RIYADH , 5 September 2006 — The Saudi Committee for the Relief of the Lebanese People and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in Riyadh yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to provide $5 million in financial assistance to the Lebanese people affected by the recent Israeli invasion.
Dr. Saad Al-Harithi, adviser to the minister of interior and chairman of the Saudi committee, and Dr. Abdul Aziz Arrukban, international special ambassador of WFP, signed the agreement.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Dr. Al-Harithi said the MOU represents a series of agreements that the committee would be signing with different agencies to fund relief efforts in the food, educational and health sectors.
He pointed out that the committee provided SR3 million in assistance to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for rebuilding schools in Lebanon. This was in addition to $1 million in medical aid channeled through the World Health Organization.
"The funds released during the last four to five weeks total SR56 million," Dr. Al-Harithi said. Regarding the target set he mentioned that this would depend on the donations raised through public campaigns, as the committee was not a governmental body. "We are having an ongoing campaign. More funds will be released as and when we receive them through public donations."
Speaking on behalf of UNWFP, Dr. Arrukban thanked the Kingdom for providing humanitarian relief to the more than one million Lebanese whose lives were shattered during the monthlong Israeli invasion.
"The Kingdom's financial assistance will cover 50 percent of our needs for the Lebanese people, even though we have a long way to go in that direction," he said, adding that the WFP was also extending logistic support for relief supplies by making use of ships and cargo planes.
The WFP envoy said they would need around $40 million to provide logistic support to the relief operations for the next three months alone. This was in addition to $10 million required for food supplies.
Asked if the logistic support would be affected by the current Israeli blockade of Lebanon's seaport and airport, he said the impact would be felt to some extent. However, as a UN agency, the WFP had its own channels for moving relief supplies to the affected areas.
According to an EU assessment released recently Israel has destroyed and damaged 1,489 buildings, 21 of 29 bridges over the Litani river, 535 sections of road and 545 cultivated fields during its 34-day military offensive on Lebanon.
