Saudi Arabia donates $25 million to rebuild Palestinian refugee camp Nahr el-Bared destroyed by Fatah al-Islam-Lebanese Army war in 2007 which left 27,000 homeless

PRESS RELEASE
5 May 2009

Saudi Arabia donates US$25 million
for Nahr El Bared

Amman, 05 May 2009

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made a contribution of US$ 25 million to the United Nations Relief & Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), for the reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared camp in North Lebanon.

In a ceremony held on 5 May in Amman, UNRWA Commissioner-General Karen Koning AbuZayd and Engineer Youssef Al-Bassam, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Saudi Fund, signed the donation agreement.

The reconstruction work of Nahr el-Bared camp will be split into eight packages. Construction work in the first package is expected to start soon. The contribution of the Saudi Fund will complete financing for the reconstruction of the infrastructure and the housing units of the second package, thus enabling around 500 displaced families to return to their newly-reconstructed houses and businesses in the camp, while the balance will be used for subsequent packages yet to be decided.

Expressing the Lebanese Government’s appreciation of the new contribution, Ambassador Khalil Makkawi, Chairman of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee said: “The Lebanese Government highly values the generous contribution of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia towards the reconstruction of Nahr el- Bared camp. This is another sign of the long-standing commitment of the Kingdom to support Lebanon, the Palestinian cause and the rights of Palestinians. I am confident that this contribution will encourage donors who have not yet contributed to the reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared to come forward with their pledges and for those who have already contributed to give more in order to alleviate the suffering of thousands of Palestinian refugees and Lebanese.”

“This donation comes at a vital time, as we are about to enter the construction phase of the Nahr el-Bared project”, said UNRWA’s Commissioner-General after signing the agreement with the Saudi Fund, adding that “the support of the Saudi Fund will help build momentum in our work and provide a clear signal to the refugee community that the camp will be reconstructed”.

Some 27,000 Palestine refugees were displaced after the destruction of Nahr el- Bared camp in 2007 in fighting between the Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam. UNRWA, through the generous support of donors, has provided the displaced people with food and other emergency assistance for nearly two years and the Agency has, in addition, constructed temporary shelters in the area adjacent to Nahr el-Bared for the refugees and provided rental subsidies to those living in rented accommodation.

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Iran’s former President Mohammad Khatami: attempt to change name of Persian Gulf is a move by Arab expansionists

Arab states moves on Persian Gulf, political action: Khatami Service: Foreign Policy 1388/02/09 04-29-2009 14:25:49 News Code :8802-06224

ISNA – Tehran Service: Foreign Policy TEHRAN (ISNA)-Iran’s former President Mohammad Khatami said movements of certain Arab states on Persian Gulf are political actions sponsored by expansionists.     There is no doubt that the name of the Iranian sea will be never changed since changing the historical name of a place is a political move which casts doubt on territorial integrity and identity of Iranians, Khatami told reporters after Persian Gulf meeting for arrangement of Persian Gulf encyclopedia in Tehran Wednesday. No honorable person can permit his national interests and identity be violated, he said. Iran’s presence in the issue does not mean it is seeking a share, but it defends freedom and justice, Khatami added. Also Iran’s Supreme Leader Advisor on International Affairs Ali Akbar Velayati taking part at the conference said the issue of Persian Gulf is so important that Iran should keep its stance even if some Arab countries refuse to attend Islamic Solidarity Games in Iran. Saudi Arabia has recently said it will take part in the matches if Iran removes the name of Persian Gulf on medals and brochures of the competitions. The name of Arab Gulf was first used by British agents working in mandated Arab Sheikhs territories, he said adding a British political representative in Persian Gulf Roderick Oven wrote his book “Golden Bulbs at Arabic Gulf” in 1958 in which he said “I had not seen any name expect Persian Gulf in geographical books and maps before, but having lived in Persian Gulf coasts I found only Arab people live there, so it is polite to call it Arab Gulf.” Also Sir Charles Belgrio who served as British political representative in Persian Gulf for 30 years published a book and claimed Arab people prefer to name the sea Arab Gulf, he added. The former Foreign Minister continued historical documents including Arab and European books all stress that the name of the area has always been Persian Gulf. Also the former Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Akbar Neteq Nouri speaking to the reporters said Iran will not exchage the name of Persian Gulf with anything even if some countries decline to take part in sport competitions in Iran. End Item News Code: 8802-06224

Iran rejects Saudi attempt to change name of Persian Gulf to Arabian Gulf

Larijani Calls Attempts to Change Persian Gulf Name “Worthless” TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Tuesday that attempts to change the name of the Persian Gulf are worthless and harmful to the region.

