Riyadh, Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah confirmed that Saudi Arabia has provided over $130.34 billion in humanitarian and relief aid from 1996 to 2024, benefiting 170 countries globally. He made this statement while participating in a meeting organized by the National Council on US-Arab Relations, where he shared details on the Kingdom’s relief and humanitarian efforts and projects worldwide via video call. The Council’s CEO, Delano Roosevelt, was also present with his accompanying delegation at the meeting.
Dr. Al Rabeeah stated that KSrelief aims to be a leading international center for relief and humanitarian activities, adhering to the highest global standards and best practices related to governance. He emphasized the Center’s core values of neutrality, transparency, quality, professionalism, initiative, creativity, building partnerships, and supporting communities.
He noted that since i
ts establishment in 2015, the Center has implemented around 3,009 projects in 100 countries worldwide, exceeding $6.940 billion, adding that these projects cover various vital sectors and are carried out in partnership with 187 international and UN organizations. Yemen received the largest share of the Center’s projects, accounting for 64% of the total aid, with a value exceeding $4.466 billion.
Dr. Al Rabeeah highlighted that the center has carried out 992 projects dedicated to women, benefiting more than 151 million women, with a value exceeding $653 million, and 926 projects focused on children, benefiting more than 179 million children, with a value exceeding $888 million.
Regarding refugees in the Kingdom, Dr. Al Rabeeah said that Saudi Arabia hosts a large number of refugees, estimated at 1,093,926, including refugees from Yemen, Syria, and Myanmar. The Kingdom provides them with free treatment, education, and opportunities for social integration.
He also mentioned the Kingdom’s efforts in combating
the COVID-19 pandemic internationally, providing more than $824.291 million in medical and preventive aid to over 50 countries globally.
Dr. Al Rabeeah said that KSrelief has launched several specialized programs to support the brotherly Yemeni people, including the Saudi program for demining (Masam), which has so far successfully removed over 453,000 mines from Yemeni territories by more than 400 experts in the field of demining. Additionally, there are projects for prosthetic centers and a project for the reintegration of children formerly associated with armed conflict.
Dr. Al Rabeeah also provided an explanation about the establishment of the Saudi Aid Platform (SAP), the Platform for Assisting Displaced Persons and Refugees, the National Volunteer Portal, the Electronic Donations Platform (Sahm), and the monitoring and documentation initiatives related to humanitarian work. He also reviewed the Kingdom’s humanitarian efforts through the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program for separating Siamese twins, which,
he said, has examined 141 cases so far from 26 countries across 3 continents and has successfully performed 61 separation surgeries for conjoined and parasitic twins.
Regarding the aid recently provided to some countries, Dr. Al Rabeeah confirmed that the Kingdom has responded from the very first day of the Gaza Strip crisis, with the total aid provided to the Palestinian people reaching $185 million, besides launching a humanitarian airbridge consisting of 54 planes and a maritime bridge of 8 ships. He also said that the Kingdom has airdropped high-quality food for those affected in the Gaza Strip, aiming to break the blockade imposed by Israeli occupation forces on the border crossings.
He also added that the Kingdom has provided $120 million to Sudan during its current crisis, and has pledged to donate $400 million to Ukraine to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the humanitarian crisis in that country.
Dr. Al Rabeeah also pointed out that the Kingdom has launched the Saudi Sama’a Volunteer Pr
ogram for Cochlear Implantation and Hearing Rehabilitation for earthquake victims in the Republic of Trkiye and Syria, which is considered the largest humanitarian voluntary event for cochlear implants and auditory rehabilitation worldwide. The program aims to conduct 120 cochlear implant surgeries and distribute 375 medical hearing aids to children affected by the earthquake in Syria and Turkiye. Throughout all phases of the project, 24 voluntary programs in cochlear implantation will be implemented, benefiting 940 individuals, including intensive rehabilitation programs for the hearing impaired following their surgeries.
He also pointed out the designation of November 24 as ‘World Conjoined Twins Day’ by the United Nations, at the initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The purpose is to raise awareness about these humanitarian cases and celebrate achievements in the field of conjoined twins separation surgeries. Additionally, the center will organize an international conference under the patronage of C
ustodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in November in Riyadh, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program. Additionally, the center will hold the fourth edition of the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum in February 2025.
For his part, CEO of the National Council on US-Arab Relations Delano Roosevelt hailed the humanitarian and relief efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, noting that they have reached all corners of the world without discrimination.
Source: Saudi Press Agency