Saudi Arabia appreciated the role played by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) towards addressing the situation of refugees around the world.

The Kingdom stressed its continuing cooperation and coordination with the UNHCR in serving refugees and alleviating their suffering, the Kingdom's Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasel said on Thursday.
Dr. Al-Wasel said that the UNHCR plays a pivotal role in alleviating the suffering of the refugees. He added that the Kingdom has provided about $18 billion to alleviate the suffering of refugees in many regions.

Saudi Arabia deals with the issue of refugees based on the teachings of the Islamic religion, which calls for peace, love and relief to the needy without ethnic or religious discrimination, Dr. Al-Wasel said.

"The Kingdom has hosted many refugees from many regions and provided them with medical and educational services. In line with the Kingdom's regulations, the refugee is considered as a visitor in the Kingdom," he added.

The Kingdom has and still provides continuous financial support for international humanitarian organizations, asserting that the Kingdom has responded to the UN humanitarian appeals in many fields.

"The Kingdom supports the UNHCR activities and programs in Syria, Yemen and Bangladesh through King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief)," Al-Wasel said.

With regard to the Rohingya crisis, the Saudi ambassador to the UN disclosed that the Kingdom has recently supported a Conference of Donors for the Rohingya crisis in partnership with the UNHCR, adding that this conference provided more than $250 million from donor states to support the joint plan for response to the Rohingya Refugee Crisis.

"This year, the Kingdom supports the United Nations humanitarian programs in Yemen with more than $930 million," he announced.

He said that the Kingdom confirmed its support for the Palestinian refugees and stressed the important role played by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), adding that the Kingdom has allocated $50 million for the agency's budget.

"Based on its keenness to support the UNHCR activities and future programs, the Kingdom announced $1 million as its annual contribution," Al-Wasel concluded.

SOURCE : SAUDIGAZETTE