JEDDAH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) helped 43 countries last year, a spokesman for the agency said Friday, as assistance to Yemen was stepped up.
Chalhoub bin Abdullah Chalhoub told a forum, titled “The intervention to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Muslim world,” in Cairo that the center provided assistance regardless of race, religion or nationality.
He said KSRelief sought to transfer its experience in relief and humanitarian work to Islamic countries and organizations.
Chalhoub said that the center’s assistance and promotion of humanitarian actions in Muslim countries come from a vision based on the Saudi pioneering role in relief and humanitarian action to convey Saudi values to the world.
In February alone the agency helped Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, Yemeni patients and internally displaced people in Nigeria.
Chalhoub was speaking on the sidelines of the first ever cultural and artistic festival organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) titled “One nation and diverse cultures... Palestine in our heart.”
Other speakers at the symposium were KSRelief’s Dr. Yahya Al-Shammari, Hassan Abdel Moneim from the International Organization for Migration, Dr. Abeer Atifah of the World Food Programme and Osama Maher from the World Health Organization.
Delegates watched a documentary about Saudi relief and humanitarian efforts and the support provided to countries worldwide. There was also a presentation of statistics for countries benefiting from the Kingdom’s assistance.
As many as 2,501,897 Yemenis benefited from medical services provided by KSRelief in 2018, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The aid was given on the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman.
The center is also actively involved in the rehabilitation of children affected by the war.
The program aims to help the children return to their normal lives, through teaching them and practicing different sports, as well as field trips. KSRelief plans to rehabilitate 2,000 children who were recruited by the Houthis.
A volunteer medical team from the agency has been performing open-heart surgeries and catheterizations in Yemen as part of a campaign ending Feb. 9. There have also been further deliveries of dialysis medication.
In the first six days of this campaign, the total number of operations conducted was 24 open-heart surgeries and 64 therapeutic catheterizations.
The father of one of the heart surgery patients brought his daughter from their home in Shabwa to Mukulla for treatment.
He said she had been suffering from heart issues for a long time but the family lacked the financial resources to get her the help she needed.
“We are so grateful for the generosity of KSRelief, which initiated this campaign, bringing hope to our family.”
Another parent also thanked the agency for its help, adding he had tried for eight years to find medical intervention for his son.
Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSRelief at forefront of ‘global humanitarian effort’
Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSRelief at forefront of ‘global humanitarian effort’
- Saudi Arabia’s relief agency extended help to 43 countries in 2018
- A volunteer medical team from the agency has been performing open-heart surgeries and catheterizations in Yemen as part of a campaign ending February 9
New initiative to plant 60m seeds for sustainability
- Center’s CEO, Khaled Al-Abdulkader, outlined the initiative’s goal of dispersing 60 million seeds and cleaning floodplains throughout the governorate
- Efforts are part of the broader National Greening Season, which aims to increase green spaces and address environmental challenges
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification has launched the Grow Impact initiative in Hafar Al-Batin governorate to encourage community participation in preserving and expanding vegetation cover, while promoting sustainability and environmental awareness.
The center’s CEO, Khaled Al-Abdulkader, outlined the initiative’s goal of dispersing 60 million seeds and cleaning floodplains throughout the governorate.
These efforts are part of the broader National Greening Season, which aims to increase green spaces and address environmental challenges, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Al-Abdulkader described Grow Impact as a key step toward achieving sustainable development goals, restoring ecological balance, and enhancing biodiversity.
He said that the initiative also encourages environmental responsibility among individuals and communities.
The initiative aims to reduce waste in natural areas, protect plant and animal species from human activity, and combat desertification by inspiring communities to protect natural resources.
These goals align with Saudi Arabia’s vision for preserving the planet and its natural heritage, SPA reported.
The center continues its mission to develop and protect vegetation cover throughout the Kingdom, rehabilitating degraded areas, addressing violations, combating illegal logging, and overseeing rangelands, forests and national parks.
