Riyadh, January 25, 2024, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), recognizes the pivotal importance of advancing the educational sector as an essential human right. The primary objective is to foster societal harmony by disseminating education and eradicating illiteracy in afflicted nations, thereby elevating their levels of prosperity and development.
To fulfill this commitment, the kingdom, operating through KSrelief, has executed 131 educational projects with a cumulative value of $232.4 million. These initiatives target 27 countries, including Yemen, Palestine, Syria, Somalia, Pakistan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Mali, South Sudan, Albania, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Iraq, Tanzania, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Bangladesh, Chad, Morocco, Libya, Algeria, and Eritrea.
Notably, Yemen, Palestine, and Syria have received substantial support from KSrelief for their education sectors. In Yemen, 34 projects, exceeding $135 million, aim to enhance education impartially across diverse governorates. Palestine has witnessed the implementation of 12 projects valued at over $41 million, while in Syria, 15 projects, totaling over $17 million, have been executed.
The breadth of KSrelief's initiatives in Yemen spans activities such as preventing girls from discontinuing their education by offering alternative learning opportunities and essential supplies. Moreover, the center provides professional training programs for teachers, conducts awareness campaigns to support girls' education, and addresses key challenges faced by Yemeni educational institutions in caring for children with disabilities. KSrelief also extends support to rehabilitation and care centers for individuals with disabilities, funds literacy schools in specific governorates, and enhances the abilities of children with disabilities through tailored training sessions.
In addition to these efforts, KSrelief supports the education sector in Burkina Faso, ensuring that children affected by insecurity and school closures gain access to a fundamental literacy program through radio broadcasts.
Beyond these direct interventions, KSrelief has undertaken projects like distributing school bags to underprivileged students in Somalia, South Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, and Yemen. In Sierra Leone, the center has played a crucial role in improving the education sector by providing sanitation services, libraries, and scientific laboratories to numerous schools. Furthermore, KSrelief has granted scholarships to orphaned and needy students in Albania and contributed computers and accessories to support public education schools in Tanzania.
The collaborative spirit of KSrelief is evident through partnerships with various UN and international organizations, as well as civil-society groups. Key collaborators include the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM). These partnerships are strategically focused on supporting the educational process and ensuring its continuity in needy and affected countries.
Every year on January 24, KSrelief observes the International Day of Education, emphasizing the indispensable role of the education sector in the development of nations, the advancement of people, and the attainment of a respectable standard of living.
