RIYADH: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through its humanitarian arm, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), has implemented 131 educational projects worth $232.4 million targeting 27 countries, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Thursday.
According to the SPA, Saudi Arabia considers the development of the educational sector as a fundamental human right to harmonize societies by spreading education and eradicating illiteracy in affected nation to raise their prosperity and development levels.
The projects were implemented in Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, and Yemen.
Yemen, Palestine, and Syria are among the states that have received major support from KSrelief for their education sectors. In Yemen, 34 projects worth over $135 million have been initiated to improve education without discrimination across various governorates. In Palestine, the center has launched 12 projects worth over $41 million, while in Syria, 15 projects worth over $17 million have been implemented.
The Yemen projects are in addition to supporting the education sector in Burkina Faso to help children affected by the lack of security and school closures to have access to a basic literacy program through the radio.
KSrelief has launched projects to distribute school bags to needy students in Somalia, South Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, and Yemen.
The center has contributed to improving the education sector in Sierra Leone by providing sanitation services, libraries, and scientific laboratories to several schools. It has offered scholarships to orphaned and needy students in Tirana and Elbasan in Albania to cover their annual expenses. It also donated computers and accessories to support public education schools in Tanzania.
KSrelief has collaborated with several UN and international organizations and civil-society groups to implement education-related projects in needy and affected countries.
On January 24 of each year, KSrelief observers International Day of Education. The day highlights the vital role played by the education sector in the development of countries and the progress of people.
