Saudi Arabia ‘at forefront of global humanitarian effort’

Paris, Apr 15: A Saudi official told a seminar in Paris that the Kingdom is among the key global supporters of humanitarian work, and does not differentiate between different races or religions in its mission to alleviate suffering.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, adviser at the Royal Court and general supervisor of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRelief), was speaking at a meeting about the current situation and future peace in Yemen.

The seminar, organized by the Paris-based Arab World Institute, was also attended by Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, and Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to France Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Angari.

Al-Rabeeah said the Kingdom is at the forefront of countries supporting humanitarian and developmental work, and aims to alleviate human suffering wherever it is.

He added that the Kingdom has been a historical supporter of the Yemeni people, in seeking legitimacy in the country by applying the UN resolutions, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) decisions and the agreements of the National Dialogue Conference on Yemen.

He said that KSRelief put the humanitarian needs of the Yemeni people at the top of its priorities, accounting for more than 65 percent of its work.

The center has implemented 124 relief programs in the fields of food security, shelters, health, environmental reform, water, mother and child health and community programs, spanning all parts of Yemen.

Al-Rabeeah said the center supported Yemeni refugees in Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Djibouti.

He said the Kingdom has hosted 603,000 Yemenis as a result of the crisis, offering them free health care and education. The programs have also provided educational programs and health facilities inside Yemen.

Challenges to the work include threats and attacks by armed Houthi militias, who also use some of Yemen’s ports for financial gain through the imposition of taxes on food, medication and medical equipment, Al-Rabeeah said.

He called on the international community to protect relief workers and facilitate the delivery of aid, as well as intensifying its work through more effective programs in Yemen.