New York - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has today at its headquarters signed a cooperation agreement with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) that paves the way for future global collaboration between the two organizations. The agreement focuses on enhancing coordination of efforts along the humanitarian, development, and peace continuum in crisis settings.

Collaboration will cover areas including peacebuilding and crisis prevention, recovery of basic service delivery, infrastructure rehabilitation, supporting sustainable livelihoods, food security and urgent climate action.

UNDP Administrator, Mr. Achim Steiner, and KSRelief Supervisor General, Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, signed the agreement during a bilateral meeting hosted by Dr. Khalida Bouzar, Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States. The meeting was organized on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

"In crisis settings, especially increasingly protracted ones, humanitarian responses are crucial. But to move from saving lives to safeguarding futures, we need to offer long-term solutions. We must invest in human development and peacebuilding in crisis response, from the onset,” said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. “This partnership with KSRelief speaks to this shift in thinking and action, strengthening our support and helping communities across the globe.”

The agreement between UNDP and KSRelief will strengthen coordination between both organizations in field operations and activities. It will encourage knowledge sharing, building on each other’s expertise in supporting countries in post-disaster and post conflict situations, worldwide.

“This cooperation agreement aligns with the Kingdom’s dedication, represented by KSRelief, to harness its capabilities in service of humanitarian issues,” said KSRelief Supervisor General, Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah. “It also comes as a result of the Kingdom’s commitment to working with the United Nations, its Funds and Programmes and the international community to promote global humanitarian relief work.”

Established in 2015 under the high patronage and guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, KSRelief has dramatically expanded its operations, providing development and humanitarian aid and relief to 69 countries across all continents.

For media inquiries, please contact:

UNDP Noeman AlSayyad | Regional Communication Advisor for Arab States
noeman.alsayyad@undp.org | +962 (7) 567 2901

KS Relief Abdullah Al Shenafi | International Relations Specialist
a.alshenafi@ksrelief.org  | +966 59 836 7748