RIYADH — King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has carried out 80 relief and welfare programs worth $416 million (SR1.56 billion) during the past one year. The programs benefited more than 62 million Yemenis, the center said in its annual report. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, adviser at the Royal Court and general supervisor of the center, was to present the annual report during a function in Riyadh on Wednesday in the presence of Yemen's minister for health and population and other dignitaries. "The center carried out 29 emergency relief programs inside Yemen benefiting 17.7 million people," the report said, adding that it spent $193 million on these programs. More than 600,000 people benefited from the center's food security program in Yemen. "Food security programs were implemented in the Yemeni provinces including Dhale, Lahij, Maarib, Shabwah, Hadhramout, Ibb and Al-Jawf, spending more than $8 million," the report said. "We have conducted a separate food security program for Sanaa spending $4.1 million. We distributed 100,000 food baskets among 600,000 people in the city alone," the report said. The center conducted relief programs for the cyclone-hit provinces of Hadhramout, Shabwah and Al-Mahrah, spending $575,000 and nearly 30,000 people took advantaged of these programs. It distributed 100,000 food baskets in Taiz at a cost of $3 million, benefiting 500,000 people. "We have distributed 218,250 heads of sacrificial sheep in Hadhramout, Al-Mahrah, Shabwah and Maarib at a total cost of $900,000 benefiting 217,250 people," the report said. The total cost of the food security program implemented by the center amounted to $141.25 million, benefiting a total of more than 10 million people. The center provided $8 million for the UN's emergency food program in Yemen, which was implemented in April 2015. "We have distributed 100,000 food baskets in Taiz at a cost of $3.1 million benefiting 600,000 people in the province," the report said. Referring to food and medical programs in Saidah, the report said the center gave $400,000 to supply 22 tons of medical appliances and medicines, 40 tons of dates and 6,000 food baskets. "These supplies benefited 50,000 people," the report said. The center airlifted food and medical supplies worth more than $200,000 to Taiz, the report said, adding that the program benefited about 100,000 people in the province.
