Rome- The Saudi-based King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre announced its official support and funding of the international World Food Programme’s efforts in Yemen, by providing a much needed $10 million fund upon royal directives ordered by King Salman Bin Abdulaziz.

Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court and General Supervisor of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre signed the fund agreement in Italy’s Rome on Friday.

A majority of the WFP exertions backed by the fund in Yemen will be helping alleviate the suffering of civilians facing starvation in Al Hudaydah, Yemen’s fourth largest city. The deterioration of human conditions in Yemen is caused by the ongoing civil war and spurred by an insurgency looking to overturn constitutional authority in the country.

The insurgency is chiefly led by Iran-aligned Houthi militiamen and former president Ali Abdullah Saleh loyalists.
The agreement enclosed a food program focused reaching out to the ever-rising numbers of starved Yemenis in Al Hudaydah backed by a swooping endowment of $10 million.

Dr. Al-Rabeeah, after signing the agreement with WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin, accredited the fund to the direct orders initiated by The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman that entailed resolve and commitment to provide humanitarian aid and relief to all suffering Yemenis.

Advisor Al-Rabeeah also added that the program fund aims to cut down rates on the malnutrition and imminent starvation facing children under five years of age, which makes up to a dramatic 31 percent. The high rate of starvation in Yemen has tipped over the internationally-recorded high of 15 percent.

The program will provide food aid to dire cases of no less than 464,000 Yemenis residing in Al Hudaydah for over the course of six months. Noting that 235,000 children will be receiving direct relief as opposed to 229,480 others that will have aid distributed in the form of food coupon system.

WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin expressed its deep appreciation of the initiative taken by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, saying that the organization is ever more thankful for the constant aid and contribution presented by the kingdom in the fight against malnutrition and starvation which distresses the lives and wellbeing of thousands of people.