UNRWA ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING READOUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 002697

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA AND PRM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2017
TAGS: PREF KPAL PREL IS KWBG JO IZ LE
SUBJECT: UNRWA ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING READOUT

Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (SBU) Summary: UNRWA's Advisory Commission met June
17-18 at the Dead Sea in Jordan. Representatives from over
20 refugee host and UNRWA donor countries and senior UNRWA
staff participated in the meeting. PRM/ANE Office Director
Richard Albright accompanied by Acting Regional RefCoord and
other PRM staff represented the U.S. On the margins of the
meeting, the U.S. delegation discussed the humanitarian
situation in Gaza, Lebanon, and of Palestinians in Iraq. End
Summary.


2. (SBU) In her presentation to the AdCom, UNRWA
Commissioner General Karen AbuZayd stressed the value of the
Advisory Commission and the importance of the relationship
between UNRWA and host and donor countries, particularly
during this time of political upheaval in the region.
AbuZayd emphasized the increased demand for UNRWA services,
and noted that many Palestinian refugee families are seeking
services for the first time after decades of self-sufficiency
due to deteriorating socio-economic conditions, particularly
in the West Bank and Gaza. The AdCom remembered UNRWA staff
members who have recently been killed in the line of duty in
Gaza and Lebanon, and commended the ongoing dedication of
UNRWA staff working in difficult conditions.

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Lebanon Camps Update
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3. (SBU) UNRWA's Lebanon Field Director Richard Cook
provided an update on the situation in Nahr El Bared (NEB -
note this was prior to the culmination of hostilities in the
camp) and Beddawi Camps in northern Lebanon. More than
25,000 Palestinians refugees have fled NEB as a result of the
ongoing fighting between Fatah al Islam militants and the
Lebanese army. The majority of refugees have fled to the
nearby Beddawi camp where they are sheltering with relatives
or in UNRWA schools and other installations. Cook remarked
that the number of refugees who have registered with UNRWA in
Beddawi (over 30,000) actually exceeds the estimated the
number of those who have fled. Cook postulated that the
discrepancy is likely due to the fact that many squatters on
the outskirts of NEB are coming to Beddawi to flee the
fighting and seek assistance. Cook estimated that the number
of refugees remaining in NEB was as low as 1,500-3,000
Palestinians.


4. (SBU) Cook underscored that it remains impossible to
gain an accurate picture of the damage inside the camp or
predict what the reconstruction needs will be. He remarked
that many of UNRWA's installations are located in the areas
most affected by fighting, and believes that a significant
number of refugee shelters have been destroyed. The
Government of Lebanon has already contracted a firm to
conduct an extensive needs assessment inside NEB once the
fighting has stopped. Cook underscored the GOL's expectation
that the needs assessment and ultimate rebuilding of NEB will
be paid for by the international community.


5. (C) In a meeting between the U.S. delegation and
Richard Cook on the margins of AdCom, Cook reported that
GOL-UNRWA cooperation on the Camp Improvement Initiative is
ongoing, and that the international community has already
pledged $24 million for this initiative. Cook was
pessimistic about the prospect of change in the employment
laws for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and discussed
creative ways to address the problem of under-employment of
this population, including a project envisioning bringing
refugees to various Gulf states for vocational training and
subsequent employment.

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UNRWA Fully Operational in Gaza
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6. (SBU) Although UNRWA Gaza Field Director John Ging
remained in Gaza in lieu of attending the AdCom meeting, his
remarks were delivered by an UNRWA staff member. Ging
lamented the previous week's violence in Gaza and noted that
over 100 Palestinians were killed and over 500 wounded. He
paid tribute to the courage of UNRWA staff in Gaza, and
remembered the two UNRWA staff members killed and two injured
in the cross-fire. Ging commented that Palestinians in Gaza
were feeling a mix of relief about the end of violence and
extreme apprehension about the future. He implored the
international community to consider making policy decisions
on the basis of "real human needs," and remarked that without
tangible improvements on the ground, further despair and
violence would likely result. Ging also announced that
UNRWA, which partially suspended operations after its two
staff members were killed, had resumed full operations in
Gaza. Finally, he thanked donors for their continued support
of UNRWA's operations.

