Saudi Gazette report

GAZIANTEP — Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, advisor at the Royal Court and supervisor general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), inaugurated the Saudi Voluntary Program for Auditory Rehabilitation and Cochlear Implants in the Turkish city of Gaziantep.

The program includes 24 cochlear implant programs and six other volunteer programs for those affected by the earthquake in Syria and Turkiye. The inaugural ceremony was held in the presence of Gaziantep Governor Kemal Çeber.

The ceremony witnessed the screening of a documentary film about the KSrelief’s humanitarian and relief programs and a visual presentation about the children benefiting from the Cochlear Implant and Auditory Rehabilitation Program. Screening was also held for another film that features the reaction of the children benefiting from the program when they heard for the first time. The audience also watched a visual presentation by another recipient —a girl who, for the first time, could hear from the latest cochlear implant campaign.

A Turkish child, who began to gradually regain speech after having a cochlear implant in the last stage, expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia for the efforts made by the Saudi volunteer teams in the Cochlear Implant and Auditory Rehabilitation Program for Syrian and Turkish children.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Al-Rabeeah expressed happiness over the launch of the humanitarian programs following the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to succor the earthquake victims in Syria and Turkiye. He thanked Turkiye for its support and care for Syrian refugees and emphasized the close cooperation and strong relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

Dr. Al Rabeeah announced the launch of the largest international volunteer humanitarian program for cochlear implants and auditory rehabilitation — the Saudi Program for Cochlear Implants and Auditory Rehabilitation. The program will benefit 940 Syrian and Turkish beneficiaries.

The program also includes various volunteer programs in specialties such as prosthetics, physical therapy, psychological support, economic empowerment, food baskets, and health bags, benefitting more than 5,000 individuals.

After the inauguration, Dr. Al Rabeeah thanked everyone for their presence and support for these projects, saying that he looks forward to continuing close cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Turkiye to serve humanity and enhance security and stability.

Later, in the Hatay Province, Dr. Al-Rabeeah launched the Volunteer Program for Auditory Rehabilitation and Cochlear Implants, which is considered the most significant humanitarian cochlear implant program for children worldwide. The program, in its first, second, and third phases, includes performing 120 cochlear implant surgeries and distributing 375 hearing aids to Syrian and Turkish children affected by the earthquake in the province, benefiting 495 affected children.

Throughout all program phases, 24 volunteer programs for cochlear implants will be implemented, benefiting 940 individuals. These include intensive rehabilitation programs for hearing-impaired people after their surgeries.

The KSrelief chief inaugurated the Volunteer Medical Program for Prosthetics and Physical Therapy, which provides earthquake victims with essential health services such as installing prosthetic and cosmetic limbs, benefiting 169 individuals directly and 69 indirectly.

Dr. Al-Rabeeah also launched the Volunteer Psychological Support Program for 750 camp residents in Reyhanli City in Hatay Province; the Volunteer Training Program for Economic Empowerment, which is aimed at providing specialized courses in economic support benefiting 50 low-income individuals; the volunteer program for distributing food baskets in the earthquake-affected camps in Reyhanli and Gaziantep benefiting 2,000 individuals from the Syrian and Turkish communities; and the volunteer program for distributing health kits in Gaziantep and Reyhanli targeting 2,000 earthquake-affected individuals in Syria and Turkiye.

The cost of Saudi Arabia’s aid to those affected by the earthquake in Syria and Turkiye amounts to $91.5 million. Dr. Al Rabeeah highlighted that this is part of the total aid amounting to $129.6 billion provided to 169 countries worldwide. KSrelief has also provided $6.8 billion to 100 countries in cooperation with 187 partners to implement 2,973 relief projects.

Dr. Al-Rabeeah emphasized the Kingdom’s commitment to delivering its humanitarian message to its brothers, friends, and needy communities worldwide. These efforts reflect the commitment of Saudi Arabia, represented by KSrelief, to stand by the affected people of Syria and Turkiye and alleviate the impact of the earthquake.