United Nations Financial Tracking Service (FTS), in September 2018, revealed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranked fourth, among major donors of humanitarian aid, all over the world. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undertaken its humanitarian responsibilities to assist and support the refugees, in the world with the humanitarian, relief and development assistance they may stand in need, and has played a pivotal role in alleviating the suffering of them. It has provided humanitarian assistance to refugees around the world, during the past eight years, amounting to $1.03 billion, including those provided through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) worth $93.2 million. These statements were unfolded, during a speech delivered by the Assistant General Supervisor of the King Salman Center for Humanitarian Relief and Works (KSrelief) for Planning and Development Dr. Aqeel Al-Ghamdi, at the 69th session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Office (UNHCR), taking place now, on 1-5 October 2018, in Geneva, with attendance of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, heads of delegations, international and national organizations. Al-Ghamdi mentioned part of the Saudi aid to a number of needy countries. He pointed out 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 IOM, he said, adding that KSA has provided the Syrian refugees with relief aid, in Jordan worth $178.3 million, in Turkey $88.7 million, in Lebanon $95.7 million, and to refugees in countries such as Iraq, Egypt and others valued at$ 219.6 million with 198 humanitarian projects. Humanitarian and development aid to Jordan worth $203.3 million dollars as a host of refugees, he stated, saying that the Kingdom provided $500 million to support the United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen, in 2018, of this amount $31.0 million was allocated to UNHCR and $23.3 million to IOM to provide humanitarian assistance to internally displaced refugees and internally displaced persons. Contribution of Saudi Arabia to Yemen since the beginning of the crisis, in 2015, in terms of humanitarian assistance, development and relief for the brotherly Yemeni people amounted to $11.18 billion. He added that for Palestine, the Kingdom has been one of the largest donors, since 2000 until 2018, as the Kingdom has provided development, humanitarian and charitable assistance amounting to $5.55 billion to them. In Somalia, Al-Ghamdi said that the Kingdom provided $177.3 million, in humanitarian and development assistance, carrying out 29 projects and provided $10 million to the UNHCR and IOM to repatriate Somali refugees from Yemen, and help them settle in places where they returned. 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 affected areas, he indicated. He pointed out that the Kingdom provided, in Pakistan, humanitarian and development assistance between 2005 and 2018, amounting to $107.3 million, 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, he further said. Dr. Aqeel al-Ghamdi noted that the Kingdom hosted 1,07 million refugees (563,911 of whom were Yemenis, 262,573 Syrians and 249,669 Burmese, respectively), representing 5.26% of the total number of Saudi citizens. In the Kingdom, these refugees exercise the right to residence, mobility and enjoy services of education, health and work, on an equal footing with the Saudi citizenry. The Kingdom is, currently, working on building a comprehensive database with internationally recognized standards and it will soon be launched to record and monitor refugees data, within Saudi Arabia, he stated, concluding that it is noteworthy, that the humanitarian and relief works of the Kingdom covered 40 countries, around the globe.
