JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia, which co-hosted the UN pledging event on Tuesday, continues to remain the top supporter of the war-ravaged country with its $500 million pledge.

Commenting on the event, Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber said it was a continuation of Saudi efforts to serve the Yemeni people at all fronts — humanitarian, economic, and development.

Saudi Arabia “is the biggest supporter of Yemen, with a total value of humanitarian and development aid amounting to about $17 billion,” he said.

Highlighting the humanitarian role of Saudi Arabia, the envoy said that the Kingdom topped the donor countries in response to the UN humanitarian plan for Yemen in 2018 with $500 million, $750 million in 2019, and is carrying out several humanitarian initiatives and programs through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief).

Al-Jaber said: “Economically, the Kingdom has provided direct support of $7.8 billion to Yemen since 2012, where it supported the Central Bank of Yemen by depositing $3.2 billion (to keep it afloat), and oil derivatives worth $4.15 billion to operate power plants over several years, in addition to $435 million for the Social Welfare Fund.”

The Saudi ambassador said the Kingdom is also working through the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen to implement 175 projects and initiatives including 45 in the education sector, 18 in the health sector, 20 in the energy sector, 30 related to water, 13 in the field of agriculture and fisheries, 23 in the transport sector, and 26 in the government buildings sector.”

Saudi Arabia has also pledged $25 million to help Yemen fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Through the KSRelief, Saudi Arabia is carrying out several projects in different sectors of Yemen. One of the key projects is the establishment of a prosthetics center in Yemen’s Marib and Aden to help Yemeni civilians mutilated by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia.

Between January and April, 1,724 persons benefited from the center in Marib. 

Some 119 prosthetic limbs were fitted to 119 patients, 44 orthotic cosmetic limbs were fitted to 28 patients, and 181 prosthetic measurement services were implemented for 178 patients.

The KSRelief also provides dialysis solutions and other medications necessary for treating chronic diseases to Yemen.

The center provides urgent treatment for wounded and injured Yemenis in their country, and those for whom treatment is not possible in Yemen are transferred to Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region.