Regional Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for Arab States Ambassador Khalid Khalifa has stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranks among the major donor countries for UNHCR projects worldwide, adding that UNHCR works with its partners in Saudi Arabia, who support UNHCR programs around the world. In a statement marking World Refugee Day, which falls on June 20 of each year, he said: "The funding provided to UNHCR programs by 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 UNHCR to assist displaced people in Yemen and Syrian, Somali, Afghan and Rohingya refugees. " He 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% 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 UNHCR since its establishment, indicating that 85% of this number live in developing countries, usually adjacent to countries from which they were displaced. The Ambassador expressed his hope that the partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continue and extend to world countries to serve humanity and advance the lives of those in need, especially in such difficult circumstances.
