AQABA, Jordan, Feb 02 (INP): A new health center for Palestinian refugees in Jordan was inaugurated in Aqaba by the Saudi Ambassador to Jordan, Naif bin Bandar Al-Sudairi, and the Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Affairs in Jordan, Marta Lorenzo.

The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) donated $1 million to construct, furnish, and equip the center, which now replaces the previous one that was rented. The new center, built on a piece of land provided by the Jordanian government, was also designed to accommodate people with disabilities and to be earthquake-resistant.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a pioneer in humanitarian work, with the aim of alleviating human suffering from various affected people around the world, and is keen to harness its capabilities and resources in the service of humanitarian issues in cooperation with the United Nations and its agencies and international community organizations," Al-Sudairi said.

“On behalf of UNRWA, I would like to extend our deepest appreciation to the generous contribution and partnership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with UNRWA and their continuous support to Palestine refugees. The reconstruction of this health center is a critical investment which will serve nearly 10,000 Palestine refugees in Aqaba city,” emphasized Lorenzo.

According to Jordanian publication Roya News, the previous Aqaba health center provided services to over 1,600 children aged between 0 to 5 years and 159 pregnant women in 2020, along with family planning services that were extended to 446 Palestinian refugees. In addition, around 1,000 medical consultations and 350 dental consultations took place monthly last year.

The Kingdom is among UNRWA’s top donors, with yearly contributions varying between $25 and $50 million.