Thunderstorms forecast across Saudi Arabia until Sunday
- Makkah region is forecast light to moderate rain showers that could lead to flash floods
- Asir and Jazan regions will also be affected by moderate to heavy showers
RIYADH: The General Directorate of Civil Defense has forecast thunderstorms in several regions across the Kingdom until Sunday.
Makkah region is forecast light to moderate rain showers that could lead to flash floods, hail and dust-stirring winds, reported the Saudi Press Agency, while moderate to heavy rain is expected in Riyadh region.
Asir and Jazan regions will also be affected by moderate to heavy showers, while the Qassim, Eastern and Baha regions will experience moderate rain. The regions of Madinah and Najran can expect light rain.
The directorate has urged people to exercise caution, avoid areas prone to flash flooding, and refrain from swimming in flooded areas.
Members of the public should follow media channels to keep themselves updated on the latest conditions.
Autumn in Saudi Arabia is typically rainy, with rapid weather changes providing relief from the heat, according to the National Center for Meteorology.
Shoura Council, EU officials discuss strengthening ties
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council Vice Speaker Mishaal Al-Sulami met in Riyadh with an EU Political and Security Committee delegation, led by its chair Delphine Pronk, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
The delegation included ambassadors from the 27 EU member states, the EU Special Representative for the Gulf Luigi Di Maio, and the EU Ambassador to the Kingdom Christophe Farnaud.
Al-Sulami highlighted the Shoura Council’s oversight and legislative roles and emphasized the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening cooperation.
The delegates praised the Kingdom’s significant developments and the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030, SPA reported.
The talks addressed the strong relations between Saudi Arabia and the EU, ways to enhance collaboration between the Shoura Council and the European Parliament, and other topics of mutual interest.
Earlier, the EU delegation visited the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh, where they discussed ways to counter extremism.
The delegation also visited the Gulf Cooperation Council headquarters in Riyadh, where they discussed joint efforts to tackle global challenges.
Saudi aid targets schools in Yemen, health in Somalia
RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief signed a cooperation agreement with a civil society organization to implement the third phase of the Back to School project in Yemen.
The initiative will be executed in the Al-Mukha district of Taiz governorate, Thamud district in Hadramout governorate, and the governorates of Shabwah, Abyan and Lahj, benefiting about 6,000 individuals.
KSrelief’s Assistant Supervisor-General for Operations and Programs Ahmed Al-Baiz signed the agreement on the sidelines of the International Conference on Conjoined Twins in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
The agreement includes the provision of 60 fully equipped classrooms, the outfitting of 10 schools to create a suitable learning environment, and the distribution of 6,000 school uniforms and bags containing essential supplies.
Additionally, job opportunities will be provided to low-income families — previous beneficiaries of training and empowerment projects — who will produce the school bags and uniforms.
This initiative is part of Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian efforts, led by KSrelief, to support the educational process, reduce dropout rates, and ensure a safer learning environment in Yemen.
In a separate agreement, KSrelief and the International Medical Corps signed a $1-million partnership to equip Garowe General Hospital in Somalia with dialysis machines and enhance its dialysis center. This project is expected to benefit 3,666 individuals.
The agreement was signed by KSrelief Supervisor-General Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah and International Medical Corps President and CEO Nancy Aossey, also during the conference in Riyadh.
The initiative reflects Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian efforts through KSrelief to support health care services for those in need in Somalia.
Saudi Arabia welcomes ceasefire in Lebanon
- Kingdom appreciates all international efforts made to achieve the ceasefire, foreign ministry statement said
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia welcomes the ceasefire in Lebanon, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The Kingdom appreciates all international efforts made in this regard and hopes that this will lead to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the preservation of Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, and stability, and the safe return of the displaced to their homes,” the statement said.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah started on Wednesday morning after the two sides struck a deal brokered by the US and France.
The agreement ended the deadliest confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah in years.
