Saudi Arabia condemns Gaza school strike

Saudi Arabia condemns Gaza school strike
Palestinians look at damages at the site of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City. (Reuters)
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Updated 10 August 2024
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Saudi Arabia condemns Gaza school strike

Saudi Arabia condemns Gaza school strike
  • The Kingdom called for an end to the “genocide” taking place in Gaza

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has condemned Israeli strike on a Gaza school sheltering displaced people that killed around 100 people on Saturday.

In a foreign ministry statement, the Kingdom called for an end to the “genocide” taking place in Gaza where Israeli violations to the international humanitarian law are bringing an “unprecedented humanitarian disaster.”

Saudi Arabia has also denounced the international community’s failure to hold Israel accountable for its violations.

An independent UN-appointed expert accused Israel of committing “genocide” in its Gaza war after the strike.
“Israel is genociding the Palestinians one neighborhood at the time, one hospital at the time, one school at the time, one refugee camp at the time, one safe zone at the time,” Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights situation in Palestinian territories, said on social media platform X.

Israel claimed that around 20 Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants were operating from the school.

Saturday’s attack brings to at least 14 the number of schools struck in Gaza since July 6.

 


Saudi crown prince announces the launch of Riyadh Non-Profit Foundation

Saudi crown prince announces the launch of Riyadh Non-Profit Foundation
Updated 5 sec ago
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Saudi crown prince announces the launch of Riyadh Non-Profit Foundation

Saudi crown prince announces the launch of Riyadh Non-Profit Foundation

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the launch of the “Riyadh Non-Profit Foundation” and the formation of its board of directors on Thursday.

The foundation will be an independent institution and fall under the umbrella of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, Saudi Press Agency reported.

It will be headed by the crown prince. The CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al-Sultan was appointed vice president and secretary-general of its board of governors.

The foundation aims to support and develop institutional and social work in all its forms, encourage research, studies, and social activities, and enhance community contribution to developing non-profit sector programs, SPA said.

It will also aim to consolidate the culture of social work and enhancing its values. The launch of the foundation is a pioneering step toward enhancing social development and innovation in the non-profit sector, SPA added.

The foundation will focus on achieving social development by empowering all segments of society, enhancing social cohesion, and contributing to preserving the identity of the Riyadh community. It will work with government agencies and non-profit institutions to develop job opportunities in the social sector.

The foundation also aims to be a regional and global leader in financing, designing and launching innovative social programs, support healthcare, education, arts and culture, promote a sustainable environment, contribute to improving the quality of life, achieve social development in the Kingdom by building an integrated and interconnected system, and establish research centers and social project incubators.


Saudi pharma firms fined $180,000 over product shortages

Saudi pharma firms fined $180,000 over product shortages
Updated 26 September 2024
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Saudi pharma firms fined $180,000 over product shortages

Saudi pharma firms fined $180,000 over product shortages
  • Violations cited by the SFDA included failure to report to the authority’s drug track and trace system
  • SFDA said that it imposed penalties on the 24 firms as outlined in its product guidelines

RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority has imposed fines totaling SR678,400 ($180,000) on 24 pharmaceutical firms over failures to provide registered products in the local market.

Violations cited by the SFDA included failure to report to the authority’s drug track and trace system, failure to notify the authority of likely shortages or supply interruptions, and failure to maintain adequate stocks of products, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The SFDA said that it imposed penalties on the 24 firms as outlined in its product guidelines to pharmaceutical, and herbal and health product manufacturers.

According to the guidelines, pharmaceutical and herbal manufacturers, as well as warehouses, are required to maintain sufficient stocks of all registered products for six months, based on annual data reviewed by the SFDA.

Any stock shortages must be addressed within three months, unless the authority issues a decision to cancel the product registrations.

Pharmaceutical and herbal manufacturers, along with their representatives, must notify the SFDA of any anticipated shortages or interruptions in the supply of registered products at least six months from the expected time of the disruption.

Firms are also required to provide solutions to help address the shortage.

This aligns with the SFDA’s commitment to ensuring that pharmaceutical establishments adhere to its regulations guaranteeing the availability of medicine across the Kingdom.

Penalties can reach up to SR5 million, in addition to the potential closure of the facility or cancelation of its license.

The SFDA said violations can be reported by contacting the unified number 19999.


KSrelief Project clears 1,338 Explosives in Yemen

KSrelief Project clears 1,338 Explosives in Yemen
Updated 26 September 2024
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KSrelief Project clears 1,338 Explosives in Yemen

KSrelief Project clears 1,338 Explosives in Yemen

RIYADH: Saudi's aid agency KSrelief's Masam Project dismantled 1,338 explosives in various governorates of Yemen reported state news agency SPA on Wednesday.

This included three anti-personnel explosives, 35 anti-tank explosives, and 1,300 unexploded ordnances.

Since the project's inception, a total of 462,289 explosives have been cleared.

The Masam project is dedicated to clearing explosives in Yemen.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through KSrelief, remains committed to ridding Yemeni lands of all explosives.

This ongoing threat has tragically resulted in the loss of lives and caused injuries to innocent children, women, and the elderly.


KSrelief delivers Gaza humanitarian Aid to Jordan

KSrelief delivers Gaza humanitarian Aid to Jordan
Updated 26 September 2024
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KSrelief delivers Gaza humanitarian Aid to Jordan

KSrelief delivers Gaza humanitarian Aid to Jordan

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief delivered a new shipment of aid for the Gaza Strip to the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) in Amman reported state news agency SPA on Wednsday.

The Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) in Amman is preparing aid packages to send to Gaza via Jordanian land crossings.

The aid included 10 trucks loaded with 1,280 shelter bags and 3,537 baskets of essential food items, aimed at securing the daily needs of those affected by the crises.

 


At UN open debate, Saudi FM says violators of international law must be held accountable without favor

At UN open debate, Saudi FM says violators of international law must be held accountable without favor
Updated 26 September 2024
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At UN open debate, Saudi FM says violators of international law must be held accountable without favor

At UN open debate, Saudi FM says violators of international law must be held accountable without favor

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister said restoring respect for international conventions and norms comes through the application of international law and international humanitarian law, and holding violators accountable without being selective.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the absence of serious international action to stop the ongoing Israeli military escalation is conclusive evidence of the shortcomings of the multilateral international system and the weakness of international political will.

“The Kingdom believes that peace is the foundation that paves the way for cooperation and development, and is the protector of their sustainability,” Prince Faisal said during the “Leadership for Peace” open debate on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York.

Prince Faisal said the meeting comes at a time when the pace of conflicts and crises is escalating, common challenges and threats are multiplying, and the crisis of confidence in the multilateral international system and its ability to achieve the hopes of peoples for a future of peace and development is growing.

“These circumstances require us to evaluate the state of international multilateral action and the reasons for its decline in resolving crises and addressing common challenges,” he added.

Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia “will continue to support the multilateral international system, seek to develop it, enable its purposes, and restore confidence in its institutions. It is also committed to strengthening collective action to achieve common security and development.”