19 December 2009
Riyadh
HRH Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Saudi Arabia, has become the first individual to receive UNRWA’s Distinguished Donor Award.
At a ceremony in Riyadh the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Karen Koning AbuZayd, presented to HRH Prince Nayef the award for his remarkable support to UNRWA demonstrated through the numerous contributions which have been made to UNRWA since 2005 by the Saudi Committee for the Relief of the Palestinian People and the Campaign of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques for Gaza, acting under the directions of His Royal Highness, who is Supervisor-General of the Committee.
The Commissioner-General, who retires as Commissioner-General at the end of this month, expressed her deep gratitude to His Royal Highness, saying “I am delighted that one of my last acts as Commissioner-General of UNRWA is to present this well deserved award to His Royal Highness Prince Nayef Bin Abdulaziz. The financial and in kind support which the Committee and the Campaign, acting under His Royal Highness’ directions, have given to UNRWA since 2005, worth a total of $17.4 million, demonstrates clearly the deep concern felt by His Royal Highness for Palestine refugees, reflecting the concern of the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the welfare of Palestinians generally, and for their cause, and amply warrants the bestowal for the first time of UNRWA’s Distinguished Donor Award. The donations for Gaza alone in 2009 exceed $10 million, representing the largest donations to UNRWA for Gaza by any non-governmental organisation and one of the largest ever annual contributions to UNRWA by a non-government donor.”
For more information on UNRWA, please contact:
Chris Gunness, +97 2(0)54 240 2659/ c.gunness@unrwa.org
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