JEDDAH: The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Saturday praised Saudi Arabia for its humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees.The UN agency also described the Kingdom as an important and consistent partner of UNRWA.In a statement issued on its website, it said Saudi Arabia donated more than $160 million to UNRWA in 2018, making it one of the top donors to the agency.UNRWA received a fresh donation amounting to $50 million from the Kingdom in support of Palestinian refugees in their places of residence.The organization had counted on a budget of $1.2 billion for 2018 but faced a gap of $446 million when the US announced it was cutting support.UNRWA responded to its “unprecedented” financial pressures by seeking support across UN member-states and raised an additional $382 million, bringing the shortfall for the year down to just $64 millionUNRWA was set up in 1950 to help Palestinian refugees who lost their homes because of the 1948 Middle East conflict. Its assistance includes schools, health care centers and food distribution. More than 750,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation.