Saudi Arabia Assists Palestinian Refugees Worth US$ 27 Million Through UNRWA

Amman, MINA – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) welcomes a donation of US$ 27 million from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support programs and operations in the region.

“We are pleased to receive this generous contribution from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner General during a symbolic handover ceremony at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Amman, Jordan, Wafa reported on Monday.

“This new commitment to UNRWA’s work is in line with the Kingdom’s longstanding generosity towards Palestinian refugees and in solidarity with them,” he added.

The Kingdom’s contribution will help UNRWA continue its education and health programs and reach the most vulnerable Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Meanwhile, Nayef bin Bandar Al-Sudairi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Jordan said his country has historically been devoted to providing political and socio-economic support for the Palestinian cause, including supporting its rights.

“We sincerely appreciate the role and work of UNRWA in supporting Palestinian refugees. This is of particular importance given the unprecedented financial challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the challenges of repeated Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian people throughout the Palestinian territories, ” rich.

Al-Sudairi added that the Kingdom affirmed its commitment to peace as a strategic option. The security and stability of the Middle East requires accelerated efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, in line with international resolutions, the Arab Initiative and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

“The kingdom condemns all unilateral actions that undermine the two-state solution and calls for their immediate termination,” he stressed.

Al-Sudairi said the total Saudi support to Palestine since 1999 amounted to more than $5.2 billion, including support for the Palestinian Authority budget and direct support to various sectors such as infrastructure, health, education, food security and agriculture.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the largest donors to UNRWA with donations of nearly 1 billion in just the last decade. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)