PALESTINE TIMES

Palestine’s Daily Newspaper

February 6, 2007

Full interview: UNRWA Commissioner-General Karen Abu Zayd: Israeli obstacles and Palestinian infighting adversely affect services

Full interview: UNRWA Commissioner-General Karen Abu Zayd: Israeli obstacles and Palestinian infighting adversely affect services

Interview by Palestine Times staff

Q. How would you describe 2006 for UNRWA?

A. Throughout the year we didn't have the funding we had asked for. We were supposed to cover new things, what we call the medium-term plan, developing conditions in the refugee camps, improving them after many years of decline. This was a problem for us last year. We are afraid it could be even worse this year.

Because of the dire situation, we almost doubled our emergency appeal and got well over 70 percent of the money we asked for. This is unusual for our emergency appeals. We usually only get about half of what we ask for. In that sense we did pretty well in the emergency situation. As well as the particular need of the people in the OPT particularly, the refugees in Lebanon also suffered because of the war. We were also trying to make progress towards improving conditions in the camps there both with the Lebanese government and with Arab donors.

Q. What are the main problems facing UNRWA while serving the Palestinian refugees?

A. Money. Since the mid-nineties we have had seriously declining budgets. Money is always a problem. This is a longstanding refugee issue. Every year there are more refugees so we need more teachers, we need more services. So the donors keep asking us how long are we going to go on and how much more they we give us every year. So this is the question we have to deal with all the time.

Our other problems include free access. Can we move our goods to our beneficiaries? Can we move our people to do what they need to do? That's a big problem in Gaza and the West Bank. There are many check points and the Wall in the West Bank and all the settlements keep growing so our staff has a hard time moving around.

Refugees have a hard time accessing services. Over the last few years, many more people are coming to us for services in the West Bank – they are more dependent on us now. This is caused by their inability to move around because of Israeli closures.

In Gaza, we are still completely cut off by the Israelis. We have 300 containers held at Karni crossing – they cost us $7,000 per day. Last year we spent $2 million on storage costs for things we could not move. So money that should be spent on the refugees is actually being spent on Israeli contractors.

Q. Has UNRWA complained to the Israeli authorities about this?

A. Everyday.

Q. And the answer?

A. We have lots of discussions, we write letters, we have meetings, we get promises of something being done – but things never really move on the ground.

Q. What was UNRWA’s appeal for 2007?

A. It has gone up to $246 million. This is higher than at any time during the Intifada. So we realize that there is more need than ever before.

We are starting a new project in the West Bank on the environment. In one refugee camp near Nablus, where there is a lot of violence, we are starting a project on how to deal with conflict.

In Gaza we are increasing our community mental health program. We give this service because it is so necessary here, more than ever with the continuance of the Intifada.

Generally increasing jobs is the most important thing we find. Of course we have more people on the food rolls, more money there, but people want to work. Even if they only have three months jobs, they would rather have that than food handouts from us.

Q. The Gaza Strip witnessed bad circumstances after the abduction of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. UNRWA’s services have been crippled. Could you describe some of these difficulties and what UNRWA has done to ease the suffering of the Palestinians?

A. It gave us a sort of emergency task to do because of the incursions that happened after June. I think that when we increased our emergency appeal and the donors responded, the international body recognized the problem here, and helped us to meet the needs of the people.

We gave people blankets and bags and some food. On the plus side during the intifada is the response of many donors, particularly the Arab donors, to help people. Especially in rebuilding houses. We had all the money we needed to rebuild the houses destroyed during the Intifada in Khan Younis and Rafah.

We had full support. In fact, we had two offers to completely rebuild Beit Hanoun. So we have asked that the emergency funds be used generally in the north, so not just Beit Hanoun. Of course in Jabalia too there were destructive incidents. There were also difficulties throughout the northern Gaza Strip at that time. We have to enable them to get back on their feet again.

Q. What are the particular problems that hinder the rebuilding of houses in Rafah and Khan Younis?

A. Access to building materials. This problem was more or less solved during the last couple of months. Building materials are now coming in, and not just for UNRWA. There are all sorts of problems involved in a new housing development. Getting the land allocated, squatters – so we work very closely with the government getting all permits.

Q. In the last two months the Gaza Strip has witnessed internal fighting, with most foreigners leaving, but you remain. Personally, why you are still here when foreigners risk being abducted?

A. Diplomatic advice often comes from governments to their own nationals. However, we work for the UN and we don’t relate to our own governments, missions and embassies in the same way others do.

I am what they call the official designated by New York. I am in charge of security for all UN staff in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. It is my decision where they stay, what they are able to do and so on. I have good security advisors from New York.

Those of us in the front office are here because this is our headquarters – and we will continue to ensure that Gaza remains our headquarters. So I should be here – it is my organization.

Q. Let's go back to the June abduction of Shalit. The Israelis shelled targets in the Gaza Strip, notably the power plant. Would you brief us on what UNRWA did for the Palestinians' basic needs?

A. We did simple things like hiring water tankers. Those kinds of activities were also done by other UN agencies and the government helped. We did what we could with our own budget, but mainly dealt with the basics like food and water. We did provide fuel for generators until the Temporary European Mechanism started working. This was temporary until governments, local authorities, municipalities and other agencies such as the World Bank, UNDP and others could do their jobs.

Q. After the formation of the Hamas-led Palestinian government, there was a suspension of financial aid to the Palestinians. This caused a salary crisis for state employees. There were reports of a proposal to transfer the salaries through UNRWA. Is this true?

A. No. In the beginning we called all UN agencies together to see how we could substitute for the Palestinian Authority that the Israelis, the Americans and the donors were going to boycott.

We told them immediately that we are not a substitute for the government. Even in UNRWA, which does provide government-like services, education and health, we said we would continue to provide this help – but for refugees. That is our mandate. If there is an emergency we wouldn’t say no. If somebody insists on giving money through us, we encourage them to do things the right way.

We make sure our services are continuing and the World Food Program made sure they were helping UNRWA refugees to get food. UNDP continued its activities. But there was no serious proposal that money should be channeled through us. There were many ideas but we stuck to our mandate, which included doubling what we are doing in terms of UN agencies taking all the refugees who work for the Palestinian Authority onto our food rolls. They didn’t used to ask for our food because they had jobs.

Q. Most of the Beach refugee camp's inhabitants are fishermen living in really bad conditions. Did UNRWA do anything to help them?

A. Our job-creation program has tried to give some help to the fishermen. Also our operation offices try to keep track of all incidents, publicizing them in New York and elsewhere. We talk about how many fishermen were attacked each night. We report every day. It is advocacy information.

Q. How are relations between UNRWA and the Palestinian government?

A. We still have good relations with the president’s office. I meet people there and talk to them. In the ministries our people have to meet, especially field officers on the technical level. They have continued to meet to make sure our services are harmonized and consistent. Our field director meets various ministers – the minister of health, the minister of refugees – whom I also met. On the technical level we continue to meet when the necessity is obvious on humanitarian grounds.

Q. How do you see the Gaza Strip?

A. Since I have been here for more than six and a half years I must have enjoyed it somehow. As you know my husband was Sudanese. I always thought the Sudanese were the nicest people in the world, but then I came here. The Palestinians in Gaza are much like the Sudanese. They have the same hospitality, the same graciousness, the same interest in political affairs which makes life interesting. They are people to talk to and learn from.

Q. Is there something special ahead in 2007?

A. I would like to see a more peaceful environment here – in the West Bank, Gaza, and particularly Lebanon. We really need a better period of calm so we can move forward.

Q. And your hopes for the Palestinians?

A. Peace, for heaven's sake.