THE NORTHERN ADVOCATE Registered for transmission through the Post as a newspaper. TUESDAY JUNE 14 ,1949. The Plight Of Arab Refugees

Northern Advocate, 14 June 1949, Page 4

THE NORTHERN ADVOCATE Registered for transmission through the Post as a newspaper. TUESDAY JUNE 14 ,1949. The Plight Of Arab Refugees

A distressing aftermath of the war in Palestine is the plight of Arab refugees, roughly estimated at 800,000 in number, but stated a few weeks ago to be just on a million. The disposition of these unfortunate people, and the problem of the future status of Jerusalem, constituted one of the major international questions presented to the members of the United Nations General Assembly when considering Israel’s application for membership of the organisation. The fate of the refugees is wrapped up in the decision reached by representatives of the State of Israel, who are trying at Lausanne to shape a permanent peace with Egypt, Lebanon and Transjordan. / This body is working under the supervision of the United Nations Conciliation Commission, and the treatment to be meted out to the Arab refugees is being made the subject of hard bargaining. The refugees, who hail from different parts of Palestine, are scattered among the neighbouring Arab states. There are 130,000 refugees in Lebanon, 85,000 in Syria, about 85,000 in Transjordan, about 225,000 round about Gaza, and fully 425,000 from many areas in non-Jewish territory, while 11,000 are located in Egypt and 4000 in Irak It is likely that some of the refugees may be able to return to their homes, but those who are refugees in the true sense of the word come from Jewish-occupied areas to which they cannot return save with the permission of the Jews. It is estimated that the original Arab population of Palestine numbered just on threequarters of a million, of whom there remain perhaps 90,000, which means that new homes have to be found for perhaps 650,000. Of the total number of refugees, between a quarter and a third are living in camps consisting of tents, the remainder being scattered in towns and villages, occupying schools, convents, deserted buildings, improvised shelters or caves.

Resettlement of the Arabs is fraught with great difficulties, as many of the villages from which the refugees come have been destroyed or occupied by Jews, who refuse to move, while Syria and Irak, though only partly populated, do not want Palestinian Arabs as permanent dwellers.

The plight of the unfortunate refugees is truly pitiable, despite relief given by various agencies, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (with the aid of the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund), the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees’ Organisation, and other humanitarian organisations. However, lack of adequate funds has limited the provision of relief, which has been restricted to the supply of food and shelter, medical aid and supplies having to take a subsidiary place, though as much as possible has been done to save life and mitigate suffering. In spite of tins a large number of refugees have died, a recent report stating that deaths from exposure, malnutrition and “normal” illness last month totalled 300 a day. In the circumstances it - can be easily believed that refugees, homeless, landless, penniless and without the means of livelihood, are depressed and in a pitiable state of bewilderment. Last year the General Assembly of United Nations set a budget of $32,000,000 to provide relief until August of this year, the funds to be subscribed by member Governments. With characteristic promptitude, the British Government paid its promised quota of £1,000,000, and the United States-has given generously from public and private funds, 'but only 20 Governments have made or promised contributions. There is an imperative call for the resettlement of the refugees, for obviously relief on the lines so far given cannot be continued indefinitely. , It is this which invests with so much responsibility the United Nations Palestine Conciliation Commission, which has been allotted the task of resettling or repatriating the refugees.

The cooperation of Jews and Arabs is an indispensable factor in any solution of a most difficult problem, as the facts we have outlined demonstrate.

It is not so long since Jewish people, brutally harassed by the Nazis and denied residence in all European countries, were agonisedly asking: “Where can we go?” Today, Arabs are passing through the same frightening experience, and, if it be true that “a, fellow feeling makes us wondrous kind," the Jews might reasonably be expected to deal sympathetically with the Arab refugees.