RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is the largest donor to humanitarian efforts in Yemen and its response to a donor conference held in 2015 is evidence of this, the head of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) said on Saturday.
The supervisor general of KSRelief, Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, said that meeting the humanitarian needs of the Yemeni people is a priority for the Kingdom.
He added that he hoped the upcoming donors conference organized by the Kingdom in partnership with the United Nations would be supported and well received by the international community.
Meanwhile, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator Mark Lowcock said the Kingdom donated more than $750 million last year and pledged $500 million in April.
Lowcock added that this makes Saudi Arabia the biggest donor to Yemen, which requires $2.4 billion to fund the aid operation for the rest of the year. Of that figure, $180 million is needed urgently to fight COVID-19.
Yemen’s Minister of Information Moammar Al-Eryani said that the Kingdom has always provided support to Yemen and continues to do so at a time when Iran is “providing nothing but killing, destruction, smuggled weapons, ballistic missiles … and explosive devices that kill Yemenis every day.”
The donors conference for Yemen is due to take place on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Saudi time.