From 2007 to Feb 2017, Asian countries received a total of $21 billion, while Yemen topped recipient countries receiving $13 billion
RIYADH, February 28 (CIC) - Saudi Arabia has donated nearly USD $33billion in global aid in the past 10 years, according to data provided by the Electronic Platform for Saudi International Aid, which was inaugurated by King Salman bin Abdulaziz at the opening of the Kingdom’s first International Humanitarian Forum in Riyadh on Monday.
Saudi Arabia has long been a regional leader in humanitarian affairs and has demonstrated a profound commitment to supporting those most in need around the world. In line with its humanitarian spirit and as a means of effectively distributing aid, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief) was founded in 2015.
The Electronic Platform for Saudi International Aid, launched by KSrelief at the start of the February 26-27 humanitarian forum, will provide a high-tech national platform to record and document Saudi Arabia’s contributions to the world, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The Kingdom provides impartial humanitarian, development and philanthropic aid to various countries around the world, and has been one of the top ten global donor countries in providing both in-kind and financial aid as humanitarian grants and soft loans to encourage development in developing counties.
It also has contributed significantly to NGOs, as well. The Kingdom has made 489 financial contributions totaling $929 million to UN organizations, international entities, and humanitarian regional funds. These contributions were divided among three sectors: the budget and public programs of development funds, entities and organizations; humanitarian assistance and emergency relief for UN organizations and international entities; and religious and social works for international and regional organizations.
From 2007 to February 2017, Saudi Arabia disbursed $32.65 billion to 999 projects in 78 countries. These projects were implemented by 150 partners including international and local organisations, as well as the governments of recipient countries, SPA reported on Tuesday.
Aid projects were implemented across the five continents, with Asian countries receiving $21 billion or 66.33 percent of the total aid appropriated. African countries received $9.76 billion or 30.76 percent of the total aid, Europe $379.0 million or 1.19 percent, North America $376.3 million or 1.19 percent and Central Asia $170.3 million or 0.54 percent.
The top recipient of aid from Saudi Arabia was Yemen, with a total of $13.37 billion for 285 projects. Yemen was followed by Syria, with a total of $2.35 billion/ 95 projects; Egypt, with $1.84 billion/20 projects; Niger, with $1.32 billion/7 projects; Mauritania, with $1.33 billion/14 projects; Afghanistan, with $567.1 million/29 projects’ China, with $549.9 million/10 projects’ Pakistan, with $521.9 million/108 projects; Jordan, with $516.9 million/11 projects. Rounding out the top 10 was Tunisia, with a total of $514.2 million/9 projects. The rest of the amount was distributed among 68 countries around the world.
Several ministries and government institutions coordinated efforts to collect and classify aid data for inclusion in the platform in three phases. The first phase, called the contemporary phase, comprised the period between 2007 and 2017; the second was between 1996 and 2006; and the third registered the rest of the assistance provided since the establishment of the Kingdom.
In preparing the platform, KSrelief coordinated with the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi Ministry of Finance, Saudi Ministry of Health, Saudi Ministry of Education, Saudi Fund for Development, Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Saudi Irrigation Organization, Saudi Ministry of National Guard and the Saudi Red Crescent.
The platform was designed by KSrelief and provides registration forms for humanitarian, development and philanthropic projects and contributions, all carried out according to guidelines of the International Standards for Humanitarian Response from the Development Assistance Committee of Economic Cooperation and Development (DAC-OECD), United Nations Financial Tracking Service (UNFTS), and International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI).
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