“The name of Persian Gulf will not change by worthless attempts, forums and debates. Countries should wisely and intelligently protect regional interests,” Larijani told reporters.

He underlined that such provocative moves will be harmful to the region, and added, “The problem of Arab countries will not be solved by such actions.”

“Arabs pose themselves to useless tests by changing the name of this large Gulf,” Larijani noted.

Saudi Arabia has announced that it would take part in the Islamic Solidarity Games, if only Iran uses the term Arabian Gulf in lieu of the original Persian Gulf.

The Islamic Solidarity Games is a multinational, multi-sport event, governed by the Islamic Solidarity Games Federation (ISSF).

In a meeting held in Tehran, ISSF Secretary General Saleh Gazdar and ISSF Technical Committee Chairman Mohammad Bashir Al-Trabosli asked Iranian officials to remove the term Persian Gulf from all game medals and brochures.

The Iranian parliament speaker further highlighted Tehran’s friendly behavior towards the Arab countries, and stressed that Iran believes in its brotherly ties with the Arab world.

Larijani further called for convergence and solidarity among regional states.

Historians and ancient texts refer to the waterway as the Pars Sea and the Persian Gulf since the Achaemenid Empire was established in Iran.

Although no written document exists pertaining to the time before the Persian Empire, the oral history and culture has always referred to Iran’s southern waters as ‘Jam Sea’, ‘Iran Sea’ and ‘Pars Sea’. Jam or Jamshid has been one of most well-known and revered kings of Ancient Persia.

UN Special Envoy Arrukban: Aid cannot be deliverd because Gaza borders still closed

OPT: Gaza borders must open – UN humanitarian envoy

Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)

Date: 01 Mar 2009

GAZA CITY, 1 March 2009 (IRIN) – On his first visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Humanitarian Envoy, Abdul Aziz Arrukban, met with aid agency officials to discuss better ways of bringing in relief supplies and with Gaza residents to assess how much aid they were actually receiving.

“The borders are still closed and goods and building materials still can’t enter,” said Arrukban, a Saudi national who reports directly to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes.

Since Israel’s 23-day military campaign in the Gaza Strip ended on 18 January, Arrukban has brokered more than US$50 million in humanitarian aid from two Gulf countries , channeled via UN agencies, for the dilapidated coastal territory.

Qatar donated $40 million, of which $30 million went directly to UN agencies in Gaza and $10 million to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), a stand-by UN fund established to enable the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts [see: http://ochaonline.un.org/cerf/Donors/Donors/tabid/5370/language/en-US/Default.aspx]. Gaza received $8 million in aid from the CERF immediately after the conflict.

Saudi Arabia donated $10.5 million, of which the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) received $6 million for emergency food assistance and $500,000 for fuel; and $4 million went to the World Food Programme (WFP).

Acting as a bridge between UN humanitarian agencies and donors, governments and the private sector in the Middle East and North Africa, Arrukban toured Gaza to see for himself the extent of the damage in the enclave and to ensure that relief supplies were actually reaching the most vulnerable people in the Strip.

Regular border closures

The most pressing issue, aid officials told him, was Israel’s regular closure of border crossings into Gaza.

“Aid cannot be delivered unless the crossings are opened,” Christina Blunt, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza, said during a briefing for Arrukban by heads of UN agencies in the enclave.

Over the past few weeks, about 120 trucks a day have been allowed to enter Gaza by the Israeli authorities, OCHA estimated, with about half that number for the private sector. In May 2007, before Hamas won elections in Gaza and a subsequent embargo was placed on the enclave, about 475 trucks entered daily.

The UN envoy held meetings with officials from the Egyptian Red Crescent to discuss a mechanism to facilitate the entry of approximately 9,000 metric tonnes of what a recent Logistics Cluster report [see: http://www.logcluster.org/gaza09a/coordination/situation-reports/situation-report-20-26th-february-2009/] described as “unsolicited bilateral donations” to the people of Gaza. The aid, a large portion lacking documentation and designated recipient organisations in Gaza, has been denied entry into Israel and is being held in al-Arish, Egypt.

