December 5, 2003	Friday	Shawwal 10, 1424

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 4: Citing the deteriorating economic situation in the Palestinian territories, 19 countries pledged on Wednesday to donate 72 million dollars towards the next year’ budget for the United Nations agency helping Palestinian refugees.

At a meeting in New York of the General Assembly’s ad hoc committee for voluntary contributions, the UNRWA said its overall budget for next year _ 330 million dollars _ represented a five per cent fall in real terms, despite an increase in the number of refugees.