• Almost 600,000 children and 7,000 teachers, as well as 54,000 Yemeni people, will benefit from services provided under the agreement
• Children will receive support for their psychological and physical well-being

Zaid Khashogji

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center on Tuesday signed a $7 million joint cooperation agreement with the UN aid organization UNICEF to support Yemeni children’s access to quality education.

Almost 600,000 children and 7,000 teachers, as well as 54,000 Yemeni people, will benefit from services provided under the agreement.

KSrelief so far has implemented 26 educational projects worth almost $122 million in Yemen, in addition to implementing several joint projects with the UN and international organizations to support the country’s educational sector.

Under the agreement, an educational strategy is expected to be developed for displaced children in the conflict-racked country to ensure they receive quality education in safe environments.

Children will receive support for their psychological and physical well-being, while training programs will help teachers deal with those affected by the war.

The two sides were represented in the agreement by Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, KSrelief supervisor general, and Catherine Russell, UNICEF executive director.

As part of the agreement, a campaign will seek to raise parents’ awareness of the importance of returning their children to school to build their future through education.

Al-Rabeeah said that the agreement is an extension of the Kingdom’s humanitarian efforts to support the educational sector in Yemen, and to promote “this important and vital sector as it is a main engine for the prosperity of societies and a main artery toward the progress of nations.”

He added that the center, in partnership with UNICEF, continues to support and provide care for Yemeni children.

KSrelief and the UN organization have helped millions of children in Yemen and other countries where the two sides work closely together, he said.