RIYADH, 10 March 2005 — The Kingdom has extended full support to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which urgently needs $151.5 million for helping the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank as well as the victims of civil war in Darfur in Sudan. This was announced at a press conference held at UNICEF’s Gulf Area Office in the Diplomatic Quarter.
A UNICEF delegation called on Dr. Said Al-Harithy, adviser to Interior Minister Prince Naif, who briefed them on the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to help Palestinians in the occupied territory and also the victims of Janjaweed militia in Darfur. In this context, Dr. Nizar Summan, senior adviser, Gulf Area Office, explained how Prince Naif had raised $6.3 million through donations for the Palestinians in addition to $500,000 for Palestinian children to immunize them against polio.
Saudi Arabia was also contributing to other UN agencies, including UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which received $20 million (SR75 million) in immediate aid for the Palestinians.
