Speech #810203698

I am supporting the bill in its entirety. TITLE II May I now turn to title II of the measure. This title deals with the problem of the Palestine refugees. or. as it should. perhaps. be better expressed. the refugees from Palestine. This title will be cited as the United Nations Palestine Refugee Aid Act of This problem resulted from the division of Palestine. the hostilities between the Jews and the Arabs. and the establishment of the new State of Israel. These events caused the flight of many thousands of Arabs from Palestine to the surrounding or neighboring Arab states. As early as September 1948. the serious .4054 plight of the refugees was reported to the General Assembly of the United Nations. At that time. there were 360.000 of them in need. of assistance. By October this number had grown to 500.000. The General Assembly took action by establishing a program called United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees. To this program. the cost of which it was estimated would be $32.000.000. the United States undertook to contribute onehalf. On March 24. 1949. authorizing legislation reported by the Foreign Affairs Committee was enacted and on June 23. 1949. the sum of $16.000.000 was appropriated. To this fund. other member nations of the United Nations contributed $17.000.000. thus creating an aggregate fund of $33.000.000. with which to care for the refugees. With this fund. upward of 900.000 refugees have been fed to this date. The fund is now exhausted. In August 1949. the United Nations established a survey mission for the Middle East.