Ministry dismisses accusations by residents of shelter

MAKKAH — A top official of the Ministry of Social Affairs has dismissed allegations of mismanagement, abuse of power and bad living conditions at a women's protection home in Makkah. Abdullah Al-Taoi, director general of the ministry's Makkah province branch, said accusations by residents of the Dar Al-Wafaa shelter that they had been subjected to bullying, ill-treatment and use of force in order to send them back home, or of referring them to police stations for simple reasons, were untrue. The official was responding to a report published by Okaz Arabic daily quoting the residents about the pathetic conditions at the shelter. Al-Taoi said his administration had sent more than one committee to investigate the accusations and study the conditions of the residents. The first committee visited the center on July 2 last year along with the president of the Association of Umm Al-Qura. The second committee investigated the facts on the ground and presented its findings in the court after 20 days of work. It conducted investigations with the director of the shelter and the residents. Al-Taoi said a committee from the Human Rights Commission (HRC) visited the shelter in the middle of November to discuss the complaints of residents and try to convince them to return to their families. "The commission was keen to meet with each resident personally. Yet, one of them inappropriately treated a female HRC member and a report was filed on the incident," he said. Al-Taoi denied the claims of residents that the shelter neglected their healthcare and education. He explained that last year the director of the shelter accompanied a resident to hospital when she needed a surgery to remove fluid from her brain. "We take care of the residents and do everything possible to help and support them. There are reports filed and documented regarding our work," he said. The official said claims by the residents that they were not receiving social welfare benefits were not true. "Financial support is given weekly to residents and we also buy them their daily needs, including personal supplies, and provide clothing to them annually. We have enrolled them in private institutes and prepared programs, trips and celebrations for them. Also, each one of them has been assigned a special phone that they can use to call the police if necessary," Al-Taoi said. He added that when some of them were given an opportunity to move to other shelters, they refused saying they enjoyed the comfort and stability at Dar Al-Wafaa.