KSrelief Launches Package of Projects, Signs Humanitarian Agreements in Damascus
Advisor at the Royal Court and General Supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah inaugurated on Sunday a package of humanitarian projects and signed a number of agreements in Damascus, under the patronage of President Ahmad al-Sharaa of the Syrian Arab Republic. The ceremony included a visual presentation on the efforts and unique initiatives of KSrelief around the world.
In a speech delivered on behalf of the Syrian President, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed Al-Saleh affirmed that this significant humanitarian event reflects the depth of brotherhood and cooperation between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He extended profound thanks to the Kingdom, under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, as well as to KSrelief for the support and assistance provided to the Syrian people over the past years.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah then delivered a speech in which he conveyed to the attendees the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince, along with their wishes for the brotherly Syrian people to resume the path of reconstruction towards a secure Syria that is open to its Arab surroundings.
He indicated that humanitarian work is an integral part of the Kingdom's identity and a civilizational approach to strengthening ties between peoples and reviving the spirit of solidarity among all humanity.
He noted that this humanitarian approach has been firmly established under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and with the support and follow-up of HRH the Crown Prince, transforming this work into a comprehensive institutional strategy embodied in the activities of the KSrelief, whose operations have extended to 108 countries worldwide, including the Syrian Arab Republic, which has never been absent from the hearts of the Saudi leadership and people.
Since its establishment, KSrelief has allocated 454 projects for Syria, amounting to more than SAR5.25 billion, out of a total of SAR28.1 billion provided by the Kingdom to Syria, Dr. Al-Rabeeah added.
The launch included humanitarian and relief projects, among them the rehabilitation of damaged bakeries in the governorates of Rural Damascus, Homs, Latakia, Suwayda , Daraa, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, and Aleppo, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), benefiting 1,432,000 individuals.
It also included a project to rehabilitate 715 homes for families affected by the earthquake in Aleppo Governorate, as well as the restoration of the town's mosque and the provision of 55 temporary housing units for the most severely affected families who lost their homes, benefiting 4,587 individuals.
A project for the care and empowerment of orphans in northwest Syria was also launched, aiming to provide monthly cash stipends to support 1,000 orphaned children in the Jindires area, in addition to economically empowering 400 homemakers through in-kind grants.
In Aleppo Governorate, the Aman project was inaugurated to support orphans affected by the crisis, providing them with cash stipends, essential supplies, and psychosocial and social support, while also enabling their mothers through vocational training and the provision of necessary tools.
The initiatives also include a project to provide 454 dialysis machines along with their necessary supplies and solutions, to be distributed across various Syrian governorates, benefiting 51,400 individuals. Another project will focus on delivering medical aid by equipping 17 central hospitals in the cities of Latakia and Aleppo with medical devices, benefiting 4 million individuals. The equipment will include two computed tomography (CT) scanners, in addition to X-ray, ultrasound, and echocardiography equipment for radiology departments. The project will also offer 10 ambulances and a large stock of medicines.
Furthermore, a project was launched to establish a healthcare center and its associated facilities, aiming to rehabilitate essential health services severely affected by the humanitarian crisis and to improve access for vulnerable groups in Damascus Governorate. In addition, a humanitarian land bridge was inaugurated to support the Syrian people, which includes 50 trucks carrying dialysis machines, medical supplies, food and shelter materials, heavy equipment, debris removal vehicles, and ambulances.
Also inaugurated were 61 volunteer initiatives, both medical and non-medical, across 45 specialties, set to be implemented during 2025. Eight of these projects were launched in conjunction with the inauguration ceremony and cover a variety of fields, including pediatric surgery, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery, pediatric oncology surgery, and neurosurgery. The initiatives also include two cochlear implant and auditory rehabilitation projects, a surgical and intensive care training program, and a knowledge transfer and enrichment project focusing on cybersecurity.
Moreover, KSrelief signed nine cooperation agreements with local, international, and UN humanitarian organizations aimed at supporting relief work in Syria. One of the agreements involves supporting the wheat production chain in eastern Aleppo's rural areas, benefiting 16,500 individuals (2,500 families). Another agreement will rehabilitate 15 wells and provide safe drinking water in Douma of Rural Damascus, benefiting 250,000 individuals.
The following agreement involves implementing the Saba' Sanabel (seven spikes) project in northern Syria to support 750 farming families, enabling them to grow vegetables and wheat and creating job opportunities for 500 daily wage workers. A fourth agreement focuses on rehabilitating sewage networks in Qaboun of Damascus, benefiting 21,000 people.
A fifth agreement was signed for the implementation of the Basmat Amal (a smile of hope) project to support orphans in Syria. This includes cash stipends, school fee coverage, and the provision of recreational programs and activities, as well as offering food baskets and clothing to orphans and their caregivers. A sixth agreement involves the rehabilitation of wells in the Al-‘Oqdah Al-Thamina area of Sahnaya in Rural Damascus, benefiting 300,000 individuals.
KSrelief also signed a seventh agreement for the removal and management of debris in Damascus and Rural Damascus, benefiting over 4 million people. An eighth agreement, in cooperation with a civil society organization, aims to rehabilitate 34 damaged schools in the governorates of Aleppo, Idlib, and Homs, benefiting 26,197 people. Lastly, the ninth agreement focuses on rehabilitating the headquarters of the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management and on enhancing capacities and exchanging expertise in the humanitarian field in Damascus.
