RIYADH — The organization and hosting of a high-level pledging event for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen by Saudi Arabia has earned it fulsome praise from many quarters. The event is taking place on Tuesday in partnership with the UN, drawing global donors and high-profile officials. Commenting on the event, Yemen's Vice President Gen. Ali Mohsen Saleh, described it as a major humanitarian gesture, and considered it as an extension of Saudi Arabia's efforts to help Yemen, which is experiencing the worst ever humanitarian caused by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia. In a press statement on this occasion, Gen. Saleh expressed appreciation for the Kingdom's efforts in organizing this conference and said that the brothers in Saudi Arabia always help Yemen and stand beside its people noting that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the largest supporters and financers of the humanitarian response plans in his country, along with its support to face the consequences of the outbreak of COVID-19. The Yemeni vice president praised the great relief, development and humanitarian role played by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre and the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, calling on the international community, donors and various organizations and bodies to actively initiate support and financing of response programs in his country and contribute to covering the government needs thereby enhancing its performance and achieving the ability to reduce the humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf welcomed the high-level event. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency, Al-Hajraf said that Saudi Arabia's organization of the event confirms its pioneering role in supporting Yemen and alleviating the sufferings of the Yemeni people. It also comes as an extension of its generous contributions to providing humanitarian and development support to Yemen, as the Kingdom is considered to be the first donor country to Yemen throughout history. He also commended the Council's support for Yemen and its people, as its humanitarian and development assistance constituted the largest part of all aid that Yemen received during the past decades. The Secretary General expressed his aspiration that this initiative will contribute to mobilizing efforts of international donors to make this major humanitarian event a success by standing with Yemen in a way that contributes to restoring its security and stability and the prosperity of its people, in addition to providing basic services to meet serious economic, health and security challenges. Dr. Mishaal Bin Fahim Al-Salami, the president of the Arab Parliament, described the upcoming event as a continuation of Saudi Arabia's humanitarian and development support for the Yemeni people. He added that it also embodies the leading role that the Kingdom plays as the first supporter of Yemen and the largest funders of the UN humanitarian response plans. In a press statement, Al-Salami stressed the importance of the event in light of health and economic repercussions being imposed by the coronavirus pandemic in order to help the Yemeni people and alleviate their suffering. He also pointed out that the event is a continuation of the support being provided by the Kingdom to the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan of the United Nations. He stressed that the event will contribute significantly to mobilizing the necessary funding to support relief, humanitarian and development programs to help the Yemeni people improve their living conditions. The president of the Arab Parliament called on regional and international relief organizations and donor countries to participate in the event to stand with Yemen and its people. In another development, chairman of the Arab Human Rights Committee (Charter Committee), adviser Mohammed Al-Dhahi said in a statement that Saudi Arabia has been contributing to supporting and lifting the human suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people, pointing out that the critical stage the world is going through under the COVID-19 pandemic requires the entire world to stand with the Yemeni people and end their economic, health and educational suffering. Al-Dhahi appealed to all international and regional organizations and institutions to participate in these efforts to make this humanitarian event successful as it embodies the love and brotherhood for the brotherly Yemeni people. The Dean of Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Djibouti to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama said that the event is in line with the Kingdom's continuous and supportive efforts through the SDRPY and KSrelief, adding that we all know that the Kingdom is the first supporter of Yemen, as it provided it $1.25 billion last year.
