Saudi to support 20,000 Yemenis, Somalis with $10m fund

Saudi Arabia will support 20,000 Yemeni and Somali refugees and returnees with a $10 million fund through a joint relief program.

The bodies involved in the work are the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

A government source was quoted as saying by a local publication here that the UNHCR and IOM is coordinating with the Somali government and local and regional authorities to provide protection and urgent aid to both the returnees and refugees.

“Providing protection to thousands of war-affected people who have fled Yemen and took refuge in Somalia since March 2015 is a priority for UNHCR and IOM, as well as the international community,” said the source.

More than 32,000 people escaped the escalating war in Yemen and moved to Somalia during the past months, said the source.

“The project includes distribution of urgent relief material and health and educational services, in addition to providing technical support to the local authorities to ensure the safe and decent return of the individuals.”

Nabil Othman, UNHCR’s acting regional representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council, said: “This is a big step for UNHCR and IOM in view of the large numbers of desperate returnees to Somalia from Yemen, carrying nothing with them except hope. We must at least provide protection to them.”

He said the biggest challenge they face now is to speed up the cooperation between the parties involved to start implementing the project and work closely with the Saudi government to meet the commitments agreed upon.

“The international bodies must join hands together to generate more support and quick response in view of the current desperate humanitarian situation,” he said.