President Halonen met Commissioner-General of the UN Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees

Commissioner-General of the UN Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees Karen Koning AbuZayd and President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen.

President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen met Commissioner-General of the UN Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) at the Presidential Palace on 17 May 2006. President Halonen and AbuZayd discussed the political situation in the Middle East, and the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian Territories and also how this situation could be alleviated.

During her visit AbuZayd also met Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paula Lehtomäki, parliament members and representatives of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The UNRWA, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, founded in 1949, provides assistance to approximately 4.3 million Palestinian refugees registered by the Agency in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza. About a third of them are living in refugee camps maintained by the UNRWA. Unlike other UN agencies, the UNRWA is itself responsible for providing all its services and does not channel its assistance through local authorities.