RIYADH: A delegation from Saudi Arabia participated on Tuesday in the fifth UN Conference on the least developed countries in Doha.
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center team (KSrelief) was headed by assistant supervisor general of planning and development, Aqeel bin Jamaan Al-Ghamdi who took part in
a discussion on “investment in people in the least developed countries,” and another on the sustainable development after the pandemic and the capacity to build.
KSrelief have also organized an event on the sidelines of the conference titled, “international partnerships and external assistance”, with the participation of the Saudi Fund for Development and the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen.
Al-Ghamdi presented a brief about Saudi Arabia’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the assistance Saudi Arabia offered to international community to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic to countries with vulnerable healthcare systems.
Al-Ghamdi also met representatives of humanitarian and relief organizations participating in the conference.
Throughout the conference, the Kingdom’s delegation is set to take part in a number of plenary sessions and high-level meetings, in addition to hosting as many as three side events.
The Kingdom is a major contributor in providing aid to many of the least developed countries in line with the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Saudi Arabia ranked first among donor countries in offering official development assistance to low and medium-income countries, with a total of SR26.71 billion ($7.12 billion), revealed Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, citing data published by Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
KSrelief participates in 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries
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KSrelief participates in 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries
- Kingdom’s delegation is set to take part in a number of plenary sessions and high-level meetings, in addition to hosting as many as three side events
US Marines fired on protesters storming consulate in Karachi, officials say
- Ten people were killed when protesters stormed consulate on Sunday to protest Iranian supreme leader’s killing
- Citing initial information, two US officials say unclear whether rounds fired by Marines struck or killed protesters
WASHINGTON: US Marines opened fire on demonstrators during the storming of the Karachi consulate over the weekend, two US officials said on Monday— a rare use of force at a diplomatic post that could sharply escalate tensions in the country amid widespread protests over the killing of Iran’s leader.
Ten people were killed on Sunday when protesters breached the compound’s outer wall after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in strikes on Iran. Citing initial information, the two US officials said it was unclear whether rounds fired by Marines struck or killed anyone.
They also did not know whether shots were also fired by others protecting the mission, including private security guards and local police. This would mark the first confirmation by US officials that Marines were involved in firing at the protesters.
A provincial government spokesman, Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, said “security” personnel had opened fire, without specifying their affiliation. Daily security operations at US diplomatic missions are often carried out by private contractors and local forces, and the involvement of Marines in the incident underscores how seriously the consulate viewed the threat. Pakistan is home to the world’s second-largest Shia community after Iran.
On Monday, Pakistan banned large gatherings nationwide after the protests over the strikes on Iran spread, with 26 people reported dead across the country. Protesters on Sunday chanted “Death to America! Death to Israel!” outside the consulate, where Reuters reporters heard gunfire and saw tear gas fired in surrounding streets.
Video on social media appeared to show at least one protester firing a weapon toward the consulate and bloodied demonstrators fleeing as shots rang out. A Karachi police official told Reuters that the shots were fired from inside the consulate premises. The US Marines referred questions to the US military, which in turn referred questions to the State Department.
The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. Shia community leaders have called for more protests in Lahore and Karachi despite the nationwide ban on public gatherings.
The US embassy in Pakistan is in the capital, Islamabad, and there are two additional consulates in Peshawar and Lahore.
Roads leading to the US consulate in Karachi were blocked off with a heavy police presence in the area. Similar measures were in place around US missions in Lahore and Islamabad.
