JEDDAH: The King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRelief) has been instructed to allocate the amount of SR200 million for the treatment and transfer of Yemeni victims of last week’s Sanaa funeral hall explosion, according to a statement received by Arab News.
The statement said that SR150 million would be allocated to cover treatment expenses and the transfer of wounded Yemenis.
It added that the center has been instructed to send urgent aid to the Yemeni governorate of Al Hudaydah.
An additional SR50 million has been earmarked to take care of other needs to end the crisis.
Last week, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman directed KSRelief to coordinate with the Arab coalition, the legitimate Yemeni government, and UN organizations to facilitate the transfer abroad of the injured who need to be treated, following the Great Hall incident in Sanaa.
Meanwhile, a Saudi soldier laid down his life defending the Kingdom’s volatile border, the security spokesman of the Interior Ministry announced on Friday.
He said one of the security patrols at Al-Dair in Jazan came under hostile fire across the border from Houthi elements, which resulted in the martyrdom of Khaled Ali Mohammed Asiri. The Saudi forces responded and exchanged fire with the militias until they brought the situation under control.
Furthermore, joint Saudi forces foiled an attack launched by the Houthis and militants loyal to deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh on the southern border, according to Al-Arabiya.
The Saudi forces hit the attackers before they could reach the border near Dharan Al-Janub in the Asir region.
Saudi special forces undertook military operations and the remaining Houthi attackers withdrew from their location after losing tens of their colleagues, weapons and other armed men who were supporting Houthi backline positions.
In another development, Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir held talks with Tobias Ellwood, British MP for Bournemouth East and minister for Middle East, Africa, Counter Terrorism and Consular. Both discussed bilateral ties and regional issues.
Ellwood, on his Twitter account, expressed his appreciation for Al-Jubeir who briefed him on the Sanaa funeral attack. He said that the UK and Saudi Arabia are partners and are able to discuss all issues including Yemen and other regional developments.
The MP said that he had a frank and detailed discussion with Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, Yemen’s president, in Riyadh, adding that the two sides stressed the need for a cessation of hostilities, and finding a political solution to the conflict.
The UK has said that it would present a draft resolution to the UN Security Council demanding an immediate cease-fire in Yemen, British Ambassador to UN Matthew Rycroft said Friday.
“We have decided to put forward a draft Security Council resolution on Yemen, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a resumption of the political process,” he told reporters.
The draft text is expected to be circulated among the council’s 15 members, with a vote expected in the coming days.
Separately, an explosion killed six people and wounded 20 as they attended a funeral service in the Yemeni city of Marib, east of Sanaa, the government-run news agency Saba said on Friday.
The blast occurred as condolences were being paid after the death of Abdulrab Al-Shadady, an army general in Marib who was killed a few days ago in fighting with Houthi militia, local officials told Reuters.
Among those killed in Friday's blast was Salem Al-Shadady, the older brother of the general killed earlier, Saba said.
SR200m allocated to heal Yemen’s wounds
SR200m allocated to heal Yemen’s wounds
