King Salman to patronize first humanitarian forum in Riyadh

RIYADH: The inaugural Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum, sponsored by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), will be held under the patronage of King Salman on Feb. 26.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, KSRelief general supervisor and adviser to the royal court, told a packed press conference at the Riyadh Intercontinental Hotel that the event was the first of its kind in the Kingdom. It aimed to address changes to the humanitarian landscape and to form practical and efficient responses to reflect changing needs on the ground, he said.

Ashraf Hamouda from the UN World Food Programme and Mohamed Sharif Ahmed from the UNHCR were among those to address the press briefing.

Founded in May 2015 under the guidance of King Salman, Al-Rabeeah said KSRelief has taken a pioneering role in serving the international community in humanitarian projects.

“Saudi Arabia realizes the importance of its role in alleviating human suffering and ensuring that people are given the opportunity to lead a healthy and dignified life,” Al-Rabeeah said, recalling that it has carried out 328 projects in 30 countries.

KSRelief’s 119 humanitarian partners include UN member agencies as well as national and international non-governmental organizations. The main sectors served by the center include food security, health — with a special focus on women and children — nutrition, water, education and sanitation, along with special projects such as the rehabilitation of child soldiers.

Al-Rabeeah said the center was active in refugee rehabilitation programs, which included the construction of a 300-unit residential village in Djibouti to house Yemeni refugees, providing them educational facilities and health care.

He said that the forum was an opportunity to drive meaningful and practical change.

Al-Rabeeah told Arab News that the two-day event would have some 25 sessions and be attended by several heads of UN agencies including the WHO. “Our target audience is national and international organizations, academics and those who are involved in humanitarian activities.”

Representatives from more than 60 international and regional organizations will attend the two-day event.

KSRelief will launch the electronic edition of its international humanitarian journal during the forum.