RIYADH — Saudi Arabia is among the major donor countries for global projects to help refugees run by the United Nations High Commissioner. The Kingdom's leading role was acknowledged by the regional representative of the UNHCR to the Gulf Cooperation Council, Ambassador Khalid Khalifa. The UNHCR envoy said that that the UNHCR works with its partners in Saudi Arabia, who support the agency's programs around the world, the Saudi Press Agency reported. In a statement marking World Refugee Day, which falls on June 20 of each year, carried by Saudi Press Agency, the UNHCR envoy said: "The funding provided to UNHCR programs by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has reached more than $ 53 million; meanwhile, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has funded projects of the UNHCR to assist displaced people in Yemen and Syrian, Somali, Afghan and Rohingya refugees." The envoy explained that UNHCR's report issued last Thursday included a set of shocking facts about the global displacement situation at the end of 2019. The report stated that 1 percent of the world's population became among the displaced, while the number of people who were forced to leave their homes and countries reached more than 79 million people by the end of the year, which is the highest number witnessed by the UNHCR since its establishment. He added that 85 percent of the displaced people live in developing countries, usually adjacent to countries from where they were displaced. The envoy expressed his hope that the partnership with Saudi Arabia will continue and extend to other countries to serve humanity and advance the lives of those in need, especially in such difficult circumstances.
