Saudi Arabia continues to support the building of neighboring Yemen’s coronavirus vaccination capacity, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) General Supervisor Abdullah Al-Rabeeah reaffirmed on Thursday
Speaking at an online videoconference organized by the National Council of US-Arab Relations, Al-Rabeeah revealed that talks were ongoing between KSRelief and the Yemeni government to extend more support to the war-torn country.
After contacting Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, KSRelief arranged for the delivery of a number of testing kits and machines and cameras to authorities at Yemen’s health ministry, noted Al-Rabeeah.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Arabia has stood in solidarity with the Yemeni health sector and government institutions fighting the spread of the pandemic.
On the challenges facing humanitarian relief work in Yemen, Al-Rabeeah cited security threats and hostility carried out by Houthis against aid workers in the battle-weary country.
“KSRelief convoys have been targeted in more than 35 incidents,” said Al-Rabeeah, adding that 39 arbitrary detentions and 31 muggings have targeted the organization’s workers and aid supplies in Yemen.
Al-Rabeeah also shed light on Houthi militias recruiting and deploying child soldiers to fight on battlefronts.
“Over 25,000 children have been recruited,” he said, adding that KSRelief is working on rehabilitating minors that were drafted by Houthi militias.
According to Al-Rabeeah, KSRelief launched a rehabilitation program that offers psychological, social, educational and family counseling services to prevent those children from becoming a threat in the future.
As for Saudi Arabia’s record of ongoing support for Yemenis, Al-Rabeeah reminded that the kingdom hosts over half a million Yemeni refugees that it treats as “visitors, not asylum seekers.”
Yemenis in Saudi Arabia have been granted official documents all over the kingdom, stressed Al-Rabeeah.
He also pointed out that Yemeni children are offered free access to public schools and health programs in Saudi Arabia.
