WHO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia sign agreements in support of health priorities

Global humanitarian leaders, policymakers, and health diplomats gathered in the capital of Saudi Arabia for the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum, held from February 24 to 25, 2025. The high-profile event served as a critical platform for addressing multifaceted global health emergencies, reinforcing advocacy for crisis-affected populations, and ensuring the safety and security of frontline aid workers. Marking a decade of dedicated humanitarian operations by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief), the two-day summit yielded a series of landmark financial agreements, strategic partnerships, and major policy commitments aimed at reshaping the landscape of international health response in the Middle East and globally.

The forum placed distinct emphasis on health diplomacy, crisis survival, and the preservation of human dignity in conflict zones. Against the backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions and compounding humanitarian emergencies across the globe, the summit facilitated direct cooperation between the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and KSRelief. Through these newly minted partnerships, international agencies secured substantial funding injections designed to tackle resilient infectious diseases, bolster healthcare access for displaced communities, and accelerate the global eradication of polio.

Main Facts and Core Agreements

At the heart of the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum were several high-impact financial packages and bilateral agreements negotiated between international health organizations and Saudi Arabian authorities. These agreements directly address acute vulnerabilities in Yemen, Egypt, and various conflict-affected territories facing severe public health risks.

Among the prominent announcements was a targeted funding package for Yemen, where protracted conflict has severely compromised public health infrastructure. KSRelief and the WHO finalized a vital allocation of US$ 12 million dedicated entirely to comprehensive malaria prevention and control programs. Additionally, the partners signed a US$ 2.1 million agreement aimed at expanding cholera treatment capacities throughout the country, a critical intervention given the recurrent outbreaks of waterborne diseases in compromised sanitation environments.

Further extending regional support, KSRelief and the WHO Egypt Country Office concluded a US$ 3.6 million agreement. This funding is specifically earmarked to deliver continuous, life-saving dialysis treatment to Sudanese refugees who have been forced to flee their homeland due to the devastating ongoing conflict in Sudan. The influx of displaced populations into neighboring nations has strained local health systems, making external financial and logistical support indispensable for vulnerable patients suffering from chronic medical conditions.

Perhaps the most monumental financial commitment formalized during the summit was the reaffirmation of Saudi Arabia’s US$ 500 million pledge to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), initially announced in April 2024. This overarching commitment was operationalized through two major signing ceremonies: a US$ 300 million agreement with the WHO and a US$ 200 million agreement with UNICEF. Attended by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, and KSRelief Supervisor-General Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, the formalization of this grant underscores a unified, aggressive push to immunize approximately 370 million children annually and eradicate the poliovirus worldwide.

Chronology and Background Context of KSRelief and the Forum

The timing of the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum 2025 coincides with a significant institutional milestone: the 10th anniversary of the founding of KSRelief. Established in May 2015 by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, KSRelief was created to serve as the Kingdom’s centralized arm for humanitarian aid and relief coordination, operating across international borders to alleviate suffering in crisis zones irrespective of race, religion, or political affiliation. Over the past decade, KSRelief has executed thousands of projects across dozens of countries, establishing itself as a premier global donor in humanitarian assistance.

The evolution of the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum mirrors this institutional growth. Over successive iterations, the forum has matured into a premier global convening space, frequently drawing heads of state, United Nations agency leadership, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and civil society representatives. The 2025 edition was particularly crucial as it bridged the gap between post-pandemic recovery frameworks and the realities of modern, protracted conflicts that increasingly target civilian infrastructure and healthcare workers.

In the months leading up to the February 2025 forum, international health agencies repeatedly warned of a deteriorating epidemiological landscape. The resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases like polio in regions with fractured health systems—most notably Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Gaza Strip—alarmed public health officials. Concurrently, climate shocks and war-torn supply chains catalyzed severe outbreaks of cholera and malaria across parts of East Africa and the Middle East. It was within this climate of mounting urgency that preparatory talks between KSRelief, the WHO, and UNICEF intensified, culminating in the structured agreements signed on the floor of the Riyadh summit.

