The Economic and Social Council of the Arab League has urged the international community to provide the necessary support to Arab countries hosting displaced Syrians, saying the implementation of development projects could limit the burden of the refugees. It made a recommendation in this regard to the Council of the Arab League that is set to meet in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia next month. The Economic Council’s 10th round, which met at the Arab League headquarters under Sudan’s chairmanship in Cairo, said in its closing statement that Arab, regional and international funds should help the Arab countries that are hosting Syrian refugees. Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit told the Council’s opening session that the meeting came at a “sensitive time for the Arab nation.” “Challenges and threats are coming from everywhere,” he said. The Arab region is suffering from a severe food shortage, he said, adding that “it’s the only region that witnessed a rise in famine and poverty in the past years.” “Arabs represent five percent of the world population, yet they only receive one percent of the world’s freshwater, and 40 percent of them live in areas of drought,” said Aboul Gheit. The current challenges should compel Arab countries to unite and move towards a more prosperous future for the generations to come, he told the Council.