Bridging the gap: Five ways KSrelief is empowering women and girls in crises

As global humanitarian needs escalate and funding is at record low levels, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, depends more than ever on committed donors like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief). Their support ensures women and girls caught up in the world’s most severe crises, from Palestine to Somalia, Ukraine and Yemen, have access to life-saving services, including for safe births.

Here are five ways KSrelief is helping.

1- Expanding protection services in Yemen

After more than a decade of conflict, Yemen remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies. Across the country, women and girls face extreme risks of gender-based violence and limited access to healthcare. 

With over $11 million in funding from KSrelief in the past decade, UNFPA has supported nearly 2 million women and girls in southern Yemen. Among them is Nesma*, 26, from Marib Governorate. When she faced life-threatening complications during her first pregnancy, her husband sold their only sheep to afford transport to the nearest hospital. Thankfully, they arrived in time at Jabal Murad Hospital, supported by UNFPA with KSrelief funding, where a skilled medical team was ready to provide immediate care and safely deliver her baby.

“The smile on Nesma’s face when she embraced her baby made my day. We work to see such smiles,” said the midwife who assisted her.

2- Protecting women and girls from gender-based violence in Ukraine

As the war in Ukraine continues, women’s and girls’ vulnerability to gender-based violence remains alarmingly high. 

At the fourth Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum in February, KSrelief pledged $5.1 million towards UNFPA’s efforts to protect women and girls in Ukraine, enabling UNFPA to provide comprehensive gender-based violence prevention, mitigation, and response services for women, girls, men and boys. The assistance will prioritize underserved communities and rural areas, ensuring critical support reaches those most in need.

3- Supporting maternal health in Palestine

In Palestine, the ongoing crisis in Gaza has had a devastating impact on all aspects of life, including essential healthcare. Through a $1.5 million contribution, KSrelief is  partnering with UNFPA to strengthen maternal and newborn health services. 

With over 80 percent of health facilities in Gaza damaged or destroyed, and those still functioning critically short on supplies and essential medicines, women face life-threatening barriers to accessing even the most basic sexual and reproductive health services.

This project will renovate and equip two maternity hospitals and one primary health clinic, provide maternal and emergency obstetric supplies, and train health providers in safe childbirth and newborn care practices. The partnership will ensure around 48,300 women, girls, and newborns will be able to access life-saving care.

4- Bridging the gap in underfunded Somalia

Somalia is one of the world’s most chronically underfunded humanitarian crises, with last year’s annual appeal being only 12 per cent funded. Yet the needs are immense, particularly for women and girls.

In 2024, a fistula surgery campaign at the National Fistula Centre in Mogadishu, supported by KSrelief and implemented with Physicians Across Continents (PAC) and UNFPA, provided fistula repairs for dozens of women, including 20-year-old Hawa Awil Yusuf, who had lived with untreated fistula for years. “I cannot describe the joy I felt after the surgery,” Hawa said. “For the first time in years, I didn’t feel the constant leakage. I felt like I could breathe again. I am so grateful to KSrelief and everyone who made this possible.”

In Somalia, KSrelief also enables the delivery of essential maternal and newborn health services across the country. With their backing, UNFPA has equipped key health facilities with critical neonatal intensive care unit equipment, including incubators, and monitors – vital tools to improve to reduce maternal deaths. KSrelief funds have also ensured the continuity of emergency obstetric and newborn services, providing life-saving care for pregnant women and girls.

5- Demonstrating humanitarian leadership

Beyond financial contributions, KSrelief is also a partner and champion in advocating for the needs and rights of women and girls affected by crises. 

“The challenges are immense and we have to make collective efforts,” Dr. Hana Omar, Director of Partnerships and International Relations at KSrelief, said at the launch of the UNFPA Humanitarian Action Overview 2025 last December. “Women’s health is not negotiable in any circumstances. We have to ensure that they have access to care.”

Echoing this sentiment at the recent European Humanitarian Forum, UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem said: “From Yemen and Ukraine to Somalia and Palestine, KSrelief is helping 
UNFPA to ensure safe birth and protection from violence for women and girls caught in crises.”

Through their support and humanitarian leadership, KSrelief is a crucial partner in UNFPA’s mission to provide life-saving services to women and girls, offering hope and the chance of a better, more equal and sustainable future.