(Al-Araby al-Jadeed-UK) Samer Jaber - The great international powers have invested a great deal of time and money on managing the Palestinian refugee problem. The Nakba profiteers are groups with established vested interests which live off the plight of the refugees. They include international organizations, NGOs, academic entities - instructors and students, and Palestinian political factions. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which is a direct provider of services to refugees, employs more than 30,000 people, including 28,000 Palestinians. A large percentage of its budget comes from Western European and North American countries. For UNRWA to sustain its funding it has to maintain the status quo. Its managerial ranks have developed vested interests, including high salaries and generous perks based on UN standards. While UNRWA has been suffering chronic budget shortages, these tend not to affect the higher management ranks. NGO personnel, especially in international NGOs, also enjoy high salaries in comparison with average local wages. NGOs build their reputation and gain social status by presenting the miserable and dire conditions in the Palestinian refugee camps. These organizations have been critical in sustaining refugees' problems. They realize that the continuation of the existing situation is their raisons d'etre.
2015-07-03 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive