RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center signed a cooperation agreement with the International Committee of the Red Cross to bolster emergency response efforts for Gaza, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The deal was signed by KSrelief Assistant Supervisor-General for Operations and Programs Ahmed Al-Baiz and ICRC Director-General Pierre Krahenbuhl.

Under the agreement, KSrelief will provide an additional $1.85 million in aid, bringing its total support for the ICRC’s efforts in Gaza to $11.85 million.

The funding will be directed toward the delivery of essential medical supplies to health facilities, as well as improving water and sanitation services — critical sectors strained by the humanitarian crisis.

Since the outbreak of hostilities between Hamas and Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated dramatically.

The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties, widespread displacement and severe shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies.

Hospitals and health centers have struggled to cope with the influx of injured civilians, with many facilities facing critical shortages of medicine, electricity and even basic equipment.

The destruction of infrastructure has also left large portions of the population without access to clean drinking water, exacerbating the risk of disease outbreaks.

Saudi Arabia, through KSrelief, has been at the forefront of aid efforts for Gaza, working alongside international partners to provide food assistance, medical supplies and emergency relief.