And out of all the UN bodies, the UNHCR, who amongst other things also governs the infamous UNRAW, is the worst of the lot. A complete sham and a disgrace to the international community.

Here’s a little a bit about how these bodies work from the Wall St. Journal

“The problems begin with the council’s composition. Only 25 of its 47 members are classified as “free democracies,” according to Freedom House’s ranking of civil liberties. Nine are classified as “not free.” Four — China, Cuba, Russia and Saudi Arabia — are ranked as the “worst of the worst.” These nations are responsible for repeated violations of the U.N.’s own Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yet it is they who dominate the council, leading a powerful bloc of predominantly Arab and African nations that consistently vote as a unit.

These regimes have repeatedly used the council as a powerful tool for shielding themselves from scrutiny and meting out criticism along stark political lines. According to Human Rights Watch, the council has turned a blind eye to at least 26 countries — the sites of some of the world’s worst human-rights crises.

In some cases, the council has actively eroded the level of monitoring. Last year, when Cuba drew fire for persecuting journalists, and Belarus for political imprisonments and rigged elections, the council responded by removing monitors from both countries.

As fresh waves of violence convulsed Darfur in December, the council responded by dismissing the team of experts tasked with monitoring atrocities in that region. Sudan’s closest allies, Egypt and China, have led the council in shielding the Sudanese regime.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120156891659323879.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

Here are some more interesting links on this:

http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/critiques/new/UNRWA_Perpetuating_the_Misery.asp

http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/critiques/UNRWAs_Hamas_Employees.asp

Sorry if all this sounds harsh, I’m sure you have very good intentions, but I think one needs to be aware of this sad reality. It’s easier to just ignore it of course and much harder to confront things and try to make them better. One thing for sure though, the latter does not involve supporting anything the UN is responsible for.

Actually, I’ve set up a “Pledge” page on the charity site. Would you mind pledging that at the following page:

http://www.ammado.com/community/112976/conversations/2410