9 November 2025
Good morning,
It is truly a pleasure to be with you today as we mark almost ten years of collaboration between the World Health Organization and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre.
Since its inception in 2015, KSrelief has been a steadfast ally to WHO and to the people of our Region—working with compassion, commitment, and professionalism to bring hope where it is needed most.
Together, we have implemented 32 projects across 11 countries, reaching close to 100 million people with essential medicines, vaccines, and life-saving services.
Through this partnership, more than 725 USD million has been invested in essential medicines, vaccines, equipment, and health services—with another 20 million already in the pipeline.
And together we have achieved remarkable impact—from strengthening outbreak response and supporting hospitals in fragile settings to ensuring COVID-19 supplies reached the most hard-to-reach areas. The result is millions of lives saved, diseases prevented, and communities restored.
At the same time, as with all ambitious undertakings, we have faced challenges: delayed procurement, uneven implementation rates, and frequent requests for extensions or reprogramming.
These reflect the complex realities of working in crisis contexts—where access restrictions, security constraints, and overstretched systems often test our agility.
This workshop gives us the space to reflect honestly on what has worked, where we have struggled, and how we can do better—together.
Over the next two days, we will focus on practical solutions: how to accelerate procurement, strengthen reporting, improve coordination and communication, and make our joint operations more efficient and predictable.
I am also glad that our legal, finance, and procurement teams will work side by side—because partnerships are strengthened not only by shared goals, but by clear processes and mutual understanding.
As we look ahead, let us renew our commitment to this partnership—built on transparency, accountability, and above all, the shared belief that health is central to every humanitarian response.
