Saudi Arabia Announces US$ 2 Million Contribution to UNRWA in Support of Palestine Refugees

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced a contribution of US$ 2 million to UNRWA in support of Palestine Refugees. The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, H.E. Naif Al Sudairi, handed over a cheque for the contribution to UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, at the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Amman yesterday.

Ambassador Al-Sudairi stressed that this contribution aims to strengthen UNRWA’s ability to respond to human development and humanitarian needs of the Palestine Refugees in the region.

UNRWA faces enormous financial challenges that threaten its ability to maintain its services. It is calling on governments, donors, and partners to continue their support to Palestine Refugees, who are almost entirely dependent on the Agency for their daily needs. The Agency is currently intensifying its efforts to cover its urgent financial needs and maintain core services through the end of the year.

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Notes to Editors

In 2022, Saudi Arabia contributed US$ 27 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
At the beginning of the year, UNRWA appealed for US$ 1.6 billion for its programmes, operations and emergency response across Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), the Gaza Strip and Jordan. Insufficient funding to date means that UNRWA may not be able to deliver services from October onwards.
At the 2023 Pledging Conference for UNRWA at the UN in New York, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini sounded the alarm about the Agency’s deepening funding crisis, and warned of the risk of collapse. In addition, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Sweden hosted a high-level Ministerial Meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in support of UNRWA. Twenty-seven member states spoke in support of the Agency and Palestine Refugees, with the United States, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg pledging new funding to UNRWA.

Background Information:

UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.

UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.

UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.

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