The Egyptian government has mandated the Egyptian Red Crescent to take custody of these donations, which originate from a number of Middle Eastern countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Yemen and Libya.

While some aid has entered Gaza, 1,700 pallets of humanitarian items are also stuck in Israel, according to the Logistics Cluster report.

Residents desperate

Aid is desperately needed by some of the 1.5 million residents of the 360 sq km Strip, the twelfth most densely populated place on earth. In torrential rain, Arrukban visited displaced residents in the Abed Rabbo area of Jabaliya.

“I am afraid to re-build my home again,” Henan Salah, a 40-year-old mother, said. She and her six children are now living in the one room still standing after an Israeli missile struck her home. Salah said that just eight months ago she had rebuilt her home after it was destroyed by Israeli forces in an incursion then. Unable to buy cooking gas, she had to break up the remains of her furniture to use as firewood.

Tented communities have sprung up in areas where Israeli tanks inflicted heavy damage in densely populated areas.

“The coldness is killing us,” Khalil al-Gharabli said, pointing at his wife and six children sitting on a donkey cart beside their demolished home. Al-Gharabli, now unemployed, used to work as an agricultural labourer in Israel.

Donor concerns

Arrukban said that he must assuage donor concerns that their funds will be wasted if re-constructed homes and agricultural lands are repeatedly destroyed during Israeli invasions.

Perhaps just as importantly, he said he hoped to increase confidence in GCC counties that the multilateral humanitarian system works.

UN officials estimate that as much as 90 percent of Saudi donations to Gaza are bilateral – to the government, NGOs and charities. Donors will be encouraged to give cash, but if they choose to donate goods, to make sure it is allocated to a recipient organisation in Gaza to ensure their entry.

Arrukban travels to Doha and Riyad next seeking contributions from donors to facilitate reconstruction and economic recovery in Gaza.

es/ar/ed

UN’s UPR upbraids Saudi Arabia for rights violations, praises it for some reforms

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/02/07/18568775.php

UN’s UPR upbraids Saudi Arabia for rights violations, praises it for some reforms

by al-masakin
Saturday Feb 7th, 2009 1:40 PM

Saudi Arabia praised for reforms, upbraided for rights violations at UN’s Universal Periodic Review

Saudi Arabia chastised on rights of women, the rights of migrant workers, religious freedom, failure to ratify the Rome Statute, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT), to ratify the Convention on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances (ICPPED), and the Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and All Members of Their Families (CRMW), inter alia.

saudi_arabia_universal_periodic_review_7feb09.pdf
download PDF (58.3 KB)

By Edward Campbell

Missoula, Feb. 7 (Al-Masakin)—Although the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, being a monarchy, and therefore absolutism at its very foundation, fulfilled its democratic obligation to the international community by submitting to the much feared scrutiny of the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review on Friday; a body currently under boycott by the United States.

The Kingdom’s Zaid Al-Hussein, Vice-President of the Human Rights Commission in Saudi Arabia, noted that Saudi Arabia’s main obstacle to achieving universal human rights is the of the state transformation from a tribal society, characterized by conflicts and widely dispersed and totally unconnected regions where people lived in isolation and forms of economic and

educational backwardness. The Kingdom asserted that Islam supplemented rather than detracted from the process of achieving international human rights standards.

The representative of the Kingdom asserted that the Islamic Shari’a focused special concern for the rights of vulnerable groups such as minorities and non-Muslims, but that the government of Saudi Arabia acknowledged that there were some human rights violations which primarily fell within the context of domestic violence.

The representative said that the Saudi government was constantly endeavoring to prevent these violations by promoting greater social awareness and, where necessary, imposing deterrent penalties on their perpetrators and that women’s awareness of their rights has been considerably increased in recent years through the social development women’s centers, and the National Society for Human Rights which has adopted a policy of disseminating and promoting a legal culture, in general, and women’s rights, in particular.

The representative of the kingdom also said that Saudi Arabia seeks to achieve a balance between requirements of the campaign against terrorism and the need to respect human rights and that from the beginning of the terrorist problem in the Kingdom to the end of 2008, approximately $100 million in compensation had been paid to persons detained in terrorist cases and who were later found to be innocent.

