§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what request he has received from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for additional assistance to deal with the refugees created by the recent fighting in southern Lebanon.
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§ Mr. JuddOn 24th March the United Nations Relief and Works Agency issued a general appeal for cash, foodstuffs and equipment to provide emergency relief for Palestinian refugees displaced in Lebanon. The United Kingdom contributed 100 tents and 3,000 blankets in response to this appeal. The United Kingdom is also very mindful of the further strain that events in Lebanon have placed on the agency's finances for its operations throughout the Near East, of which those in Lebanon constitute a small proportion: we have already brought forward the remittance of the first half of our contribution for 1978 and it is our intention to increase our total contribution in step with the increase in the agency's needs.