Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief Bandaging Bleeding Humanity

How bad is it for you to watch the news from the comfort of your home and see the last traces of fading humanity in some parts of the world? The news is continuously spilling over barrels of hopelessness and despair from all over the world.  Babies being pulled from under the rubble, human remains scattered on the streets and skeleton-like children laying on beds waiting for either aid or death, whichever comes first, are all scenes that are not new to this world. However, it is such a tap on the shoulder to see people getting off the couch and actually doing something. Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief, keeping an eye out for all plagued countries, has always been a frontrunner when it comes to humanitarian aid. Its aid has been reaching as far as it is needed, covering all aspects of life from food to mental health.

Gaza: The Elephant on Social Media Platforms and News

In case you missed it, this week the world has been watching Gaza, the so-called open-air prison on its way to upgraded and be the world’s biggest grave. Israel has ordered a siege around Gaza, cutting off food, water, electricity and the internet. It is bombing residential areas, leaving dozens dead under the rubble.

In the wake of these gruesome, hair-raising events, Saudi Arabia has shown its solidarity with Palestine on various levels.  Saudi Arabia delivered its annual financial contribution of $2 million to (UNRWA) on Sunday. This donation is one of a series of decades-long donations totaling $1 billion. Therefore, this puts KSA on top of the list of donors.

“Saudi Arabia always stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people and supports the agency to achieve its humanitarian efforts,” said Lazzarini, thanking the Kingdom for this generous support.

Saudi Arabia’s pro-Palestine stance was not confined to financial aid, as it has always made sure to vocal its support publicly defending the Palestinians and their rights. Given the recent unfolding events in Gaza, Saudi Arabia has been in talks with China, US, Iran, France and others defending the innocent civilians.

Israel topped what is happening in Gaza with a bloody bombardment of Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, the cherry on top of the dead-bodies cake. Attacks on hospitals are, for obvious reasons, one of the “six grave violations” condemned by UN Security Council. However, what is International Humanitarian Law or “grave violations” when it comes to Gaza?

Following this bloody attack, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said that the Kingdom “strongly condemns the heinous crime of the Israeli Occupational Forces bombing Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, which led to the death of hundreds of civilians.”

During the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit (ASEAN), the Crown Prince said that he was ‘saddened’ by the escalating violence in Gaza, for which innocent people were paying the price. He firmly rejected the targeting of civilians.

Saudi Arabia Health Relief Efforts

War-torn Yemen has many people who have lost limbs. Helping them to get back on track and lead a normal life, Saudi Arabia established a prosthetics center there. Located in Taiz governorate, the centre provided services like the manufacturing, fitting, delivery and maintenance of prosthetic limbs as well as physical therapy. It provided 1371 services to 374 beneficiaries.

Recently, Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief signed a cooperation agreement with the Somali-based regional mission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to support the Emergency and Rescue Unit of the Somalian Health Ministry and emergency departments in Somali hospitals. 15 fully equipped ambulances were sent to the Somali Ministry of Health.

Saudi Arabia Mental Health Relief Efforts

Due to the growing public awareness of mental health’s importance and the pressing need for it amid what is happening around the world, Saudi Arabia has been exerting effort in this regard.

In Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees, Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief organized an event marking World Mental Health Day. The event included various activities and information sessions on protecting vulnerable groups, especially children.

Natural Disasters

If this would make you feel any better, not all the atrocities in this world are man-made.

Three magnitude 6.3 earthquakes struck Afghanistan this year on October 7, 11 and 15, leaving almost 1,400 dead. Buildings collapsed, leaving Afghanis on the streets with no homes. Due to disruptions in communication networks, people were not able to get in contact with their families.

In a bid to alleviate the crisis there, KSA sent its first batch of aid on October 9 to the people of Herat. Saudi Arabia sent15,000 Saudi food packages worth $2 million to Afghanistan. The  Afghan Red Crescent Society was responsible for distributing them. It sent another 24 tones of food baskets to the afflicted families in western Afghanistan on October 15.

On October 17, the Kingdom delivered another 23 tones and 250 kg of Saudi food parcels to earthquake-struck Herat Province. These parcels helped 375 families. Earlier this year, in April, the KSrelief Centre gifted Afghanistan 100 tons of dates.

Moving to the west to Libya, on September 10, Storm Daniel caused one of the most lethal floods in Libya. Strong winds and heavy downpour knocked two dams down. Consequently, a destructive flooding swept through the country, demolishing houses, hospitals and power lines. The floods killed more than 4,000 people and 10,000 others went missing.

Over a short window of 4 days, KSA sent 4 planes packed with 90 tons of food and relief materials. The Libyan Red Crescent distributed the planeloads of aid under the supervision of KSrelief.

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