Asharq Al-Awsat

The United Nations Financial Tracking Service (FTS) revealed that Saudi Arabia ranked fourth among major global donors of humanitarian aid.

The Kingdom has undertaken its humanitarian responsibilities to assist and support refugees throughout the world with the necessary humanitarian, relief and development aid, playing a pivotal role in alleviating their suffering.

During the past eight years, it has provided some $10.3 billion in humanitarian assistance to refugees around the world. These efforts have covered 40 countries.

Assistant General Supervisor of the King Salman Center for Humanitarian Relief and Works (KSRelief) for Planning and Development Dr. Aqeel Al-Ghamdi revealed these figures during the ongoing 69th session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Office (UNHCR).

Ghamdi said that the Kingdom provided the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and Malaysia with humanitarian assistance amounting to $18.1 million. In addition, 13 projects were implemented for internally displaced persons in Myanmar through the International Organization for Migration.

He added that Riyadh has provided the Syrian refugees in Jordan with relief aid worth $178.3 million, refugees in Turkey with $88.7 million and in Lebanon with $95.7 million. It dedicated $219.6 million to refugees in countries such as Iraq, Egypt and others.

The Kingdom provided $500 million to support the United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen in 2018. Some $31.0 million of this amount were allocated to the UNHCR and $23.3 million to the IOM. Saudi Arabia had dedicated $11.8 billion in humanitarian assistance, development and relief to Yemen since 2015.

As for the Palestinian territories, Ghamdi said that Saudi Arabia has been one of the most generous donors. Between 2000 until 2018, it has provided development, humanitarian and charitable assistance amounting to $5.55 billion.

In Somalia, the Kingdom has provided $177.3 million in humanitarian and development assistance, carrying out 29 projects. It provided $10 million to the UNHCR and IOM to repatriate Somali refugees from Yemen.

The Kingdom has also allocated $10.0 million for humanitarian projects in Nigeria, where urgent humanitarian and relief projects are being implemented for displaced people.

In Pakistan, the Kingdom provided humanitarian and development assistance between 2005 and 2018, amounting to $107.3 million and implemented in 85 projects for displaced people affected by floods and earthquakes.

In Afghanistan, the Kingdom provided humanitarian and charitable assistance to 32 projects for displaced people worth $22.8 million.

Ghamdi revealed that Saudi Arabia hosted 1.07 million refugees, including 563,911 Yemenis, 262,573 Syrians and 249,669 Burmese, representing 5.26 percent of the Kingdom’s population.

In the Kingdom, these refugees exercise the right to residence, mobility and enjoy services of education, health and work, equally with Saudi citizens.

The Kingdom is, currently, working on building a comprehensive database with internationally recognized standards and it will soon be launched to record and monitor refugee data within Saudi Arabia, Ghamdi stressed.