Karen Abu Zayd, UNRWA's outgoing Commissioner General, has hailed generous donations of Arab states to fund her organization, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Abu Zayd was speaking at a private session of the Arab League to celebrate the 60th anniversary of UNRWA. Both the Arab League and UNRWA were founded 60 years ago as a result of similar circumstances in the aftermath of the Second World War, she said. UNRWA was born with the Palestinian cause and will remain as long as needed, she added. Arab states have made great political, economic and social efforts to support 4.7 million Palestinian refugees. Saudi Arabia has pledged to pay $25 million to rebuild the area of Nahr Al-Bared in Lebanon, Abu Zayd said, citing the donation of the Kuwaiti government of $34 million to rebuild Gaza. Meanwhile, UNRWA has awarded the prize of Distinguished Donor to Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier, and Minister of Interior. Abu Zayd will hand over the prize to Prince Naif in Riyadh Saturday, according to Sa'ed Al-Orabi Al-Harithy, advisor to the Second Deputy Premier. Prince Naif has overseen the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques campaign to provide relief to the Palestinians in Gaza. He has been awarded the prize in appreciation of his contributions to humanitarian efforts.