The envoy also said that Saudi Arabia was working very seriously to combat human trafficking and that the kingdom had recently enacted the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act in order to eradicate the practice within the Kingdom.

He also noted that Saudi Arabia was in close conformity with the Paris Principles which inter alia mandated that a state vest an institution with the power to investigate and enforce human rights.

With respect to human rights, the delegations to the UPR noted a number of positive developments within the Kingdom. These included:

Measures taken to improve the rights of women in society; the creation of the National Human Rights Commission; the progress in the health infrastructure; progress in the right to housing and the establishment of a housing development fund; progress in immigration and labor laws; development and relief assistance efforts; its progress in the area of democratic process achieved; efforts to uphold the rights of migrant workers; the accession to international human rights instruments as regard the rights of children; the leading role played by Saudi Arabia in encouraging dialogue among civilizations; and the setting up of the National Society for Human Rights.

The Kingdom was, however, criticized for domestic violence within the kingdom, legislative inequality between men and women, inequality between boys and girls, forced marriages for women under 18, human trafficking, criminal responsibility for minors, human trafficking, failure to remunerate migrant workers, failure to permit individuals to pursue the enforcement of their own rights and the human rights of others, failure to sign International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), failure to permit human rights organizations to enter the country, failure to ratify the Rome Statute on the International Criminal Court, and failure to effectively combat impunity.

Participating states urged Saudi Arabia to continue combating terrorism, that it end torture and corporal punishment, abolish the death penalty, amend the Code of Criminal Practice to stipulate that only individuals over 18 years old will be tried as adults, develop programs to reintegrate former prisoners into civilian life, to separate juvenile and adult prisoners, ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT), to ratify the Convention on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances (ICPPED), and to intensify efforts to reintegrate and rehabilitate persons accuses of terrorism.

The Kingdom was furthermore urged to reform its legislation to ensure religious freedom, to protect religious minorities, to play a leading role in the inter-faith dialogue, to end the practice of incarcerating, mistreating and applying travel bans against individuals on the basis of their religious beliefs, to enact and implement a Law of Association to guarantee the right to form civil society organizations and protect those organizations from government interference, to enable to establishment of civil society without supervision by State authorities, to ensure that any obstacles to freedom of expression and movement against human rights defenders were lifted and travel bans removed, to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and All Members of Their Families (CRMW), to establish a broad-based media campaign on the rights of migrants in Arabic and in the languages of migrants, to ensure that all rights were extended to all migrant workers, and to continue with programs to improve the economic, social and cultural rights in the country.

EHC / EHC
———————————-
Al-Masakin News Agency
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/

World diplomats at Islamabad conference commit to changing Western perceptions of Islam

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/02/04/18568096.php

World diplomats at Islamabad conference commit to changing Western perceptions of Islam

by al-masakin
Wednesday Feb 4th, 2009 8:51 AM

World diplomats at Islamabad conference ‘Future of Change’ commit to changing Western perceptions of Islam
Iranian Envoy Recounts Major Muslims Concerns

future_of_change_islamabad_4feb09.pdf
download PDF (94.9 KB)

TEHRAN, Feb. 4 (FNA)—Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Mashaallah Shakeri Wednesday pointed to the West’s biased stance towards the world of Islam as among the Muslims’ major concerns.

Criticizing some Western countries’ stance toward Muslims and linking them to terrorism, Shakeri said in a seminar dubbed as ‘Future Agenda of Change, Role for the Muslim World’ in Islamabad, that Muslims believe that the war on terror is for crushing them.

He noted that another reason for Muslims’ concern is that the West resists against recognition of Islamic countries’ changes, including what happened in Iran’s Islamic Revolution.

He also described major powers’ unilateralism in South Asia and the Middle East as another cause for Muslims’ concerns.

The Iranian diplomat also expressed hope that US President Barack Obama’s policies regarding Muslims would be different from those of Bush, and said Iran would positively respond to any change by the new US administration.
Reminding the world nations’ hatred for war and bloodshed, he urged the new US administration to work on democracy and peace and respect Muslims.

In international relations, war is not the solution to problems, the Iranian diplomat reiterated.

