UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to support Yemen and alleviate the suffering of its people.
He noted that the Kingdom is not only an important donor for Yemen but also to all needy countries in the world.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following his visit to KSrelief’s headquarters Wednesday, Griffiths referred to the great Saudi achievements through KSrelief in Yemen, such as clearing Yemen from Houthi mines, rehabilitating children recruited for Yemeni conflict, programs of supporting food security and enhancing the Yemeni health sector, in addition to efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and limit its risks.
He also expressed appreciation for the Kingdom on its generous financial support for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and other UN agencies.
Griffiths stressed that Saudi Arabia will have a central role in the future administration of OCHA, noting that the existing cooperation between the agency and KSrelief has several aspects and is not limited to financing.
He said both sides cooperate in combating several challenges related to delivering aid to beneficiaries, especially that their humanitarian work focuses on neutrality and non-discrimination.
Griffiths said that the Kingdom in 2022 will head the presidency of OCHA Donor Support Group.
