The King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSrelief) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) signed a US$ 1.5 million agreement to provide vital health care services in Gaza.

The signing ceremony took place in Riyadh at the Riyadh Humanitarian Summit between the General Supervisor of KSrelief and Adviser at the Royal Court, Dr. Abdallah Al Rabeeah, and UNRWA Acting Commissioner-General, Christian Saunders.

This essential contribution from KSrelief will enhance the delivery of health-care services to more than 1.5 million refugees in Gaza at the local hospitals and clinics, facilitate mammography for 5000 women and cover the costs of  diagnostic and medical procedures related to early detection of breast cancer, said UNRWA in a statement.

Additionally, the contributed sum will support the provision of critical and life-saving medicines for 23,000 patients, facilitate medical screening for 35,000 UNRWA students and provide training for 700 health workers.

In recognition of this collaboration with KSrelief, Acting UNRWA Commissioner-General Christian Saunders said: “This generous contribution tells vulnerable Palestine refugees who have been living under the blockade for 13 years that they are not alone.”

“KSrelief and Saudi Arabia have long shown solidarity with Palestine refugees and have been of immense support to UNRWA, especially since 2018. This critical contribution will help us boost the health system in Gaza and ease the suffering of patients who struggle every day to find affordable and adequate treatment”, added Saunders.

Following the signing, Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, said: “KSrelief values its strategic partnership with UNRWA and together, we can reach those Palestinian refugees who are most in need of treatment and support. Hopefully, this agreement, which was signed at the 2nd Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum, will alleviate the suffering of Gaza residents living with critical and life-threatening illnesses.”

UNRWA is confronted with an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. As a result, the UNRWA program budget, which supports the delivery of core essential services, operates with a large shortfall.

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5.6 million Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA across its five fields of operation. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.