JEDDAH: On the occasion of World Volunteer Day, the Ministry of Health initiated a campaign titled “My Volunteering is Health,” to commemorate World Volunteer Day which falls on Dec. 5.
International Volunteer Day is an international observance designated by the United Nations in 1985. It offers an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individuals to make their contributions visible.
The initiative took place along the four walkways of Jeddah city (Tahlia, Rehab, Hilton and Fayhaa); it ran from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The event included participation of many government hospitals, in addition to a volunteers and specialists who represented many medical departments; many centers for people with special needs also volunteered.
Sierrina Eisa a student at the Open Arab University told Arab News: “Usually I come here to walk with my friends and surprisingly, today I found that the Ministry of Health is celebrating International Day for Volunteering. I think it is a great initiative to encourage youths to volunteer.”
Doctor Hind Faisal, from the department of academic affairs at Sharq Jeddah Hospital, told Arab News: “Sharq Jeddah Hospital and many of its health centers are volunteering today to develop the spirit of volunteering among its employees.”
The campaign aims to provide 2,000 volunteering initiatives distributed through various regions of the Kingdom. it is implemented through 20,000 volunteers among its employees with a total of more than 60,000 volunteering hours.
International Volunteer Day is marked by many non-governmental organizations, including the Red Cross, the scouts and others. It is also marked and supported by UN volunteers.
Apart from mobilizing thousands of volunteers every year, the UN Volunteers program works closely with partners and governments to establish national programs to create structures that foster and sustain local volunteerism. Through the Online Volunteering services, volunteers can take action for sustainable human development by supporting the activities of development organizations over the Internet.
The main focus of International Volunteer Day 2017 is not only to celebrate volunteerism in all its facets, but also to pay special tribute to people’s participation in making a difference locally, nationally and globally.
The Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health Volunteering will be announced as well as the best initiatives will be honored at the district level, including hospitals and health centers.
Saudi Ministry of Health celebrates International Volunteer Day
Saudi Ministry of Health celebrates International Volunteer Day
Saudi Arabia condemns remarks by US ambassador to Israel on Middle East, calls for clarification
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned remarks made by the US ambassador to Israel suggesting that Israeli control over the entire Middle East would be acceptable, describing the comments as reckless and a violation of international law.
US envoy to Israel Mike Huckabee said it would be acceptable if Israel took control of the entire Middle East, including the West Bank, on Saturday.
Huckabee suggested that he would not object if Israel were to take most of the Middle East.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “categorically denounced” the comments, rejecting what it described as irresponsible statements that contravene international law, the United Nations Charter and established diplomatic norms.
The ministry said the remarks represented a dangerous precedent, particularly as they came from a US official, and amounted to a disregard for relations between the US and countries across the region.
It warned that such positions carry grave consequences and threaten global peace and security by inciting hostility toward the peoples and states of the Middle East, while undermining the foundations of the international order based on respect for sovereignty and internationally recognised borders.
Saudi Arabia called on the US State Department to clarify its position on the remarks, stressing that the proposal was rejected by peace-loving nations around the world.
The Kingdom reaffirmed its firm opposition to any actions or statements that infringe on the sovereignty, borders or territorial integrity of states, reiterating that a just and comprehensive peace can only be achieved by ending the occupation and implementing a two-state solution.
That solution, the statement said, must include the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
