Riyadh: King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Community Support Director Dr. Jawaher Almuhanna participated in the virtual launch of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 2026 Humanitarian Action Overview. Almuhanna said Saudi Arabia recognizes the vital role women play in alleviating suffering caused by crises, conflicts, and disasters, and in contributing to peacebuilding. She emphasized KSrelief's commitment to protecting women and girls affected by emergencies.
According to Saudi Press Agency, Almuhanna recalled the establishment of KSrelief in May 2015 as an international center dedicated to assisting people in need and delivering relief worldwide without discrimination. She said the center works to support and empower women across humanitarian sectors and to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals in cooperation with UN agencies, international organizations, and civil-society groups. KSrelief has implemented 1,169 projects for women, valued at US$3.8 billion, benefiting more than 200 million women in 79 countries.
Almuhanna said women face significant challenges during conflicts, including displacement and loss of safe shelter, which often leave many as heads of households and exposed to food insecurity and malnutrition. Such conditions directly affect their lives and restrict their access to healthcare, particularly reproductive health services, while also increasing gender-based violence and limiting education and employment opportunities.
In response, she said, KSrelief provides comprehensive humanitarian interventions for women, including protection, shelter, psychosocial support, awareness-raising on women's rights, combating violence, and strengthening social cohesion between displaced women and host communities.
Moreover, the center provides mobile clinics and reproductive health services, and it trains midwives in remote areas to reduce maternal mortality, Almuhanna stated. In the field of combating gender-based violence, KSrelief offers protection programs, legal and psychosocial support, safe spaces for women and girls, training for workers to ensure optimal support for survivors, and awareness initiatives to address violence against women.
On the economic front, she said the center delivers vocational training for women's economic empowerment, provides tools for professions, and supports rural women through agricultural production activities. Educationally, KSrelief assists girls by rehabilitating school facilities and providing school supplies to ensure their continued education.
Through KSrelief, Saudi Arabia is committed to supporting all efforts aimed at safeguarding human rights and dignity, especially for women in crisis-affected countries, Almuhanna said. She expressed hope for unified international efforts to develop more comprehensive and sustainable solutions that ensure a better future for all affected countries.