Saudi Arabia Recognised As Major Global Donor And Humanitarian Assistance Leader

Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of KSrelief, highlighted Saudi Arabia's significant role in global humanitarian aid. The Kingdom stands as a major donor, offering support to those in need, displaced individuals, and refugees. Over the years, it has become a prominent figure in international humanitarian efforts.

During a meeting with the Saudi Society for Opinion Writers, Dr. Al Rabeeah mentioned that King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud directed the establishment of KSrelief as the Kingdom’s humanitarian arm. Since its inception, KSrelief has executed around 3,105 projects across 104 countries, investing over $7 billion in various critical sectors.

KSrelief aims to be a leading global center for relief activities by adhering to high standards and best practices in governance. Its foundation is built on neutrality, transparency, quality, professionalism, initiative, creativity, partnership building, and community support.

Dr. Al Rabeeah outlined several initiatives to enhance Saudi humanitarian work. These include creating a Saudi aid platform, a portal for displaced persons and refugees, an external volunteering portal, an electronic donation platform (Sahim), and an online registration portal for international humanitarian organizations.

The "Masam" project in Yemen is one of KSrelief's notable initiatives. It has successfully cleared 466,711 landmines planted indiscriminately across Yemeni regions. These mines have endangered innocent lives among children, women, and the elderly.

Other important programs include the prosthetic limbs initiative and the Saudi Program for Separating Conjoined Twins. The latter has gained international acclaim with 61 successful surgeries since 1990 after evaluating 142 cases from 26 countries over 34 years.

Support for Refugees and Crisis Response

Saudi Arabia hosts approximately 1,093,000 refugees or about 5.26% of its population. This includes 561,911 from Yemen, 262,573 from Syria, and 269,442 from Myanmar.

The Kingdom responded swiftly to the earthquake affecting Syria and Turkey by establishing air bridges to assist victims. It dispatched volunteer teams along with rapid response units and medical personnel to support those impacted by the disaster.

Aid to Palestinians and Lebanese Support

Through KSrelief's efforts in Gaza, Saudi Arabia has significantly contributed to alleviating the Palestinian humanitarian crisis by providing food supplies via air drops alongside shelter and medical aid through air and sea bridges.

The Saudi leadership also directed medical and relief assistance to Lebanon due to their critical situation. This highlights the Kingdom's commitment to extending help where needed globally.

With inputs from SPA