Summary
The refugee organization whose Preparatory Commission, in the United Nations Mediator’s progress report, doubted that the Arab refugees of Palestine were eligible for its assistance under its constitution, yet placed its chief officer for supply and transport at the Mediator’s disposal for the relief programme of September 1948 (Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator on Palestine, lines 2439-2447, line 2533).
Details
- The Executive Secretary of its Preparatory Commission, to whom the Secretary-General of the United Nations referred the Arab League’s late-July 1948 appeal, expressed doubts as to the eligibility of the Arab refugees under Annex I of the constitution of the International Refugee Organization, but added that even if eligibility could be established, prior claim on its limited resources would still be had by a large number of persons the Organization had not yet been able to assist but which have long had urgent refugee status, and that such priorities together with its restricted financial position would make difficult any assumption of new operating responsibilities in the areas in question (Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator on Palestine, lines 2439-2447).
- The same Executive Secretary placed at the Mediator’s disposal General C. Hardigg, his chief officer for supply and transport, to report on the best method of handling supply and transport in Palestine and the adjacent countries; Hardigg commenced his investigations on 8 September 1948 at Beirut (Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator on Palestine, line 2533).
- In the Mediator’s integrated relief organization at Beirut, a Chief Supply Officer (IRO, with subsequent replacement by UNICEF) and a Director of Field Operations (IRO) were to assist the Director of Disaster Relief, and one of the two supervisory Field Medical Officers was seconded from the IRO (Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator on Palestine, line 2555).
Related pages
Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator on Palestine, United Nations Mediator on Palestine, UNICEF, Food and Agriculture Organization