RIYADH , 2 May — The Palestinian Embassy, which raised over SR9 million for Al-Quds Intifada in Riyadh in just under five hours and SR7 million in the Eastern Province, will organize a similar funds collection drive in Jeddah next week.
This was disclosed to Arab News by Palestine Ambassador Mustafa Hashim Shaikh Al-Deeb, who said more than 3,000 Palestinians attended the meeting held at the embassy, where donations — in both cash and kind — were made.
When this reporter visited the Palestine Embassy yesterday, more than 16 ambulances were lined up on its premises. They are some of the 39 vehicles donated by Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal and Saudi businessmen, in addition to the donation of medical equipment and medicines. The remaining 23 ambulances will be delivered after they have been properly equipped for emergency use.
However, the ambassador said that the 30-truck convoy was prevented by the Israelis from crossing over into the occupied Palestinian territory.
The excuse the Israelis gave was that the Saudi dates may have bullets concealed in them. The Palestinian authorities have now decided to distribute the relief supplies among the refugees of nine UNRWA-run camps in Jordan.
The ambassador said people’s response to the Al-Quds Intifada had been overwhelming. The donation campaign, led by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, has already yielded over SR500 million in cash and in kind through the recently held telethon.
The ambassador thanked the citizens and expatriates for their generous support to the Palestinian cause, as did the more than 160 Saudi businessmen of Palestinian origin.
He said they were expecting an even better response from Jeddah, since there were an estimated 150,000 Palestinians in the Western Province (out of 250,000 in the Kingdom). Riyadh comes next with 75,000 Palestinians.
The Palestine committee of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), according to its assistant secretary-general Dr. Saleh Al-Wohaibi, will raise between SR3 million and SR10 million each month.
The ambassador said another source of funding for the intifada was the voluntary five percent cut from the salaries of Palestinian refugees working in the Kingdom.
This adds up to SR5-7 million every two months.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pledged SR183 million for implementing various projects launched by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees.
This was disclosed by Peter Hansen, UNRWA’s commissioner general, here yesterday following talks with Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation.
Addressing a press conference at the UN office, Hansen said that the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) will donate SR15 million whereas the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will make available SR18.7 million to UNRWA for rebuilding infrastructure in Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. These funds will be in addition to the UAE’s offer to rebuild Jenin camp at a cost of SR150 million.
The UNRWA chief, who was accompanied by Jose Eguren at the press briefing, UN resident coordinator, said that his mission to the Gulf was to brief the region’s leaders on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory following the latest Israeli invasion. He said held wide-ranging talks with Prince Sultan, IDB President Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Ali and many top Saudi officials.
Hansen and Yousef Al-Bassam, SFD managing director, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), which will ensure the transfer of SFD’s funds to UNRWA for health and education projects. The UNRWA chief also held talks with Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal, chairman of the Kingdom Holding Company, and shared common understanding of the urgent need for resource mobilization. On this basis, UNRWA was asked to submit a comprehensive proposal for assistance.
The UN agency appealed for SR438 million in January to fund its emergency program in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
"However, the Israeli military assaults in the last two months created the need for UNRWA to increase its food aid, medical relief and reconstruction programs," said the official, adding that the agency will be forced to raise the target of its appeal.
Refuting charges that UNRWA was spending "exorbitantly" on its administrative staff, he said the UN agency has a workforce of 23,000 people, who have been working in conflict situations, especially now when Israelis have been denying free access to its personnel to the Palestinian refugee camps.
Asked about the need of funds, he said "a whopping sum of SR750 million will be required only for the reconstruction of health, educational and community welfare facilities". He thanked the Kingdom, which has been contributing SR6.7 million to the annual operational budget of the UNRWA in addition to its periodic contributions.
