UN under-secretary-general calls for end to forced displacement of Palestinians as 4-day tour begins

Jerusalem (CNN) -- The U.N. humanitarian chief appealed Saturday for an end to forced displacement, one day before Palestinians are set to mark what they call the Nakba -- a day to commemorate the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians that accompanied the creation of Israel.

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.

She spoke just one day before Palestinians are expected to commemorate the Nakba -- translated as "catastrophe" in Arabic -- which commemorates the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in warfare that led to the establishment of Israel in 1948. More than 700,000 people fled or were forced from their homes during the fighting. more

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