Supporting Data and Epidemiological Challenges

The interventions funded at the Riyadh forum are backed by stark epidemiological data reflecting the severity of regional health emergencies. Yemen remains one of the world’s most acute humanitarian crises. Years of continuous conflict have left more than half of the country’s health facilities partially functioning or entirely closed, exposing millions to preventable vector-borne and waterborne illnesses. Malaria continues to exact a heavy toll, particularly among children under five and pregnant women, making the US$ 12 million KSRelief-WHO malaria initiative a vital lifeline for vector control, distribution of insecticide-treated nets, and clinical case management. Similarly, the US$ 2.1 million cholera allocation addresses a persistent public health threat driven by compromised access to safe drinking water and shattered sanitation grids.

In North Africa, the spillover effects of the Sudanese civil war have created an unprecedented displacement crisis. Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese nationals have crossed into Egypt, seeking refuge from violence. Among these populations are patients suffering from end-stage renal disease who require regular, uninterrupted hemodialysis to survive. The US$ 3.6 million earmarked for the WHO Egypt Country Office directly targets this vulnerable demographic, bridging a critical care gap that local Egyptian medical facilities would otherwise struggle to absorb single-handedly.

On the global scale, the GPEI funding represents a mathematical and logistical necessity. The resurgence of poliovirus transmission in conflict-affected and hard-to-reach pockets—such as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the besieged enclave of Gaza—demonstrates that wild and vaccine-derived polio variants remain an existential threat to global eradication goals. By targeting 370 million children annually through the newly solidified US$ 500 million Saudi contribution split between the WHO and UNICEF, the initiative aims to build an impenetrable wall of population immunity, deploying robust surveillance, cold-chain logistics, and community-based vaccination campaigns in high-risk zones.

Official Responses and Institutional Perspectives

Leadership figures from all participating entities emphasized the gravity and transformative potential of the partnerships forged in Riyadh.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, utilized the platform to champion the principles of health diplomacy and international solidarity. Taking to digital platforms and addressing plenary sessions, Dr. Tedros highlighted that safeguarding the health and dignity of crisis-affected populations requires robust, predictable multilateral financing and unwavering protection for aid workers operating in hostile environments. He praised KSRelief’s steadfast commitment to bridging funding gaps in neglected disease vectors and commended the leadership of Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah in driving impactful humanitarian outcomes.

Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor-General of KSRelief, reiterated Saudi Arabia’s enduring dedication to global humanitarian principles during the signing ceremonies. He noted that the 10-year journey of KSRelief has been defined by a proactive approach to human suffering, moving beyond emergency food and shelter to tackle the root causes of systemic health vulnerabilities. Dr. Al Rabeeah stressed that the agreements signed with the WHO, UNICEF, and other international stakeholders reflect a shared vision for sustainable development, disease eradication, and the protection of human life across borders.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell also underscored the critical importance of the GPEI partnership. In statements accompanying the formalization of the US$ 200 million UNICEF allocation, Russell emphasized that polio eradication is not merely a medical objective, but a fundamental child rights issue. She pointed out that reaching children in conflict zones requires immense courage, logistical ingenuity, and sustained financial backing—elements that the Saudi contribution significantly reinforces.

Broader Impact and Strategic Implications

The outcomes of the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum 2025 carry profound strategic implications for the future of global humanitarian architecture. As traditional donor states face domestic fiscal pressures and competing geopolitical priorities, the emergence of proactive, well-resourced regional donors like Saudi Arabia marks a shift toward multipolar humanitarian financing.

By tying substantial capital investments to multilateral execution frameworks—such as those managed by the WHO and UNICEF—the agreements ensure that aid is channeled through established, evidence-based public health mechanisms. This reduces administrative redundancy, enhances operational transparency, and maximizes the on-the-ground impact of every dollar spent.

Furthermore, the emphasis placed during the forum on the security and protection of aid workers addresses an increasingly alarming trend in modern warfare: the deliberate targeting or obstruction of humanitarian personnel. By elevating aid worker safety to a core agenda item alongside health diplomacy, the forum has catalyzed renewed international dialogue on adherence to international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.

Ultimately, the agreements inked in Riyadh are poised to alter the trajectory of disease control in some of the world’s most volatile regions. Whether through keeping dialysis patients alive in Egypt, rolling back malaria and cholera in Yemen, or delivering the final blows to polio in high-risk zones from South Asia to the Middle East, the 2025 Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum has established a high benchmark for actionable humanitarian diplomacy in the decade ahead.