CAIRO (Petra) - Palestinian refugee host countries on Wednesday entrusted Jordan with issuing a report to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the financial status of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

At the closing of the 84th session of the Supervisors of Palestinian Affairs Conference, participants nominated the Kingdom to draft a report on the consequences of any cuts to the agency’s budget.

UNRWA, which is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, provides assistance to some 4.7 million registered Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territories.

According to Department of Palestinian Affairs Director General Wajih Azaizeh, who headed the Jordanian delegation to the conference, the report will urge the UN secretary general to press donor countries to meet their financial commitments towards UNRWA.

During a press conference yesterday, Azaizeh cautioned that any reduction of UNRWA’s budget will adversely affect the lives of refugees and threaten regional stability and security.

He warned that any budget cuts will also place additional burdens on host countries.

Azaizeh called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in ending Israeli practices that are in violation of human rights and international accords and agreements.

Later this year, Jordan is scheduled to host a meeting in which Arab and foreign experts are to examine the dangers of Israeli excavations in the Holy City of Jerusalem and the demolition of Palestinian homes.