KSrelief Supervisor General: Humanitarian Efforts Strained by Increasing Crises, Funding Shortages, Access Challenges.

Riyadh: King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Supervisor General Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has extended $133 billion in humanitarian and relief assistance from 1996 to 2024, benefitting 170 countries. According to Saudi Press Agency, Dr. Al Rabeeah, speaking at a meeting organized by the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, addressed the mounting challenges affecting global humanitarian efforts. He emphasized the increasing crises in nations such as Lebanon, Palestine, and Sudan, further strained by rising administrative and logistical costs and a critical shortage of funding sources. Dr. Al Rabeeah revealed that the UN Humanitarian Response Plan for 2024 has only secured 37.5% of its required funds, totaling $18 billion, against an actual requirement surpassing $49 billion. Additional hurdles include a limited number of donor countries, climate change-induced natural disasters, economic fluctuations from events like the COVID-19 pandemic, access restrictions, and threats to aid workers, complicating the humanitarian landscape. Since its inception in 2015, KSrelief has undertaken 3,105 projects across 104 countries, with a collective value exceeding $7.1 billion. Yemen has received the largest share, accounting for 63.12% of the center's total aid, amounting to over $4.5 billion. Dr. Al Rabeeah highlighted that KSrelief has initiated 1,017 projects supporting women worldwide, benefiting over 153 million individuals, with a total value of more than $674 million. The welfare of children remains a priority, with 953 dedicated projects worth over $909 million, aiding more than 181 million young beneficiaries. Dr. Al Rabeeah noted several initiatives supporting the Yemeni population, including the Masam project, which has cleared over 468,000 landmines, and programs providing prosthetic limbs and reintegrating children formerly associated with armed conflict into society. He also provided an overview of various platforms like the Saudi Aid Platform, the Platform for Assisting Displaced Persons and Refugees, the National Volunteer Portal, the Electronic Donations Platform (Sahm), and monitoring and documentation initiatives related to humanitarian work. Addressing the refugee situation, Dr. Al Rabeeah stated that Saudi Arabia ranks among the leading countries hosting refugees, referred to as visitors, totaling over 1.1 million. This includes more than 561,000 Yemeni refugees, 262,000 Syrian refugees, and 269,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, all receiving access to free healthcare and education, with an emphasis on societal integration. In response to recent crises, Dr. Al Rabeeah highlighted Saudi Arabia's swift action following the Gaza Strip crisis, providing $186 million in aid to Palestine. The Kingdom established air and sea bridges and continued to air-drop specialized food aid amid Israeli border closures. Similarly, $120 million in aid was allocated to Sudan, with air and sea bridges facilitating assistance. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia pledged $400 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, establishing an air bridge to alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Dr. Al Rabeeah also highlighted the Saudi Sama'a Volunteer Program for Cochlear Implantation and Hearing Rehabilitation in Turkiye, aimed at assisting those impacted by the earthquake in Syria and Turkiye. This initiative represents the world's largest volunteer program for cochlear implants and auditory rehabilitation, also providing 2,500 temporary housing units in Turkiye. The supervisor general reviewed KSrelief's airlift support for Lebanon, noting 22 planes have delivered Saudi aid, including food, medical supplies, and shelter materials. Additionally, he discussed the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which has reviewed 143 cases from 26 countries and successfully conducted 61 separation operations. The United Nations has designated November 24 as 'World Conjoined Twins Day,' an initiative by Saudi Arabia to raise awareness and celebrate achievements in twin separation surgeries. A global con ference is set to occur in Riyadh to commemorate over 30 years of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, along with the fourth edition of the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum scheduled for February 2025.