RIYADH — King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) signed virtually Sunday three cooperation agreements with the World Health Organization (WHO) to support and empower the capabilities of the Yemeni health sector according to the humanitarian response plan for Yemen with a total value of $15 million.

The agreements were co-signed by Advisor at the Royal Court and General Supervisor of KSrelief Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah and WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari.

The first agreement stipulates enhancing and empowering the health sector in Yemen with basic and life-saving medical equipment, and buying laboratory tools and medicines related to treating contagious diseases to support the emergency health response, which is expected to benefit 1.27 million individuals in several Yemeni governorates with a total value of $11.2 million.

The second agreement includes providing five oxygen stations (the second phase), providing logistic transport means and training employees of hospitals on the medical gases system and station maintenance.

This is with the aim of increasing the level of preparedness of health facilities and localizing the sustainability of health services in the governorates of Shabwah, Marib, Abyan and Hadramaut, where a total of 41,738 individuals are expected to benefit from this agreement with a total value of $1 million.

The third agreement stipulates supporting logistic works assisting the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination to 10% of the population of Yemen, with the aim of activating the training of the health personnel to administer vaccinations to beneficiaries, dispatching fixed and mobile voluntary teams to vaccinate beneficiary residents and implementing awareness campaigns on the importance of receiving vaccines.

It will also increase the preparedness of the Yemeni health sector to face the pandemic and increase the awareness to receive the vaccines to boost the percentage of immune citizens, where 886,341 individuals in all Yemeni governorates are expected to benefit from this agreement whose total value stands at $2.8 million.

Dr. Al Rabeeah expressed happiness for signing these three agreements between the KSrelief and the WHO, represented by its regional office, praising the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the WHO that dates back to many years with the aim of reducing the human suffering.

He noted that the KSrelief, during the past few years, has worked with the WHO in several projects and programs for the benefit of the Yemeni people, which had a big impact in combating several diseases and pandemics, the latest of which is the COVID-19 pandemic, hailing the distinguished work between the two sides in combating Cholera in Yemen, which formed a big success story.

For his part, Dr. Al-Mandhari stressed that Saudi Arabia, represented by the KSrelief, is a main partner to the WHO since several years in supporting various programs that the WHO and other UN agencies, such as the UNICEF, implement in various countries of the world, not only in the region, which enabled the WHO to offer distinguished health services at various levels and types and consequently save lives across the globe, increase the health level and alleviate the suffering of the needy.

He added that these three agreements have opened a new chapter of partnership, where WHO seeks to continue this partnership in Yemen, the region and beyond, noting that this partnership has maintained a new health system in terms of providing financial support necessary for development programs and providing devices, equipment and medical needs necessary to implement safe delivery operations for women, handing over kidney dialysis devices and other important equipment.

These agreements are part of a series of humanitarian and aid projects being implemented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the KSrelief, in partnership with the WHO to develop the Yemeni health sector and improve the level of the medical services provided to the Yemeni citizens across the Yemeni governorates. — SPA