KSRelief, FAO Sign Humanitarian Deal to Support 24,000 Yemeni Farming Families

KSRelief, FAO Sign Humanitarian Deal to Support 24,000 Yemeni Farming Families
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KSRelief, FAO Sign Humanitarian Deal to Support 24,000 Yemeni Farming Families

KSRelief, FAO Sign Humanitarian Deal to Support 24,000 Yemeni Farming Families

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) announced an ambitious new five-year strategic joint cooperation agreement with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

As a first step under the new expanded partnership, KSRelief contributed $5 million to improve the food security and nutrition of more than 24,000 highly vulnerable smallholder farming families in Yemen.

It will provide them with high quality vegetable seeds, tools and irrigation kits and animal feed and mineral blocks, while also offering them training on nutrition-sensitive agriculture to help them improve their diets

The agreement commits the partners to scale up joint action to meet humanitarian needs, address drivers of acute food security and help at-risk agricultural communities build resilience to shocks that undermine their productive potential.

It also outlines efforts to improve knowledge sharing on agricultural best practices, engage in data-driven development work via FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative and advance agricultural innovation to help small-scale food producers achieve better production and build better lives.

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and KSRelief’s Supervisor-General Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Rabeeah signed the agreement at FAO’s Rome headquarters on Tuesday.

“We are looking forward to bolster our partnership not only in the humanitarian arena but also in the area of data and knowledge for development, including work under FAO’s innovative Hand-in-Initiative, which is opening up new opportunities for vulnerable agricultural communities in the Near East and North Africa region and beyond,” said Dongyu.

“By working together, we can make a huge difference in the lives of rural communities pushed to the brink by crises.”

Rabeeah, for his part, said the signing of the agreement represents the expanding partnership between KSRelief and FAO to help many people in need as well as help communities develop to be more resilient and thereby become more self-dependent.

Saudi Arabia and FAO have been long standing partners and with the establishment of KSRelief, ties have become closer and expanded into capacity building and exchange of information.

Both bodies have been keen to address global issues to improve life quality and ensure safer environment.

KSRelief is thrilled to see this relationship become a model to be followed for helping communities and countries in need, he concluded.

Since its establishment in 2005, KSrelief has provided about $33 million in support to FAO emergency and resilience interventions.

KSRelief has been FAO’s largest humanitarian resource partner among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition and reaching to the people in need the most.



21 Countries Sign Makkah Agreement on Cooperation in Combating Corruption

Saudi Arabia looks forward to activating the outputs of the second meeting of the anti-corruption law enforcement agencies to achieve common interests (SPA)
Saudi Arabia looks forward to activating the outputs of the second meeting of the anti-corruption law enforcement agencies to achieve common interests (SPA)
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21 Countries Sign Makkah Agreement on Cooperation in Combating Corruption

Saudi Arabia looks forward to activating the outputs of the second meeting of the anti-corruption law enforcement agencies to achieve common interests (SPA)
Saudi Arabia looks forward to activating the outputs of the second meeting of the anti-corruption law enforcement agencies to achieve common interests (SPA)

The second ministerial meeting of the Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies in the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), hosted in Doha over two days, witnessed the signing of the Makkah Agreement on cooperation among OIC member states in combating corruption by 21 member states.

The large number of signatories on the same day represents a historic milestone, expected to expedite the ratification process and bring the agreement into force. This development underscores the member states’ awareness of the dangers posed by corruption and related crimes, as well as their commitment to strengthening cooperation in addressing these challenges.

In this context, the OIC General Secretariat called on the remaining member states to promptly sign and ratify the Makkah Agreement on anti-corruption cooperation, emphasizing its importance in establishing a framework for collective action against this serious threat.

The agreement aims to enhance collaboration between anti-corruption authorities, ensuring efficient and timely operations. It also advocates for joining the Riyadh Global Initiative (GlobE Network), which provides a legal framework for the direct and swift exchange of information and investigations. This initiative is expected to prevent corruption and limit safe havens for corrupt individuals.

Mazin Al-Kahmous, President of Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), emphasized the Kingdom’s commitment to making anti-corruption a core pillar of its Vision 2030.

Speaking at the second ministerial meeting of anti-corruption law enforcement authorities from the OIC member states, Al-Kahmous highlighted the far-reaching consequences of cross-border corruption on Islamic societies and their development. He underscored that united efforts at the local and international levels are crucial for fostering prosperity and supporting the sustainable development goals of Islamic nations.

Al-Kahmous further recalled Saudi Arabia’s leadership in hosting and presiding over the first ministerial meeting, which led to the adoption of the Makkah Agreement that he described as an ideal framework for enhancing anti-corruption efforts and strengthening international collaboration in this area.

He also welcomed the adoption of a Saudi-proposed resolution encouraging cooperation between OIC member states, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and other relevant organizations to develop methodologies and indicators for measuring corruption.

The first ministerial meeting of anti-corruption law enforcement authorities in OIC member states was convened by Saudi Arabia during its chairmanship of the 14th Islamic Summit. Organized in collaboration with the OIC, the event brought together leaders of anti-corruption law enforcement agencies, international organizations, and a distinguished group of local and global experts.