US$323 MLN SOUGHT TO ASSIST PALESTINIANS

DUBAI, Dec 17 (Bernama) -- A United Nations (UN) agency is seeking around
US$323 million for 2010 to help Palestinian refugees, especially those in Gaza
and the West Bank who have been hit hardest by Israel's closures and access
restrictions.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East(UNRWA) launched the appeal for the funds at a meeting of the 22-member
League of Arab States in Cairo.

It forms part of the larger US$664 million 2010 Consolidated Appeal Process
launched last week to fund 236 projects carried out by UN agencies and partner
organisations in the areas of food security, agriculture, protection, education
and health, among others.

The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip was compounded by the ongoing
siege on its borders, UNRWA said in a statement.

It said the 1.4 million people trapped in Gaza continued to suffer severe
shortages of basic goods and materials needed to rebuild their lives,
communities and economy.

For many Palestinians in the West Bank, access to economic resources and
basic services continued to be severely restricted, and opportunities for
sustainable growth and development limited, the UN agency said.
-- BERNAMA