Saudi Arabia gave $700m to Palestinian refugee organisation UNRWA in past 2 decades

Cairo: Saudi Arabia has offered about $700 million dollars in aid to the UN agency caring for the Palestinian refugees in the past two decades, a Saudi diplomat has said.

Addressing a virtual emergency meeting of donors of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Saudi Arabia's permanent delegate to the UN Abdullah Al Muallami said that his country is among the leading donors of the agency, having provide $700 million dollars between the years of 2000 to 2019.

This support is based on the kingdom's firm belief in the importance of assistance that the UNRWA offers to over 5.4 million Palestinian refugees through the agency's educational, health, social and relief services to help them lead a decent life, the Saudi diplomat said.

Al Muallami also lauded the UNRWA role since its creation 70 years ago in easing the Palestinian people's plight which he described as the result of one of the biggest tragedies in modern history due to the displacement of the Palestinians from their homeland because of the Israeli occupation. He pledged that Saudi Arabia will continue to take the lead in supporting the Palestinian refugees, the Saudi news agency SPA reported Wednesday.

UN chief Antonio Guterres told the same gathering that the UNRWA is not only a lifeline for millions of Palestinian refugees, but is important for regional stability. The conference, organised by the UN in cooperation with the Jordanian Foreign Ministry and Swedish Ministry of International Cooperation and Development, was aimed at mobilising political and financial support for the UNRWA, Guterres added.