RIYADH, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia announced Thursday a 500-million-U.S. dollar donation to relevant international organizations to support global efforts in combatting the COVID-19, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The donation would support emergency, preparedness response, and development and application of new diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, the Saudi Arabia G20 Presidency said in a statement.

The donation would also fulfill unmet needs for international surveillance and coordination and ensure sufficient supplies of protective equipment for health workers.

This contribution by the kingdom comes in response to the commitment made during the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit held last month.

Saudi Arabia will allocate 150 million dollars to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovation, 150 million dollars to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations, and 200 million dollars to other international and regional health organizations and programs, said the statement.

The kingdom has called on all countries, non-governmental organizations and the private sector to join the global efforts to fill the financing gap to combat COVID-19, which is estimated to be over 8 billion dollars according to the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board.