Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Partnerships Affairs, in the Middle East and Central Asia Rashid Khalikov praised the humanitarian and relief efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia for the people affected, in general, and relief provided by Saudi committees and campaigns, in particular. Khalikov extended acknowledgement of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to the wise leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its contribution to mitigate the suffering of those affected, in many countries, ravaged by wars and disasters. This came during a meeting of the Saudi committees and campaigns' relief officials with United Nations officials, here at the United Nations Headquarters for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The two sides discussed a number of mutual cooperation, in the humanitarian field, in the presence of the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations and other international organizations, in Geneva, Ambassador Faisal bin Hasan Trad. Khalikov commended the level of cooperation and partnership and humanitarian response that characterized the committees and campaigns, whether in their direct works with the United Nations humanitarian organizations to implement many of relief programs or during projects for those affected, with a total cost exceeding more than SR 3.8 billion, according to the agreements and memorandums of cooperation, which helped in covering aspects of food, health and inpatient, educational, and development projects, in Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and East Asian countries. Meanwhile, Head of the Department of partnership and resource mobilization, at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva Marcy Vicoda said that the Kingdom is a leading relief worker and history confirms the speed of its response to humanitarian emergencies. It also commended the areas of partnership and cooperation with the Saudi relief committees and campaigns towards issues of mutual interest, in humanitarian works and ways to document them.
