UNRWA inaugurates Saudi-funded school in Amman New Camp

AMMAN — Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Jordan Nayif Bin Bandar Al Sudairi, UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini, and Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs in Jordan Olaf Becker, on Monday inaugurated a newly-constructed and Saudi-funded UNRWA Amman New Camp Preparatory Boys School in Jordan. 

Director General of the Department of Palestinian Affairs Rafiq Khirfan, local notables from Amman and several media outlets covering the event also attended the inauguration ceremony. 

The new school was constructed and furnished with a generous donation received from Saudi Arabia through the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), according to a UNRWA statement. 

The school is equipped with greening and energy saving systems, such as motion sensors, double glazed windows, green area with trees and water harvesting systems, including an underground reservoir. 

The school is also designed to be accessible for students with disabilities, with an elevator, ramps, tactile titles and special toilets with the necessary accessories.

Ambassador Sudairi said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a pioneer in humanitarian work. It is working tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable people worldwide. It is keen to harness its potential and resources in serving humanitarian issues in cooperation with the United Nations, its agencies and organisations of the international community."

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia devotes all of its capabilities to support the Palestinian cause in various fields, including the historical cooperative relationship with UNRWA,” he added.

The ambassador noted that Saudi Arabia is one of the top countries supporting the agency and is classified as the second-largest UNRWA donor, confirming that the kingdom will “spare no effort in serving the Palestinian brothers and their just cause”.

As part of the ceremony, Sudairi, Lazzarini and the local notables took a tour inside the school where they met with UNRWA education staff and checked on the new school’s facilities, which is currently serving more than 1,400 students.

UNRWA students in Amman New Camp (ANC), including students in ANC Preparatory Boys School No.2, formally studied at 12 double-shift schools. 

With the construction of this new school, all UNRWA schools in the camp can move from double-shift to single-shift, which will provide a better learning environment for over 7,000 students.

“The Saudi Fund for Development has been a key partner to UNRWA and a true enabler for vital projects that benefit Palestine refugees, such as this school,” said Lazzarini. 

“The support ofSaudi Arabia to the Palestinian refugees has always contributed to their feeling that they are not alone. It is support that UNRWA values and hopes will remain steadfast until there is a just and lasting solution to the plight of the Palestinian refugees,” Lazzarini continued. 

In Jordan, UNRWA delivers quality education services to the Palestinian refugees through a network of 161 schools located inside the vicinity of Palestinian refugee camps and throughout the Kingdom, read the statement. 

Saudi Arabia is one of the top donors to UNRWA, having contributed over $1 billion since the start of its donor partnership with the Agency. 

Since 2016, they have supported UNRWA in Jordan through projects to improve the delivery of education and health services to vulnerable Palestine refugees. 

To date, they have generously contributed $40 million through six projects benefiting approximately 550,000 Palestinian refugees who live inside and outside Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan.