Saudi Arabia has further intensified its relief efforts to alleviate the sufferings of Syrian people affected by the ongoing war in that country.
Instructions in this regard were issued to the officials concerned on Friday by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif on a directive from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.
The crown prince, who is also the general supervisor of the Saudi National Campaign to Support the Syrian brothers, said the organization would continue to receive cash donations to the Saudi National Campaign’s account at the National Commercial Bank (SA2310000020188888000100).
He stressed the campaign is the only authorized entity to receive donations for the brothers in Syria. “The solidarity stance comes within the efforts exerted by the government of the Kingdom in supporting the Syrians at all levels,” said Saaed Al-Orabi Al-Harthi, adviser to the minister of interior and chairman of the campaign.
The Kingdom has received around 2.5 million Syrians since the beginning of the conflict in that country five years ago. To ensure their dignity and safety, the Kingdom adopted a policy that does not treat them as refugees or puts them in refugee camps. They have been given freedom to move about in Saudi Arabia. Those who wish to remain in Saudi Arabia (some hundreds of thousands) have been given legal residency status “like the remaining residents.”
Their residency comes with the rights to receive free medical care, join the labor market and attend schools and universities. A royal decree in 2012 instructed public schools to accept Syrian students. According to government statistics, the public schools have accepted more than 100,000 Syrian students so far.
The Kingdom has also decided not to deport any Syrian even if his residence permit expires. The king gave orders not to deport Syrians or trouble them with legal accountabilities or irregularities because of the situation in that country.
Besides the killing of some 250,000 Syrians during the five-year conflict, millions have been forced to seek refuge in countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, as well as in Europe and Canada.
Last week, the campaign distributed 7,290 pieces of winter clothes and related relief material to Syrian families in Mafraq governorate as part of its 20th station of its relief project .
The campaign has worked through Jordan’s office on the implementation of this station, which provided winter clothes that covered 1,750 Syrian individuals of 290 Syrian refugee families.
Badr bin Abdulrahman Al-Samhan, the regional director of the campaign, confirmed that multiple relief projects have been provided to support Syrian brothers. The campaign has distributed up to 269,567 pieces of various winter clothes to refugees in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and others displaced areas inside Syria.
Source: Arab News