HC Deb 04 May 1953 vol 515 cc17-9
20. Mr. Sorensen

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many Arab refugees remain without resettlement; and the present position in respect of their rehabilitation and treatment.

Mr. Nutting

Eight hundred and sixty-eight thousand refugees remain at present without resettlement and are receiving rations from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. In addition, the Agency provides medical and welfare services—soap, blankets and fuel to all these refugees and shelter to about a third of them. Primary education is provided for some 71,000 refugee children, and vocational education for 2,000 refugees. The Agency has recently negotiated agreements with the Arab countries concerned for the expenditure of over 100 million dollars on projects which could provide for the resettlement of a substantial number of refugees.

Mr. Sorensen

While appreciating that reply, may I ask the hon. Gentleman whether it means that a very large number of these refugees will be left apparently indefinitely in this relatively hapless condition? Is any other policy being evolved to expedite either the settlement elsewhere of these refugees or the building up of some permanent habitation for them?

Mr. Nutting

I entirely share the hon. Gentleman's fears and apprehensions. I detected in his supplementary question dissatisfaction with the rate of progress in the solution of this problem. It is one of the greatest problems in the Middle East today. Though I do not want to raise hopes unduly by saying this, I very much hope that if these negotiations now being undertaken by the Agency with the Arab Governments concerned go through, and are satisfactorily carried through to fruition, something like 450,000 refugees will be settled as a result. These include those who will be given employment upon the schemes such as the irrigation of the Jordan Valley which is under negotiation with the Jordan Government.

Mr. Glenvil Hall

Can the hon. Gentleman say whether the bulk of these Arabs are still in the Gaza area or whether some are in other places?

Mr. Nutting

There are in the Gaza strip 200,000, I think between 400,000 and 500,000—I am speaking without the book—in Jordan, and lesser numbers in Iraq and Syria.