WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES: The Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, recently participated in a seminar entitled “Update on the Humanitarian Situation in #Yemen” held at the headquarters of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations in Washington, D.C. The large group of attendees included ambassadors, diplomats, and others interested in humanitarian affairs; some media representatives were also present.

Dr. Al Rabeeah condemned the illegal actions of Houthi militias in Yemen which interfere with humanitarian work in the country. He called upon the international community to address these repeated violations, which include the use of anti-aircraft weapons to bomb civilian sites, the planting of land mines, the forced military recruitment of children, the seizing and detention of humanitarian aid vessels and convoys, and the illegal sale and confiscation of aid for military purposes. The Houthis have also repeatedly intimidated humanitarian workers, and have also shelled hospitals, schools, IDP camps and other civilian targets. The ongoing militia offenses have resulted in civilian deaths and injuries, serious property losses and delays in delivery and the destruction of large amounts of humanitarian aid.

Houthi attacks on the the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have killed 113 civilians and injured 1,030 others; 10,357 Saudi citizens have been displaced due to these Houthi acts of aggression.  In addition, 41 schools have been damaged, and 6 schools and 20 mosques have been destroyed. The Houthis have also launched drone attacks targeting two key oil installations in the Dawadmi and Afif governorates in Riyadh, and a processing unit at the Shaybah natural gas plant in the Kingdom’s eastern province. Militias have also attacked the Abha and Jazan airports.

“KSrelief,” Dr. Al Rabeeah stressed, “has issued more than one statement condemning the violations of the Houthi militias, and has called for international intervention to prevent these violations and hold the Houthis accountable.” Despite these violations, however, the center continues to provide relief and humanitarian assistance to all parts of Yemen, including areas controlled by the militias.

Since 2015, the Kingdom has provided USD 14.5 billion to help Yemen – USD 2.2 billion of this amount being provided through KSrelief to implement projects in cooperation with 80 partners, including UN agencies, various NGOs, and other local and international organizations. “KSrelief’s initiatives,” Dr. Al Rabeeah stated, “are based upon the highest standards of humanitarianism, impartiality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and respect for international human rights law.” The center has implemented 368 projects in Yemen, 143 of which focusing on the welfare of women (USD 317.2 million) and 150 on children (USD 483.1 million.)

KSrelief has undertaken such vital qualitative projects as “MASAM” (the Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance in Yemen) which, through August 2019, has deactivated 87,781 mines in the governorates of Ma’rib, Aden, Taiz, Sana’a, Al Jawf, Al Hudaydah, Lahij, and Shabwah. MASAM has deployed 400 mine-clearance specialists to head this project, which includes training Yemeni cadres in safe landmine disposal practices. KSrelief also established two Artificial Limbs Centers to provide rehabilitation services and prosthetic devices to amputees who have lost limbs due to injuries from missile attacks and encounters with landmines.  

Regarding the serious issue of child soldier recruitment in Yemen, Dr. Al Rabeeah stated the following: “Houthi militias have lured children into being recruited, and have used them in military conflict. Child recruitment may turn children into future hired assassins, a threat to local peace and security in Yemen. (The children) may also become, without their awareness because they are just children, dangerous terrorist tools. To help to address this issue, KSrelief launched the Child Soldiers Rehabilitation Program, which thus far has succeeded in rehabilitating hundreds of child soldiers, returning them to their families, homes and schools.”

“In Iranian-backed Houthi-militia-controlled areas, KSrelief, in partnership with international regional and local organizations, has implemented projects in the following sectors: 55 projects in food security and shelter (USD 544,118,000), 15 projects in health and environmental aid (USD 159,534,000), and 11 projects in community support (USD 49,868,000). The Coalition Forces Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen has provided USD 18.6 billion covering various humanitarian and relief sectors.”

Dr. Al Rabeeah added that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also responded to an appeal from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF with USD 66.7 million to combat the cholera epidemic in Yemen; USD 33.7 million of this amount was provided to WHO and USD 33 million to UNICEF.

At the end of the seminar, the Supervisor General answered questions from the audience.