Saudi Arabia, WFP partnership dates back more than 45 years: KSrelief supervisor

The partnership between Saudi Arabia and the World Food Program (WFP) dates to more than 45 years, the General Supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), Dr. Abdullah al-Rabiah said.

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During this time, the Kingdom was keen on constructive cooperation with WFP to enable it to fulfill its obligations towards those affected by hunger and those facing acute food shortages, he added.

Al-Rabiah’s remarks came as he participated in the annual WFP Executive Board meeting, which was held Monday in the Italy’s capital Rome, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

According to SPA, Saudi Arabia had provided a $50 million grant to the program between 1975-1976 to support its food projects for those affected by the 1973 economic crisis that swept the world.

In 2008, the Kingdom announced a generous $500 million grant to WFP “to enable it to complete its relief projects and provide food to millions of people affected by high prices.”

In 2014, Saudi Arabia had also contributed more than $200 million to provide food for displaced families in Iraq, Syrian refugees in various countries, as well as refugees from South Sudan and Somalia, SPA added, citing al-Rabiah.

The Kingdom continued to support the WFP, providing aid estimated at $1 billion, allocated to support the program’s food and food security projects.

KSrelief

Al-Rabiah said that the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the WFP “witnessed a historic transformation in May 2015” after KSrelief was established.

KSrelief is the humanitarian arm of the Kingdom, as it manages, coordinates and supervises the country’s international aid.

WFP has a permanent representative in the center to coordination between the two sides, al-Rabiah added.

The total amount provided to WFP through KSrelief amounts to $1.2 billion as of 2021, which helped the program provide food aid to 24 countries around the world, SPA reported.

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