MIDDLE EAST REFUGEES

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27824, 24 November 1955, Page 9

MIDDLE EAST REFUGEES

“SETTLEMENT FAILURE IRRITATES N.Z.” DELEGATE’S SPEECH TO U.N. COMMITTEE Press Association—Copyright} NEW YORK, November 22. A New Zealand delegate to the United Nations General Assembly said today that the people of New Zealand, who worked hard for their money, bewme irritated by statements to the about 300.000 refugees in the Middle East considered they had a tight to be kept in idleness by the ■United Nations. delegate, Mr F. H. Corner, •dded that the New Zealand people •Iso were disturbed by certain Arab governments refusing to accept development projects, and by Israel’s failure to co-operate fully with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.. Corner was speaking in the Special Political Committee during the debate on the Palestine refugee prob■em. He «aid that only one-third of the united Nations members—foremost among them Britain, the United States. France, Canada, Australia, and New Keelend —were contributing to the refagees’ support. *lhe other two-thirds were contributing nothing. Now, after five years of operations Wy UNRRA, there were more refugees man when it started its work, and, in

addition, there was pressure to ciassifv Mid^ I^t al as 2 °?S e r Ple *" me^ C^ aid h‘a h d at 350 non ““Sh* settle 200.000 or evln tion of P th° P A' u Ut until the “-operaraivort* ? A ab sovornments was rethe P£°J ec ts would remain nothing more than plans. ith=5 e we t°.continue keeping them ‘"s? es v. ln ,dleness for ever’’’ he uirara » Such ? P r °Position is hardly 11 *S? y X° a PP ea l to my country.” Mr Corner said that tens of thousand of people v-ere being “kept” because the agency had not been able to aeal with fraudulent registrations for relief.

“Governments will not be willing to support such a demoralising enterprise, he declared.

Mr Comer said that Israel should receive back some of the refugees.