KSrelief Supervisor General Participates in Soaring Humanitarian Needs and Limited Resources Session at European Humanitarian Forum

The 2nd European Humanitarian Forum, which is being held in Brussels between March 20 and 22, yesterday hosted a scientific session titled “Soaring humanitarian needs and limited resources: Engaging emerging donors and new sources of financing”, in which Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah took part.

Al Rabeeah stressed the importance of expanding the donor base for global humanitarian action, as it remains very limited, noting that a small number of donors finance more than 80% of humanitarian operations around the world. It is important to expand that base to reduce the cost for donors, he said, calling for intensifying efforts of countries, institutions and the private sector, and urging countries with high potential and the private sector to finance global humanitarian action due to the growing needs.

The supervisor general also recalled the generous directive of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to involve the private sector and individuals in financing humanitarian work around the world, and tasking the centre with launching several popular campaigns in response to emergency humanitarian crises, noting that the centre supports international humanitarian action and United Nations institutions, and provides the majority of its international funding through United Nations agencies.

He explained that Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the World Food Programme, carries out annually the Kingdom’s campaign of gifting dates worth over $136 million every year to 72 countries. The centre also supported the response to the COVID-19 pandemic around the world by providing vaccines, medical devices, medicines and intensive care units, as well as financial support. Al Rabeeah also stressed the importance of encouraging countries and donors to provide in-kind and financial resources to achieve integration in humanitarian action.

He also noted that the Kingdom is an active member of the donor group of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), where Saudi Arabia chairs the donor group for the 2022-2023 session, adding that the Kingdom is active in contacting donors and mobilising their support for OCHA. The Kingdom is also working with the donor group to expand the donor base, support OCHA initiatives and work, address humanitarian problems and crises, and provide solutions through the donor group.

Source: Saudi Press Agency