The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) commemorated its tenth anniversary at the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum, where its Supervisor-General, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, highlighted that the agency has provided humanitarian assistance exceeding $7.3 billion across 106 countries.

The forum, held in partnership with various United Nations agencies, aims to address future challenges in humanitarian response, featuring the theme "Navigating the Future of Humanitarian Response."

Dr. Al-Rabeeah noted that KSrelief has successfully implemented 3,355 relief projects in collaboration with 211 international, national, and local partners.

Celebrating the commitment of Saudi Arabia to humanitarian work, he referenced King Salman’s pivotal role in establishing KSrelief, emphasizing its focus on strategic planning and expedient interventions in crises.

Al-Rabeeah stated that over the last 50 years, Saudi Arabia's total charitable contributions have surpassed $133.8 billion, with KSrelief leading in facilitating extensive networks of volunteer missions, conducting 876 missions to date across 52 countries.

The forum features 21 sessions with contributions from 132 speakers, focusing on innovative approaches to humanitarian challenges and emphasizing the use of new technologies to enhance operational efficiency.

It also serves as a platform to encourage financial support from global donors to expedite humanitarian responses and address urgent needs.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan acknowledged the diverse participation at the forum, highlighting the collective commitment to confronting pressing humanitarian issues, particularly in regions such as Palestine, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan.

He commended KSrelief for its notable initiatives, including the Masam project dedicated to landmine clearance in war-affected Yemen.

During the opening ceremony, Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar conveyed a message from King Salman, recognizing KSrelief's impactful work over its first decade.

This included the signing of four major agreements: one with the World Health Organization for $300 million aimed at polio eradication; another with UNICEF for $200 million; a contribution of $100 million to the Islamic Development Bank’s lives and livelihood fund; and a renewal of its longstanding cooperation with the World Food Programme focused on food assistance, highlighted by the donation of over 100,000 tonnes of dates.

In discussions on humanitarian diplomacy in conflict zones, Dr. Al-Rabeeah emphasized its crucial role in alleviating crises.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and International Organization for Migration Director-General Amy Pope expressed their gratitude to KSrelief for its efforts in maintaining attention on basic needs in conflict areas.

Pope underscored the importance of accessibility to essential services during such crises.

Maciej Popowski, from the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, and Pierre Krahenbuhl, from the International Committee of the Red Cross, both emphasized the significance of adhering to international humanitarian law without political interference, particularly in light of the EU’s recent decision to suspend certain sanctions in Syria to support its socio-political recovery.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, in a video message, commended KSrelief’s integral role in humanitarian diplomacy across conflict-affected regions, lauding its efforts to uphold humanitarian principles in challenging circumstances.