By Giwa SHILE
Saudi Arabia has pledged 50 million dollars in support of the United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees, Saudi state media reported on Wednesday.
In September, the U.S. said it would halt funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The U.S., which is the main donor to UNRWA, said at the time that the agency had become an “irredeemably flawed operation.’’
UNRWA, the main UN body responsible for Palestinians, has said it needed 200 million dollars, this year, to fill the budget gap.
Al-Ekhbariya television said the 50 million dollars would be provided by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, a state-run institution based in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Report says Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, is a major financial backer of Palestinians.
