RIYADH, 28 June 2007 — The Ministry of Social Affairs will open new social protective centers in Makkah, Taif and Al-Ahsa as part of its strategy to reduce abuse of women and children.
According to a Human Rights Commission (HRC) statement, the HRC received a letter from Social Affairs Minister Abdul Mohsin Al-Akkas which said that his ministry was planning to open additional social protective centers after a request from HRC was sent to the ministry.
“The ministry has responded to HRC’s request to open more social protective centers in all the regions of the Kingdom due to their extreme importance in combating domestic violence,” the statement said. It said it would continue to coordinate with other ministries in order to guarantee the protection of human rights.
Current social protective centers are available in Makkah, Madinah, the Eastern Province, Qasim, Jizan, Al-Jouf, Najran, Tabuk and the Northern Border.
In another development, the Ministry of Social Affairs announced that it has established 40 summer camps in the Kingdom for handicapped and disabled people.
“Over 3,500 persons are expected to benefit from these summer camps that will last for two months,” said Deputy Minister Awad Al-Radadi. The official said that the camps would be opened on Saturday.
“Establishing these camps stems from the ministry’s responsibility to invest in the leisure time of the people it cares for in social establishments,” he said, adding that summer camps had been a big success in previous years.
In addition, the official said that these camps also play an important role in fostering coexistence and harmony between different groups in the community. “They also invest in developing the skills of persons involved and merging them into social activities in the community inside and outside the camps,” he added.