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UNRWA's West Bank and Jordan Field Directors Report
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7. (SBU) UNRWA's Jordan Field Director Sheldon Pitterman
and new West Bank Deputy Field Director Barbara Shenstone
also delivered statements to the AdCom; the Agency's Syria
Field Director was unable to attend the meeting. Pitterman's
remarks centered on the need for increased funding for
UNRWA's operations in Jordan in order to improve facilities
and services. He reviewed the current challenges facing
UNRWA in Jordan, including dilapidated facilities, widespread
double-shifting in schools, and high doctor-to-patient ratios
in clinics. Despite these challenges, Pitterman proudly
announced that the students in UNRWA's schools consistently
outrank students in both government and private schools in
Jordan. Pitterman thanked the United States and Germany for
pledging to earmark funding to UNRWA's General Fund for the
rehabilitation of several UNRWA schools and clinics.


8. (SBU) Barbara Shenstone focused her remarks on the
impact of the closure regime in the West Bank on the
Palestinian population, as well as on UNRWA's operations.
Shenstone used statistics compiled by UN OCHA to illustrate
the "cantonization" of the West Bank. She remarked that
UNRWA has two major concerns about the impact of the various
GOI policies on its operations: plans to mechanize access
into and out of internal and external crossing points, and
the requirement that humanitarian organizations limit
delivery of supplies to two crossing points into the West
Bank using a back-to-back system. Shenstone pointed out that
the mechanized access system "will not recognize" UN
Identification Cards, which could significantly impact the
movement of humanitarian workers. Shenstone asked donors to
register "strong protests" about the non-recognition of UN ID
cards, as well as about various GOI policies impacting
humanitarian assistance operations.

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Advisory Commission's Recommendations to UNRWA
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9. (SBU) Both AbuZayd and the AdCom Chairperson commented
on the sheer volume of work completed since the last session
(held in February 2007),particularly noting UNRWA's
development of a draft program strategy linked to its
2008-2009 biennium budget and resource mobilization strategy,
as well as progress in the implementation of recommendations
made by the Board of Auditors, the Organizational Development
Plan, and in the external review of emergency operations. In
addition to strongly commending UNRWA's progress in
implementing recommendations at its last meeting, this AdCom
adopted further recommendations to UNRWA in each of the
aforementioned areas. Main recommendations emphasized by the
U.S. delegation and ultimately adopted by the Commission
included: further development of performance measures and
program indicators; an increased link between UNRWA's
strategic prioritization and the budget development process;
and continued implementation of Board of Auditors' and other
recommendations related to
financial management.

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Attempted Canadian Revival of a Multilateral Coordination
Body Focused on Refugees
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10. (SBU) The Government of Canada made a presentation on
the Canadian-organized Refugee Coordination Forum for
Palestine Refugees. Although there were some expressions of
support for this initiative, multiple delegations including
hosts and donors expressed concern about the potential for
this forum to duplicate the efforts of the AdCom. Refugee
host countries also expressed concern about establishing a
group focused on political issues relating to Palestinian
refugees outside the framework of an actual peace process.
The GOC emphasized that this group is nascent and still
working to develop its primary goals.

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PLO-DORA and US Delegation Discuss Palestinians from Iraq
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11. (C) In a meeting on the margins of the AdCom with
Mohammed Abu Bakr, Director of PLO-Department of Palestinian
Affairs (DORA) for Jordan, the U.S. delegation discussed
issues relevant to Palestinians from Iraq. Albright pointed
out that the PLO's official position vis--vis exploring
durable solutions for this population is somewhat ambiguous,
referring to reports that the PLO "Ambassadors" in Chile and
Brazil appealed to the respective governments not to accept
Palestinians from Iraq for resettlement. In the case of
Chile, the PLO's intervention caused a reversal of an initial
decision to resettle about 100 Palestinians from Iraq,
whereas Brazil is still planning to accept the remaining
caseload (approximately 100) of Palestinians from Iraq
currently residing in UNHCR's Ruweished Camp in Jordan. Abu
Bakr reiterated previous assertions that President Abbas has
made to him privately that he does not oppose resettlement
and that "any solution for this population is acceptable."


12. (C) Albright noted that according to UNHCR, the number
of Palestinians in Baghdad has decreased significantly over
the past several months, and asked Abu Bakr to speculate as
to where the bulk of this population has gone. Abu Bakr
suggested that many of the Palestinians from Iraq, using
false Iraqi passports, have slipped into Syria unnoticed or
perhaps officially overlooked.


13. (U) PRM/ANE Office Director Richard Albright did not
have a chance to clear on this cable.
Hale