Saudi Arabia, represented by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSReleif), signed a joint cooperation agreement with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to support the water and sanitation sector in Kassala and Gedaref states in Sudan. The agreement was signed by Director of the Partnerships and International Relations Department at KSReleif Dr. Hana Omar and Assistant Secretary General of the UNDP and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States Abdullah Al-Dardari. The signing ceremony was attended by the General Supervisor of KSReleif Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah and UNDP Director General Achim Steiner on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly held in New York City. The agreement will benefit 833,520 individuals directly and 5 million individuals indirectly, with a total value of $3.5 million. Under the agreement, solar energy systems will be constructed and installed for ten new water stations (groundwater wells), distribution points will be expanded at a slow sand filtered water station, solar energy systems will be rehabilitated and installed for 44 water stations (groundwater wells), and 54 water user associations will be established, comprising approximately 600 members. The agreement also stipulates distributing water collection and storage containers among the most vulnerable families, distributing water treatment tablets to treat drinking water, providing new waste collection equipment and repairing damaged ones, and providing metal garbage containers. It also includes distributing hygiene supplies to needy families, providing hand-washing tools to 54 schools and clubs, and supporting educational and cultural publications on the importance of personal hygiene for 10,000 people. This agreement comes within the framework of a series of humanitarian and relief projects and programs related to the water and environmental sanitation sector that Saudi Arabia is implementing through the KSrelief to improve the quality of life, provide sustainable solutions for the environment, and reduce the spread of diseases and epidemics in needy countries around the world.
