Today, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) an event entitled “First Workshop for Developing the Child Soldiers Rehabilitation Program in Yemen”. The workshop was held at King Saud University in Riyadh, and was attended by, among others, the Yemeni Minister of Human Rights, officials from King Saud University, KSrelief staff, academicians and specialists in humanitarian affairs.

Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of KSrelief, opened the event by expressing his hope that the workshop would result in concrete recommendations for enhancing the program and improving its outputs. 

“Working in the humanitarian field,” Dr. Al Rabeeah stated, “requires a continuous evaluation of achievements and review of work methods. We must identify which of these methods need improvement in light of the changing conditions in beneficiary areas. KSrelief was very keen to organize series of meaningful workshops to develop the quality of relief projects and programs using best practices to ensure the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in international humanitarian work under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and HRH the Crown Prince, who is leading Saudi Vision 2030.  

“KSrelief aims to be a leading humanitarian center. The purpose of this important international organization is to provide humanitarian aid and relief to those in need outside of the Kingdom’s borders. The center’s activities are founded upon noble fundamental humanitarian goals and principles. KSrelief has thus far been able to reach 42 countries, and has implemented 695 projects for a total cost of USD 2,661,368,002.”

Dr. Al Rabeeah stressed upon the urgency of building a future that preserves the dignity of life, security and safety for all – a future that guarantees human rights. KSrelief created the Child Soldiers Rehabilitation Program to help former child soldiers and other children severely affected by the ongoing violence in Yemen; helping children in need is one of the top priorities on KSrelief’s humanitarian agenda.  In this regard, he added, the center appreciates the ongoing support of the Coalition, represented by the Commander of the Joint Forces, and the continuous cooperation of the Department of Civil Military Operations.

“The first phase of the program,” he said, “had important outputs, including psychologically, socially and educationally rehabilitating 400 children and reintegrating them into normal life. We have also provided awareness courses to 9,600 parents of child soldiers. The program was praised by the United Nations, which described it as having a long-term strategic effect on stabilizing the region. 

“It should be noted that KSrelief was selected by the United Nations to be a member of an international team to cooperate in the area of child soldier rehabilitation on four continents around the world. The team consists of 16 specialists with considerable expertise and field experience in dealing with the issue of child recruitment.” 

Dr. Al Rabeeah added that because of the importance of this program on the international humanitarian level, KSrelief’s program staff worked extensively with specialists, consultants and other stakeholders in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, many of whom were present for the workshop. The Supervisor General stated that he was confident that their discussions would contribute to the development of sustainable scientific methodology, empowering Yemen’s internal capabilities to deal with this issue and become an international humanitarian model for child soldier rehabilitation.

“The Kingdom's initiatives,” Dr. Al Rabeeah added, “stem from its moral commitment to support people in crisis and provide them with decent lives; we are particularly concerned about the welfare of women and children, who are always the members of society most affected by disasters and conflicts. This affirms the pioneering international role the Kingdom has played since its founding. This role has met many of the world’s ever-increasing humanitarian needs, needs which pose a serious challenge to humanitarian organizations and which must be confronted in order to achieve peace and stability in the world.  

“There is no doubt that the international community and all peace-loving countries regard the generous assistance and initiatives of the Kingdom in humanitarian work with great appreciation and gratitude. The donations and assistance the Kingdom has provided to crisis-affected countries, whether due to conflicts or natural disasters, result in more dignified lives for those suffering from disasters and conflicts.” 

Dr. Mohammed Al Askar, Yemen's Minister of Human Rights, thanked the Kingdom and its leadership for their extensive efforts to help the government and people of Yemen. He also expressed his appreciation to KSrelief for implementing this special program to provide support services to children affected by the ongoing conflict in Yemen. He added that the program is playing an important role in reducing the high levels of violence in society.

The Minister commended the program’s strategic vision, which he said would have an influential role in the security of the region and the world. He also expressed his appreciation to the international community for their continuing fight against terrorism and extremism.​