Geneva / Riyadh – The International Organization for Migration's (IOM) Director General, António Vitorino is heading an IOM delegation to participate in the third Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum (RIHF3). The forum will look to address humanitarian challenges and seek innovative practical solutions in accordance with international humanitarian principles and standards and in line with the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The RIHF3 event aims to promote dialogue on legislative, informational, and logistical mechanisms for delivering humanitarian aid and comes on the heels of the devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people in Türkiye and Syria which prompted mass-scale humanitarian response worldwide.  

“I am pleased to attend such an important forum organized by our important partner – King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre – to discuss existing and future cooperations and work mechanisms to delivering essential humanitarian aid to those in need,” said DG Vitorino.  

“We aim to contribute towards the discussion to accelerate progress against delivery of the SDGs, enhance emergency health preparedness and response, including the ongoing humanitarian response of Türkiye and Syria – and to address interlinkages between climate change and migration health,” said DG Vitorino. “The aims are also to sustain peace by improving collaboration, complementarity and coordination between humanitarian, development and peace actors through shared knowledge, appropriate and harmonized financing, and strengthened national capacities.” 

The IOM delegation will participate in four sessions including on Achieving SDGs through the Humanitarian, Development and Peace Nexus (HDPN), Anticipatory Action: Strengthening Local Community Resilience, challenges in humanitarian work, and Data Collection and Analysis to Support Humanitarian Work. 

"IOM greatly values existing collaborations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in discussing working mechanisms, practical solutions and delivering humanitarian aid,” said Othman Belbeisi, IOM MENA Regional Director. “By attending such an important forum, IOM will continue working with its strategic partners, including KSrelief, aiming to accelerate efforts toward solutions-oriented approaches, prioritizing resources and programmes that foster resilience when dealing with the impact of climate change on refugees and forced displacement.”  

The forum, which takes place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (20-21 February), is organized by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and attended by humanitarian leaders, donors, practitioners, researchers, and others. 

During the Forum, the IOM Director General and delegates are set to hold several high-level meetings including Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre. 

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For more information, please contact: 

Mohammedali Abunajela, mmabunajela@iom.int