LONDON: The UN’s humanitarian office met on Thursday in Geneva to discuss its plans for 2025, with representatives from Saudi Arabia taking part in the meeting, Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) donor spport group convened its regular expert-level meeting, which was chaired by Norway. 

Aqeel Al-Ghamdi, assistant supervisor general of planning and development at the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) led the Kingdom’s delegation.

The meeting covered key topics including the implementation of OCHA’s Strategic Plan for 2025 and its Flagship Initiative, which aims to enhance global humanitarian coordination. 

Al-Ghamdi lauded the initiative, calling for a stronger integration of humanitarian and development efforts to ensure long-term sustainability in global aid responses.

Discussions also touched upon updates on the analysis of global humanitarian needs and resource allocation strategies. Al-Ghamdi emphasized the importance of involving local communities in the planning processes to ensure effective and inclusive aid delivery.

A key concern raised during the meeting was the funding gap in OCHA’s 2025 budget. 

Al-Ghamdi advocated for sustainable solutions to bridge this gap and called for stronger oversight and accountability mechanisms to ensure that aid reaches those most in need.

In a special session focusing on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, Al-Ghamdi highlighted Saudi Arabia’s active role in supporting the region.

He noted the Kingdom’s recent efforts during the United Nations General Assembly, where more than $500 million was pledged to support humanitarian efforts in Sudan and surrounding regions, including a $25 million contribution from the Central Emergency Response Fund.

Saudi Arabia has committed to providing $115 million to support Sudan’s humanitarian needs, focusing on critical areas such as food aid, health services, water, sanitation, and shelter for displaced populations and refugees.

The meeting concluded with a call to strengthen cooperation and partnerships between donor countries and OCHA to ensure the necessary funding for a comprehensive and sustainable humanitarian response to crises around the world.