FM stresses need to consolidate efforts to ease humanitarian suffering worldwide
KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled AlHamad Al-Sabah stressed yesterday the importance of strengthening international efforts to alleviate human suffering around the world.
This came in a speech by Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled during an honoring ceremony held by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for him and a number of officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in recognition of their humanitarian and effective role in the preparations for the international humanitarian conferences held in Kuwait.
Humanitarian challenges
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said that “the growing humanitarian challenges in today’s world, in addition to the unprecedented bloody conflicts, especially in the Middle East, led to the displacement of more than 60 million refugees around the world, which doubles the size of the responsibility incumbent on all of us and on the international conscience to enhance efforts to find solutions to these conflicts and alleviate their tragic consequences.” He added that the international humanitarian work that is free from any specific political, geographic, religious or ethnic approach ascended a distinct rank in the hierarchy of priorities of the foreign policy of the State of Kuwait based on the directives of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah.
He praised the joint cooperation of the State of Kuwait with the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other international humanitarian organizations which represents a live embodiment and a practical model as well as a shining example of the spirit of human solidarity. He explained that the cooperation between the State of Kuwait and the UNHCR Office has polished the mechanism of cooperation between the two sides, which resulted in a close strategic relationship, the most prominent landmarks of which was Kuwait’s hosting of three donor conferences to support the humanitarian situation in Syria, through which the State of Kuwait had contributed $1.3 billion.
He expressed his deep pride in his close personal relations with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, thanking him on behalf of the State of Kuwait on taking office with all wisdom and competence.
Prominent spot
Meanwhile, Amiri Diwan Advisor and UN Secretary General Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs Dr Abdullah Al-Maatouq stressed in a speech during the honoring that Kuwait’s humanitarian endeavors worldwide has gained it a prominent spot among donor countries.
Kuwait has always strived to offer help regardless of color, race, gender or religion, Maatouq said, who is also Chairman of the International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO). Under the directions of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait held three donors’ conferences to aid the Syrians in their crisis; a conference to help development in East of Sudan and other conferences for local and regional NGOs, he added. He pointed out that Kuwait has offered help to natural disaster-stricken countries such as Pakistan, Turkey, the Philippines, Indonesia, Mauritania, Somalia, Benin and Niger. It also aided war-torn countries such as Syria, Yemen and Iraq.
Key issue
In the meantime, UNHCR’ High Commissioner Antonio Guterres praised His Highness the Amir’s support to the Syrian refugees that gained him the UN honoring of a ‘Humanitarian Leader’ and lauded the Foreign Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that this support sees the light and gets delivered to the right people.
Guterres said in his speech at the same ceremony that the Syrian refugees’ crisis has become a key issue internationally where it posed challenges to the international community, calling for finding a solution to this problem swiftly. He lauded the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister and his staff for being the “voice” of human compassion and the embodiment of true Islamic values.
French Foreign Minister
In other news, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled yesterday received a written message from French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. The message handles ways of bolstering distinguished relations between both friendly countries in all fields, cooperation over the current regional and international developments and several issues of mutual interest. — KUNA