AMMAN, May 20, 2015 (WAFA) – Saudi Arabia has signed seven agreements
worth of $111.5 million in support of Palestinian refugees through the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said Wednesday UNRWA in a press release.
According to UNRWA, the signing ceremony was attended by Saudi Fund
for Development (SFD) Vice Chairman and Managing Director Yousef Ibrahim Al-Bassam
and UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl.
Commenting
on his country’s longstanding role in supporting Palestinian refugees,
Al-Bassam said: “The government of Saudi Arabia has long recognized the vital role
played by UNRWA in bringing dignity to the refugees of Palestine.”
“This is
why the Kingdom stands at the forefront of the international community by
providing support to the Agency so it can continue to respond to the needs of
Palestine refugees,” he added.
Highlighting
that these agreements come in response to the growing suffering of refugees, Krähenbühl
said: “The fact that the total sum of these agreements represents one of the
largest ever signed with one of the Agency’s principal donors speaks volumes to
the increasing suffering of Palestine refugees across the region, as blockade,
illegal occupation and civil war continue to take their toll.
The
contributions cover all five fields of UNRWA operations. The sum of $10 million
is allocated for Palestine refugees affected by the conflict in Syria, whether
they are in Syria itself or in neighboring Jordan and Lebanon.
The sum
of $15 million is allocated for the continued reconstruction of the Nahr
el-Bared camp in Lebanon, while the total of $74 million is allocated for
Palestine refugees in Gaza to repair their homes damaged during last summer’s
conflict, and in support of health and education programmes in Gaza.
Meanwhile,
a total of $12.5 million is allocated for the rehabilitation and reconstruction
of schools and shelters in the West Bank.
This
latest agreement brings total contributions from Saudi Arabia through SFD to
nearly half a billion dollars since 1994, with Saudi Arabia now the Agency’s
third-largest donor for the second year running.
K. F/M.H
