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Ammon News - The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) received $27 million in aid from Saudi Arabia on Sunday to help fund the agency's programs and operations in the region.

The Saudi Ambassador to Jordan, Nayef bin Bandar Sudairi, presented a check in the amount to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini during a press conference.

Underscoring his country's support for the cause and rights of the Palestinian people, the ambassador reaffirmed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's commitment to supporting the UNRWA's budget to enable it to fulfill its financial obligations and improve living, educational, and medical services provided to Palestinian refugees.

"Saudi Arabia is committed to peace as a strategic option. The security and stability of the Middle East demand that a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue be found as soon as possible, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, and that an independent Palestinian state be established on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital," Sudairi continued.

In addition, the ambassador stated that Saudi Arabia condemns all unilateral actions that undermine the two-state solution and demands their immediate and complete cessation.

The ambassador explained that Saudi Arabia's assistance for the Palestinians is a result of the Kingdom's steadfast belief in the critical support given by UNRWA to more than 5.4 million Palestinian refugees through its educational and health programs, in addition to the relief services, social services, and other employment opportunities it creates, so that the Palestinian people can live in dignity.

For his part, Lazzarini praised the generous Saudi donation, noting that it demonstrated the Kingdom's continued generosity and support for Palestinian refugees as well as its renewed commitment to UNRWA.

This unrestricted donation will allow UNRWA to continue implementing its various programs, including those in education and health, and to assist the most vulnerable Palestine refugees in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, Philippe said.