Saudi Arabia presents humanitarian vision at OCHA donor meeting in Geneva

Saudi Arabia, represented by Dr. Aqeel bin Jumaan Al-Ghamdi, Assistant Supervisor General for Planning and Development at the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, participated in the expert-level meeting of the donor group supporting the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) held in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting brought together representatives from 30 donor countries and senior OCHA officials.

Dr. Al-Ghamdi presented the Kingdom’s vision for developing the international humanitarian system, emphasizing the importance of enhancing coordination between humanitarian actors and the United Nations. He stressed the need to align strategic priorities with available financial resources, diversify funding sources, and leverage community initiatives and innovative financing mechanisms, such as Saudi Arabia’s “Sahim” platform, to ensure aid reaches the most vulnerable groups.

Al-Ghamdi referenced indicators from OCHA’s October 2026 report, which highlighted that approximately 252.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, with 89.7 million targeted for priority response and nearly one million people actually reached according to operational data.

Regarding Somalia, Al-Ghamdi noted that the data showed 1.6 million people targeted for priority response, with around 600,000 beneficiaries reached, and $236.3 million received out of the $350 million in identified funding requirements. He underscored the importance of supporting national institutions and local organizations in Somalia, adopting an integrated approach linking food security, water, health, livelihoods, and protection, and transitioning from emergency relief to full humanitarian recovery.

Al-Ghamdi also highlighted the value of utilizing modern technologies, such as artificial intelligence and geospatial analysis, to support early warning for humanitarian crises and prioritize needs, while ensuring data protection and involving affected communities and local actors in assessment, planning, and decision-making.

He further stressed the need to strengthen humanitarian diplomacy and international coordination to overcome obstacles facing relief operations, particularly in Sudan, Gaza, Yemen, and Syria. He emphasized the importance of protecting civilians and humanitarian workers and fostering cooperation between international organizations and national and local humanitarian agencies.

The meeting also discussed OCHA’s future strategic directions, recent developments in global humanitarian access, and ways to enhance the efficiency of humanitarian response amid growing challenges facing communities worldwide.