GAZA CITY: A delegation from the United Nations humanitarian affairs office has praised Saudi Arabia’s ongoing relief operations in Gaza following an on-ground visit to humanitarian projects implemented by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The visiting delegation from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) toured several KSrelief-managed facilities and aid distribution points across the besieged enclave, where humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate sharply due to the prolonged conflict and severe shortages of essential supplies.
The UN officials commended the scale, organisation and diversity of Saudi-funded humanitarian operations, noting in particular the efficiency of aid delivery mechanisms designed to reach displaced families and other vulnerable groups across Gaza.
The visit began at KSrelief’s central kitchen facility, where approximately 25,000 hot meals are prepared daily for families living in displacement camps.
Delegates observed the full operational chain, including food preparation, packaging and distribution, which is carried out in coordination with the Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage, KSrelief’s implementing partner in Gaza.
The UN team also visited multiple food basket distribution centres, where relief workers oversee the delivery of essential supplies to families in different areas of the territory, ensuring aid reaches communities facing acute food insecurity.
A convoy of KSrelief trucks had entered Gaza on May 6, 2026, delivering additional humanitarian assistance as part of a wider Saudi fundraising and relief campaign aimed at strengthening food security and easing shortages exacerbated by the ongoing conflict, the SPA reported earlier.
Over the past year, Saudi Arabia has significantly expanded its humanitarian footprint in Gaza through KSrelief, supporting food assistance programmes, emergency relief efforts, and water infrastructure development projects intended to improve living conditions for affected populations.
In October 2025, KSrelief inaugurated the first phase of a large-scale desalination initiative in Khan Younis and central Gaza, designed to provide clean drinking water to around 300,000 people. The project has been widely regarded as a critical intervention amid growing water scarcity in the territory.
Representatives from several United Nations agencies, including OCHA, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), attended the inauguration of the desalination project and acknowledged its role in improving access to safe water and sanitation services.
The latest OCHA field visit highlighted increasing coordination between Saudi humanitarian agencies and international relief organisations operating in Gaza, as aid groups continue to warn of worsening shortages of food, clean water and basic services across the enclave amid the ongoing crisis.
