On behalf of the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, the Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Engineer Waleed ElKhereiji, participated today in the Donors’ Conference to Support Displaced People and Refugees in the Sahel and Lake Chad region, held in the city of Jeddah.
In his address at the conference, Eng. ElKhereiji emphasized the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to responding to humanitarian needs and providing necessary aid to people in need in the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) during crises, based on the Kingdom’s deep-rooted humanitarian principles and in alignment with the organization’s charter.
He highlighted that the Kingdom has consistently extended help and assistance throughout its history to countries and people in need, offering aid to those affected by disasters worldwide without discrimination. This commitment reflects the noble Islamic values and draws inspiration from the principles of solidarity, cooperation,
and unity in accordance with the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, and Prime Minister.
He also emphasized that the Kingdom has harnessed all its capabilities and resources to serve humanitarian causes through its leading humanitarian arm, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and that the Kingdom hopes that these efforts would contribute to promoting security and stability and fostering peace worldwide. As a result of its extensive humanitarian contributions, the Kingdom ranks among the world’s top donors for humanitarian and development aid in 2023, leading the Islamic and Arab countries with a total of $1.239 billion in aid. Additionally, over the past five decades, the Kingdom has provided more than $130 billion in humanitarian and development assistance to over 170 countries.
Eng. ElKhereiji stressed the Kingdom’s commitment to collaborating with t
he United Nations, its agencies, and various civil society organizations to provide developmental support for infrastructure sectors in host countries, alleviating the burden of hosting displaced persons. Furthermore, he highlighted the Kingdom’s support for countries experiencing displacement crises to foster sustainable solutions and mitigate the impacts of these challenges. This is in addition to the emergency humanitarian aid currently being provided by the Kingdom to address the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
He noted that the worsening security situation, including terrorist operations, along with deteriorating social, economic, and health conditions in the Sahel and Lake Chad region, poses a severe threat not only to the African countries but also to neighboring and regional states. These circumstances fuel conflicts spread chaos, and disrupt livelihoods in these nations, posing a significant challenge to member states in their continuous efforts to achieve security, stability,
and dignified life for these communities.
Eng. ElKhereiji expressed the Kingdom’s call for member states and all relevant humanitarian organizations to expedite their humanitarian and relief efforts in response to the crisis in the Sahel and Lake Chad region. The Kingdom also urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its specialized bodies to support development projects and provide humanitarian assistance to help address the challenges and crises in the region.
In this context, He stated: ‘In the implementation of the gracious directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the Kingdom will announce a generous donation to these affected communities during the pledging session dedicated to this purpose.’
Source: Saudi Press Agency