By Xinhua
Amman : The United Nations (UN) opened a conference here on Tuesday to discuss humanitarian assistance for the Palestinians and ways to aid the development of a future Palestinian state.
The conference, which was hosted by the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Jordanian government, was held in accordance with a UN General Assembly mandate to mobilize assistance and international support for the Palestinian people, a UN statement said.
In the last several months, political, economic and social conditions have continued to deteriorate in the occupied Palestinian territories. More than half of all Palestinians live in poverty and basic humanitarian needs continue to be unmet, the statement said.
Palestinian aid is crucial not only on a humanitarian level, but also to support the political process and build a strong foundation for a future Palestinian state, it added.
Participants will discuss the Israeli military operations, settlement expansion in and around east Jerusalem, construction of the separation barrier, the effect of checkpoints across the West Bank and the blockade and sanctions on the Gaza Strip.
They will also examine the situation in the occupied territories, including east Jerusalem and exchange views on steps needed to revive the Palestinian economy.
International experts, Israeli and Palestinian UN representatives and Jordanian officials took part in the conference.