Ambassadors of Islamic countries ask Obama to address root causes of terrorism

Islamabad, Feb. 4 (APP)—Muslim world is hopeful of a change in US policy towards the Islamic world with arrival of the Obama administration, said ambassadors of prominent Islamic countries. Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Ali S. Awadh Assery, Ambassador of Syria Riad Hussain Ismat, Ambassador of Iran Masha’s Allah Shakeri, Ambassador of Iraq Kais Shbhi Al-Yacoubi and diplomats of Morocco and Nigeria agreed that election of President Obama points towards long desired change.

They were speaking at a roundtable conference on “Islam and the West and future agenda of change” held under the auspices of Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) here on Tuesday.

Diplomats of Germany, USA, Russia and Japan also spoke on the occasion.

They expressed optimism that President Obama would see the Islamic world with a different perspective and the practice to bracket Islam with terrorism would be stopped. They stressed that the new US administration should seek to root out the real causes of terrorism.

The Saudi Ambassador said the international community should give more funds to Pakistan so that it can be in a better position to counter terrorism and extremism. He said Saudi Arabia has adopted a soft anti-terror policy by integrating and rehabilitating those who got misled and went on the path of terrorism.

The Iranian ambassador spoke about the policies of previous US administration which proved counterproductive. “President Bush spoke enough to the world now the US requires to listen prior to talking,” he added.

He said Iran is waiting to see what change President Obama will bring in its policy towards his country.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stated that if Iran witnessed any substantive change in US policy it will be replied positively.

The Iraqi ambassador said miracles should not be expected of Obama administration. He pointed out that Israel has always wasted opportunities to secure permanent peace in the Middle East.

He said Islam is about peace and co-existence and the Muslims want that when they extend the hand of cooperation, the outside world should reciprocate in a spirit which promotes unity and harmony.

Speaking on the occasion, a representative of embassy of Japan said idea of co-existence should be promoted to strengthen relations between Islam and the West. He said quest for achieving peace in the world is a laudable initiative taken by the Council of Islamic Ideology.

A representative of Russian embassy said today’s world is interdependent and there is a need for understanding each others point of view on issues.

He said, “Russia as observer at OIC, wants to build good relations with OIC and its member countries including Pakistan.”

He said Russia gives due respect to Muslim Ummah and its proof is that in Russia there are 4750 mosques among 10,000 places of worship.

Katrina, representative of the embassy of Germany appreciated the role of participants in pointing out the problems faced by the Muslim countries and said the issues needed to be addressed in a spirit of reconciliation. She said more than six million Muslims are living a peaceful and respectable life in Germany. She underlined the need for resolving issues through negotiations and by giving due respect to each other.

A representative of the US embassy said people in America believe in the idea of change, adding “America is a land of Christians and Muslims. We need to work together and understand each others point of view.” More than eight million Muslims are living in America.

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi said Islam is a religion of peace and it does not believe in taking lives of innocent people.

“Bloodshed and suicide attacks have nothing to do with Islam,” he said and added there are some hidden hands who are carrying out such activities to defame Muslims. He said religious seminaries have vital role in Muslim society as these are source of producing useful citizens.

Minister of State for Religious Affairs Shagufta Jumani expressed the hope that the conference will prove to be a good effort to bridge gap between civilizations and religions.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, who conducted the conference, said such interaction would help bridge gap between Islam and the west.

He said recommendations of participants of the meeting would be compiled and forwarded to the government.

He said the election of US President has created cautious optimism and there is hope of reversal of wrong policies of the past.

Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Dr. Khalid Masood in his welcome address said CII is a constitutional body which reviews legislation, presents reports to the government and proposes amendments in laws.

He said the Council had almost completed the process of reviewing all existing laws in the country to bring them in line with the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

Fars / APP / EHC
———————————
Al-Masakin News Agency
http://almasakinnewsagency.wordpress.com/

Amr Moussa: Arab ship of state badly listing, King Abdullah pledges $1 billion to rebuild Gaza

 

Arab ship is sinking: Amr Moussa
Tehran Times Political Desk

TEHRAN – Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said on Monday the main reason for the Gaza crisis is chaos and division among Arab countries, warning that the “Arab ship is sinking”.

Addressing a meeting of Arab leaders in Kuwait, Moussa said resolving conflicts between Arabs and Israel requires Arab countries to “adopt a proper stance and resolve their own differences because we are at the moment at the stage of the drowning of the Arab ship.”

