RAMALLAH, May 15 (JMCC) - A United Nations official visiting the occupied West Bank called on Saturday for an end to the forced displacement of Palestinians, reports CNN.
United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos arrived in Jerusalem for a four-day tour to the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, her office said. She is expected to meet with members of the Palestinian leadership and also hopes to meet with Israeli authorities.
These policies lead to forced displacement of Palestinians from Jerusalem and from the rest of the West Bank, Amos said in a statement about rules that limit new construction and the land available for Palestinian use.
Palestinians must be able to plan and develop their communities. They must be able to access education and health care facilities and to conduct their professional and personal lives without restriction, she said.
Palestinians on Sunday marked the 63rd anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel, when some 800,000 Palestinians fled and were pushed out of their homes.
During her tour, Amos visited Jerusalem where an estimated 60,000 Palestinians face
demolition of their homes because they have been forced to build without building permits.