Saudi Arabia inaugurated 24 humanitarian and relief projects today, Sunday, in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
The Advisor to the Royal Court and Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, stated in a statement today, Sunday, that the projects were launched in the sectors of food security, health, education, water, and the environment in Somalia, benefiting about 5.8 million individuals, with a total value of 45 million dollars, according to the Saudi Press Agency “SPA”.
Al-Rabeeah said, “We have come on this historic day to affirm that the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center will continue to support our brothers in Somalia, and we inaugurate (24) relief projects in the sectors of food security, health, education, and water, at a cost of more than 38 million US dollars, and sign three agreements to implement a number of projects at a cost of more than 7.2 million dollars.”
Al-Rabeeah stated that the humanitarian aid provided by the Kingdom to those in need around the world, which has so far reached a value of approximately 127.78 billion US dollars, has contributed to supporting 169 countries impartially, and the center has implemented 2783 projects, with about 6.6 billion dollars, covering 95 countries with the participation of 175 UN, international, and regional partners impartially and methodically.
Al-Rabeeah also noted that the total amount of aid provided to Somalia until the end of 2023 amounted to about 423 million dollars, with the center contributing about 227 million dollars to implement 106 projects.
Saudi Arabia has provided various forms of aid to Somalia in the past, focusing on emergency relief and efforts to combat the effects of drought and famine in the region. One significant initiative was the launch of the second phase of emergency aid by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid Center, aimed at mitigating the impact of drought. This phase included a commitment of about $13 million to support humanitarian needs and prevent famine in Somalia. This followed an earlier phase where Saudi Arabia provided $7.18 million to address famine and its consequences.