He said Arab countries should look into the Gaza crisis which was caused by division among Arab countries. Moussa added that protecting the Arab League from division is among his priorities.

Arab leaders in Kuwait pledged aid to the war-battered Gaza Strip.

The Saudi king Abdullah said Monday his country will donate $1 billion to help rebuild the Gaza Strip after the devastating Israeli offensive, Associated Press reported.

The king said his country’s $1 billion donation for Gaza would go to a proposed fund Arabs are setting up to rebuild the seaside territory.

“I know that one drop of Palestinian blood is more valuable than the treasures of the world,” said Abdullah.

A reconciliation has been achieved between Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Syria, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani told the Doha-based satellite television Al-Jazeera.

Leaders of the four states and host country Kuwait held a meeting at the residence of Saudi King Abdullah following the opening session of the Arab summit in Kuwait City.

The efforts to heal a rift shown up by Israel’s offensive in Gaza were launched by Kuwait with the help of other Arab nations in the Persian Gulf region, a Kuwaiti source said.

The apparent reconciliation also came after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak expressed contradictory stands at the opening session of the two-day summit.

Assad called on the summit to brand Israel a terrorist state for its assault on the Gaza Strip and urged Arab countries to “declare an unequivocal support for the Palestinian resistance.”

Mubarak, however, warned that regional powers were trying to exploit Arab differences for the purpose of domination and reiterated that a peaceful settlement remained the only option.

“We proposed the Arab peace initiative seven years ago,” he said.

“It is time it receives a positive response. It should be taken seriously by Israel and international big powers … Middle East peace is an urgent necessity.”

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah opened the summit with a call for collective Arab measures setting out “practical steps to stabilize the ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip.

Sharp disagreements have hampered the Arab response to Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip, with some nations calling for strong action while others prefer a more moderate approach.

Sheikh Sabah voiced support for the Arab peace initiative, which King Abdullah warned would “not remain on the table forever.”

Saudi Arabia pledges a pitiful $6.5 million to UNRWA’s Gaza relief effort

PRESS RELEASE
19 January 2009

$6.5 Million for UNRWA from Saudi Arabia

 

East Jerusalem, 19 January 2009

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Campaign for the Relief of the People of Gaza is sending urgently to UNRWA $6 million to provide food for the people of Gaza. It is also sending $500,000 to buy fuel which UNRWA provides to local authorities and utilities in Gaza to pump water and incinerate refuse, both essential operations in prevent outbreaks of disease.

The funds for food will enable UNRWA to provide food packages to 550,000 people for sixty days.

Welcoming the donations, Karen Koning Abu Zayd, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, said: “ This is an enormous help to UNRWA and the people of Gaza, coming at a time of dire need. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both government and people, have been generous in the past to Gaza, the Saudi Committee for the Support of the Palestinian People having donated last summer $5 million for Gaza, as well as $1 million for refugees in Lebanon. In the name of the Agency and the refugees I want to express deep and sincere thanks to His Majesty the King for these generous donations by his Campaign for the Relief of the Palestinian People. His Majesty’s concern for the suffering of Palestinians is of course well known. I also wish to thank His Royal Highness Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Minister of the Interior and Supervisor General of the Saudi Committee for the Relief of the Palestinian People, whose concern for Palestinians is also well known. This generous donation from the King’s Campaign helps to get us off to a good start on the huge task of restoring UNRWA services and helping Gaza to recover from the catastrophe which has hit it”.”

In June 2008 the Saudi Committee for the Support of the Palestinian People donated $5 million to buy food for Gazans and $1 million to buy medicines and other medical items for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia has also financed major housing projects in Gaza, unfortunately unfinished because of the blockade. The Saudi Fund for Development is funding a major housing project at Rafah in Gaza, work on which has been suspended for months because of the restrictions imposed by Israel on the importation of building materials into Gaza.

Ends

For more information please contact

Christopher Gunness
UNRWA Spokesperson
Mobile: +972-(0)54-240-2659
Office: +972-(0)2-589-0267

Sami Mshasha
UNRWA Arabic Spokesperson
Mobile: +972-(0)54-216-8295
Office: +972 (0)2-589-0724