today they served
several times that number. Cook enumerated the factors he
felt would inevitably lead to violence: severe overcrowding,
no room to build badly needed education and health
facilities, the poor security situation, impending structural
failure in many buildings, degraded (or totally absent)
water, sewer and electrical services, no space or facilities
for increased numbers of refugee children, widespread
unemployment, and increasing environmental damage to
surrounding Lebanese communities. Cook asked how one could
not expect problems when 100 percent of the community tried
to exist well below the poverty line.


11. (SBU) UNRWA Director Cook informed his listeners that
despite increasing responsibilities, especially from an
increasing population of unregistered refugees, his
organization was now seriously challenged by a slower growth
of available resources. He stated that UNRWA's 2005 Medium
Term Plan was developed to achieve minimum international
standards for refugees in Lebanon, but the majority of the
planned projects remain unfunded and still on the drawing
board.

32 PROJECTS, USD 50 MILLION REQUIRED
--------------


12. (SBU) As a result of these shortfalls, UNRWA and the
Government of Lebanon decided to jointly develop a
comprehensive list of critical projects that could be
evaluated by the donor community as an integrated solution to
the refugee camps' most glaring problems. The proposed
four-year program (2006-2009) would require USD 50.4 million
and comprises 32 projects that address each refugee camp in
the country. (Note: The UNRWA project list has been
transmitted to the Regional RefCoord. The UNRWA Director
said he will submit an updated version of the briefing paper
to the UNRWA Advisory Commission at the next meeting in Amman
in June 2006. End note.) If fully implemented, the 32
projects would address the most serious infrastructure
deficiencies and, according to UNRWA, would dramatically
improve living, and especially health, standards in Lebanon's
Palestinian refugee community.


13. (SBU) The proposed projects are set out in three
prioritized categories in the event the program cannot be
fully funded. There are nine projects on the "critical list"
which are considered essential by the UN agency. These

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projects, which mainly address needs in the Ain el-Hilweh,
Shatila, and Bourj Barajneh refugee camps, would require USD
29.8 million over four years.


14. (SBU) Director Cook concluded his brief by noting this
was the first time the Lebanese government had "opened the
door" to a focused, comprehensive effort to improve the
living conditions of the Palestinian refugee community. The
UN Director urged donor countries to take this into
consideration in their evaluation of the request.

REACTION FROM ATTENDEES
--------------


15. (SBU) The Kuwaiti ambassador commented his country had
always supported the Palestinian refugee community and would
continue to do so with this request. But he stated his
country believes the entire international community has a
responsibility to assist the effort. He also suggested that
UNRWA and GOL approach the business community to determine if
additional funding would be available from that source.


16. (SBU) The Italian ambassador noted dryly that his
government had not been consulted on what appeared to be a
major initiative that would have a significant impact on his
country's foreign assistance package. He also commented that
Italy already supports several refugee projects through NGOs
and the GOL directly. Nevertheless, the envoy acknowledged
the value of the initiative and would convey the request for
new funds.


17. (SBU) The French ambassador commended the Siniora
government and UNRWA for the decision to develop a "fresh
approach," but also noted that France already contributes
significantly to NGOs and UNRWA. He also asked those present
to consider a "global approach" for Palestinian issues,
including the current challenge of how to assist the
Palestinian people, without assisting their government.


18. (SBU) Norway applauded GOL's change in policy, but
asked "where would the plan go from here?" He asked those
present whether their governments would simply move donated
funds from UNRWA's General Fund to the program being
discussed, or would contribute new funds. He also asked
UNRWA to be careful not to overload the donor system.


19. (SBU) Ambassador Feltman reminded the meeting that the
USG already was the largest contributor to UNRWA, but would
carefully consider the new proposal. The Ambassador
expressed appreciation for the GOL's new Palestinian policy
and UNRWA's program initiative, but also asked the government
to take steps to ensure that donor countries would be
insulated from accusations of trying to advance political
agendas inimicable to Lebanon.


20. (SBU) The Canadian ambassador stated his nation has
always been a strong advocate for the Palestinian refugee
community and regularly funds projects through UNRWA, the
Canadian Embassy, and NGOs. He reminded PM Siniora and his
colleagues that Canada had sometimes been perceived as "being
too keen" in helping Palestinians, but assured the Prime
Minister his country would study the current request.


21. (SBU) The German ambassador said his country would look
favorably on the program, but also asked Siniora to consider
an immediate and full implementation of the much-discussed
GOL decree to issue work permits to qualifying refugees. He
said he understood the limited means of GOL to provide funds,
but believed work permits were almost cost-free and held
important symbolic value. PM Siniora responded that his
government was already looking into the issue, but was
waiting for recommendations from a labor conference currently
being conducted by the Swiss Embassy in Beirut.


22. (SBU) The Japanese ambassador commented he had heard
rumors that Siniora's government would be holding a "refugee
donors conference" to raise further funds. Siniora remarked
that it would be far better if the funds could be obtained
without yet another conference.

SINIORA'S CONCLUSION
--------------


23. (U) PM Siniora concluded by stating that the GOL was

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not only addressing urgent refugee needs, but was also
attempting to set an example for the region, that is, by
answering legitimate grievances through peaceful cooperative
efforts. He believed that, if successful, this program could
significantly contribute to the disarmament of Palestinian
militias, as well as security and stability, not only in
Lebanon, but in the region as well.


24. (U) Action request: Post requests Department guidance
in responding to this GOL refugee initiative.
FELTMAN