Kuwait continues relief effort for needy people worldwide

The Kuwaiti government and nongovernment aid agencies continued undertaking their humanitarian effort for needy people in the Middle East region and beyond over the last week. On Saturday, March 4, Kuwait Relief Society distributed food relief to the internally displaced people (IDP) in the central and southern parts of Iraq. Iraq’s united medical society, the local partner of Kuwait Relief Society, said it distributed 1,500 food parcels to the needy residents of Bablyon, Najaf and Karbala. The aid campaign was supervised by Kuwait Ambassador to Iraq Salem Al-Zamanan and in coordination with the civilian crises cell at the Premiership, said Dr Ahmad Al-Heeti, and head of the Iraqi society.

He said the aid was part of Kuwait’s ‘we are by your side’ campaign to alleviate suffering of the displaced Iraqis nationwide. The campaign began on February 22 with the inauguration of three make-shift schools in Ramadi, the largest city in Anbar governorate.

On Sunday, March 5, Kuwait provided camps housing displaced people near Mosul city, north Iraq, with five power generators. Head of Nineveh province’s administrative and financial affairs Amin Al-Maamri hailed the Kuwaiti humanitarian initiative.

He expressed gratitude for Kuwait’s support, urging international organizations to make more efforts to mitigate a humanitarian conflict of epic proportions. Meanwhile, Salah Hassan, a provincial official said the camps are “in dire need of prompt aid.” He spoke of pervasive power outages in the province, noting that the Kuwaiti aid has come in an “apropos time.” Kuwaiti relief aid has incessantly poured into Mosul since the Iraqi army launched an operation last October to wrest the city from the control of the so-called Islamic State (IS).

Yemen

On the same day, teams of the Kuwaiti relief campaign, ‘Kuwait beside you,’ delivered basic assistance to 850 Yemeni families. The Kuwaiti-Yemeni Relief Agency said in a statement that the supplies included mattresses, gas cylinders and kitchen utensils.

Abyan Deputy Governor Mahdi Al-Hamed praised in a statement the State of Kuwait for relieving the Yemenis at the current hard times. The campaign had distributed relief items to many Yemeni several provinces of the war-troubled country. It aims at securing necessities to more than 50,000 Yemenis — at a cost of $4.5 million. The Kuwaiti campaign seeks to help the Yemenis by securing food, water, education and housing.

Iraq

On Monday, March 6, Kuwait distributed 2,500 food parcels to Iraqis displaced from Mosul, as part of the humanitarian campaign to help the civilians who fled the fighting into south Irbil city. Kuwait’s Consul General in Irbil Dr Omar Al-Kandari said this campaign was part of the effort to alleviate suffering of the Iraqi people. Ismail Abdulaziz, representing Barzani charity, said every family of five persons were given 30 kilograms of staples, enough for one month. Kuwait launched humanitarian campaign in mid-2015, aimed at help the displaced Iraqis.

On Tuesday, March 7, Kuwaiti food aid began pouring into Iraq’s Diyala province, northeast Baghdad, as part of a campaign spearheaded by Kuwait Relief Society. Chairman of the United Iraqi Medical Society Dr Ahmad Al-Hayti said that the first aid consignment comprised 2,250 food parcels. He thanked Kuwait for the aid that has helped mitigate the misery the displaced Iraqis have been living in, noting that it runs the gamut from nutritional and healthcare assistance to educational support. On the same day Kuwait announced that it has sponsored some 4,000 orphans in Iraq’s autonomous region of Kurdistan, part of a campaign launched by Kuwait Relief Society.

Syria

Meanwhile, the Qatari Red Crescent (QRC) said it was implementing $1 million-worth of projects in collaboration with Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) for IDPs in Syria. The first project, it said in a statement, was distribution of aid to counter the cold weather in the west of Aleppo and Idleb.

QRC and KRCS, part of their 2016-17 “warm winter” campaign, provided 250,000 liters of heating oil in besieged areas in eastern Ghouta, suburbs of Homs, and IDPs’ camps in Idleb and suburbs of Hama. The campaign, it added, also included distribution of 11,000 bags of winter clothes fit for age group of 414 years old. Around 42,250 Syrians would benefit from the clothes.

South Sudan

On Wednesday, March 8, South Sudan’s Ambassador to Kuwait Barmina Rayak applauded Kuwait’s efforts to assist the needy people in his country. Speaking after meeting with KRCS Chairman Dr Hilal Al-Sayer, Rayak said that KRCS has become synonymous with altruism, adding that the meeting was part of efforts to ensure that much needed aid is delivered to the victims of conflict in the world’s newest nation.

On the same day, Kuwait distributed some 1,500 food parcels to the displaced Iraqis in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan. On March 9, Kuwait Relief Society distributed 750 food parcels to Iraqis who fled the embattled city of Mosul.

Dr Omar Al-Kanderi, the general consul in Irbil, said the supplies were provided, in coordination with Al-Barzani Charity, to the Iraqi families that have settled outside refugee camps. Meanwhile, Kuwait has distributed the first batch of shelter aid to Yemenis from Taiz living in Tur Al-Bahah district, Lahj Governorate.

The assistance included cooking gas cylinders, cooking tools, blankets, and other necessary supplies for displaced families from districts of Haifan, Habshi Mountain, Mafalees, and Gabeeta in Taiz. The campaign aims at securing necessities to more than 50,000 Yemenis-at a cost of $4.5 million.

Tanzania

On Friday, March 10, Tanzanian Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan praised Kuwait’s support to her country. During her meeting with Kuwait Ambassador to Tanzania Jassem Al-Najem and a delegation from KRCS headed by Chairman Anwar Al-Hasawi, she said that her country is keen on collaborating with KRCS and other Kuwaiti aid agencies to improve the developmental, educational and health services for needy people.

The Tanzanian official added KRCS assistance helped dig 16 water wells in the capital city of Dodoma. “The drought season is sweeping through the African continent, particularly in Tanzania due to lack rain, as result endangers lives of many, including animals, and plants,” Hassan said, calling for humanitarian organizations to provide aid to African countries.

Meanwhile, Najem said Kuwait would continue to play a leading role in humanitarian aid regionally and in the international arena. The ambassador also praised efforts exerted by KRCS and other Kuwaiti charitable organizations in providing assistant to Tanzania and its people. —KUNA