RIYADH: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs launched the Global Humanitarian Overview 2023 in Geneva on Thursday, with presentations in Addis Ababa with the African Union, and in Riyadh at King Saud University with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.
Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of KSRelief, said the event was focused on global humanitarian action taking place next year.
It was highlighting the need to promote inclusive and holistic approaches to providing humanitarian assistance, while discussing ways to enhance the participation of crisis-affected people, local responders, and nongovernmental organization partners in global action.
He explained the challenges surrounding food supply, particularly the obstruction of aid in crisis areas.
Al-Rabeeah said: “Saudi Arabia has provided over the past two decades $95 billion to support humanitarian and development projects in 164 countries.
“We must encourage all countries able to do so, to step up their own funding levels urgently to help alleviate the catastrophic levels of suffering we are seeing today in so many parts of the world.”
He thanked King Saud University for hosting the GHO 2023 launch for the first time in the Middle East.
He added: “May we succeed in finding the solutions that are needed to save lives, and improve the outcome for the millions of people who so desperately need our help.
“By working together we can address the pressing issues facing the world today on a scale large enough to change the tide of suffering into the waves of hope.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his video message, said 2022 had been a year of many challenges, and the Ukraine conflict had exacerbated the global food and energy crisis.
Lives and economies had been torn apart around the world, he said, adding that the UN and its partners in the field of medicine had risen to the challenge to help support and protect 157 million people around the world.
Guterres added that the UN had provided more than $2 billion in cash assistance, while donations had provided nearly $24 billion.
The GHO 2023 calls for $51.5 billion to provide lifesaving support to the most vulnerable people, he said.
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji said the Kingdom was attempting to strengthen international cooperation to help eradicate poverty and deliver aid to those in need.
He added that the country has managed to lead at regional and international level, and helped to unify international efforts to meet humanitarian needs by providing aid that supports relief work.
Joyce Msuya, assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and deputy emergency relief coordinator at the OCHA, said that the world is living in the middle of the largest global food crisis in history, and added it is an issue driven by conflict, climatic shocks, and the looming threat of a global recession.
