RIYADH: Saudi humanitarian chiefs stressed the importance of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of responses to crises and enhancing the mechanisms through which aid is delivered to the people who most need it. Aqeel Al-Ghamdi, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ Saudi Donor Support Group, called on the OCHA to strengthen and boost the mechanisms and tools of humanitarian coordination, given the positive effects they can have on strategic outcomes. He was speaking during an OCHA donor group meeting on Tuesday, chaired by the Netherlands, to discuss topics related to the office’s strategic plan for 2023 to 2026. Al-Ghamdi, who is also the assistant general supervisor for planning and development at the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), stressed the importance of adopting a flexible mechanism for prioritizing humanitarian needs and responding to them more efficiently, and enhancing the mechanism to ensure that aid reaches beneficiaries. He said that escalating humanitarian needs will require additional financial resources and that the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund and joint country funds should be used more strategically and in a more stimulating and incubating way to help those most in need and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian responses. Al-Ghamdi also advocated a focus on enabling factors and emphasized the importance of data and technology in assessing needs and preparing responses. Other issues discussed during the meeting included a gap in financing that is growing as global humanitarian needs increase, the difficulties involved in ensuring aid reaches beneficiaries in conflict zones, and proactive humanitarian work.