Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and on his behalf, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, attended today the inauguration of the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum (RIHF3) in its third session, which is organized by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) in partnership with the United Nations and its humanitarian organizations in Riyadh. Advisor at the Royal Court and KSrelief General Supervisor, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, delivered a speech at the forum in which he welcomed the participants to Riyadh, appreciating the presence of this gathering; RIHF3, which has received generous care and support from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, and Prime Minister, and the attendance of Governor of Riyadh. Dr. Al Rabeeah said: "We are meeting today as the world is witnessing many disasters, crises, conflicts, and events that have exacerbated the humanitarian situation and multiplied its challenges, the latest of which is the catastrophe that befell the Syrian and Turkish peoples that claimed the lives of tens of thousands and made millions homeless, asking Allah the Almighty for mercy and forgiveness for those who died and a speedy recovery for those who were injured and help for the homeless." He stressed that today's meeting calls for more concerted efforts and expansion of donors, states, bodies, and individuals, and raising the level of coordination and impact of humanitarian aid so that work will be more effective and responsive, noting that this forum gains great interest and active participation from the UN and international, regional and local organizations, as well as active leaders in humanitarian efforts from 50 countries and nearly 60 organizations, which makes the world look forward to what comes out of the high-level gathering from solutions and recommendations that are in the interest of humanitarian work. Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, delivered a speech on behalf of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in which he thanked Saudi Arabia, explaining that the humanitarian scene is a harsh one, as the needs are escalating all over the world. The humanitarian crises are piling up, while the desperate are looking forward to our assistance, adding that in times of need, human rights, especially women's rights, are subjected to brutal attacks in many places, which harms entire societies. He noted that the world is experiencing the largest food crisis in modern history and famine is knocking on many doors, adding that tensions are high, including the Ukraine war that is about to enter its second year, and the catastrophe of the Turkiye and Syria earthquakes, which claimed tens of thousands of lives and caused untold destruction. Griffiths added that more than 350 million people need humanitarian assistance around the world, more than 222 million people do not know when they will eat their next meal or whether they will find something to eat at all, and 45 million people are already on the brink of starvation, most of them women and children, stressing that the need for nearly $54 billion to meet the basic needs of the most affected people. Griffiths called for ending wars and conflicts, stopping the outbreak of new conflicts, and addressing climate change directly because every flood, heat wave, drought, or severe storm leaves in its wake a humanitarian crisis, as well as taking decisive measures to reduce emissions and switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy. He stated that in response to this emergency, the UN Secretary-General announced an unprecedented amount of $250 million from the United Nations Emergency Fund, the Central Emergency Response Fund, as these funds would enable early action and pre-empt existing crises, including famines. For his part, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan said: "Driven from the values of our true Islamic religion, the kings of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since its founding by King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud and his sons, up to the era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, have always been keen to rally all efforts and mobilize the kingdom's capabilities to serve humanitarian causes to alleviate the suffering of the stricken people and provide relief to the distressed wherever the need arises, without racial or religious discrimination, adding that the volume of the aid supplied by the Kingdom over the past seven decades amounts to $95 billion, benefiting 160 countries around the world. The Minister of Foreign Affairs added that amid geopolitical and economic crises and challenges, the Kingdom continues to advance in its humanitarian and development giving, making it at the forefront of donors of development and humanitarian aid to low- and middle-income countries, with an amount exceeding $7 billion. He recalled that the last humanitarian efforts of the Kingdom were the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince to operate an airlift, provide various humanitarian aid, and organize a national campaign to mitigate the effects of the earthquake on the Syrian and Turkish peoples, which has saddened the entire world, adding that "as we stand today in respect and appreciation for every individual who made an effort or donated money for the victims of the devastating earthquake, these repeated events remind us of our urgent need for humanity without borders, to ensure the preservation of human dignity, and prompt us to redouble efforts to avoid the scourge of war, to cooperate in facing disasters, and to ensure the delivery of aid to those who deserve it in line with international humanitarian law and the principles of humanitarian action." Prince Faisal bin Farhan indicated that the Kingdom has worked proactively to reduce the deterioration of the conditions of affected countries and societies and to seek practical and effective solutions through regional and international cooperation, as the Kingdom announced in the past two years a series of initiatives that went beyond the national level, and proved the Kingdom's leadership in climate affairs at the regional and global levels, citing the establishment of a regional center for the Middle East and North African countries to reduce carbon emissions, with its headquarters in Riyadh, in cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Council for Western Asia (ESCWA), adding that this cooperation embodies the importance of multilateral relations to support balance, peace, development, and overcoming global crises. Meanwhile, Dr. Al Rabeeah signed approval to allocate sums of money for new and various projects for those affected by the earthquake in Syria and Turkiye, with a value exceeding SAR183 million. The first project includes the construction of 3,000 housing units to shelter those affected by the earthquake with a value of SAR75 million. The second is to sponsor orphans affected by the earthquake, with a value of SAR40 million. The third project included the implementation of a voluntary program for the benefit of the earthquake victims (Saudi Volunteer Life), with a value of SAR18 million, while the fourth project included the provision of life-saving health care services, worth more than SAR17.8 million. The fifth project included the implementation of life-saving water and sanitation interventions at a value of more than SAR6,500,000, while the sixth project included the provision of basic nutrition supplies, at a value of more than SAR6,500,000, and the seventh project included the urgent medical response to relief the earthquake victims in Syria, with a value of more than SAR19,800,000.
