Weekly roundup of Kuwait’s humanitarian action
KUWAIT: Living up to its UN recognition as ‘International Humanitarian Center’, Kuwait continued aiding people in need throughout the world last week. Starting with UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and a Kuwaiti private company launched early of last week a campaign to revive hope among refugee children, in which 20,000 students would take part. UNHCR said in a statement the “Let us Revive Hope for Refugee Children” campaign, launched in cooperation with Al-Jeri Holding Group for educational services, would feature participation of 20,000 students, aged between 12-18 years old, to encourage them share common things with the refugee children. The campaign, due until end of next March, aims at helping refugee children feel safe, thus the students would use painting or recycled materials to express their feelings towards the refugees, said the agency. UNHCR said the campaign also aimed at increasing awareness through culture and art, noting that the best five paintings would be rewarded. Dr Hanan Hamdan, head of UNHCR office in Kuwait, said the UN agency was cooperating with all segments of the society to support the cause of refugees around the globe, of them over 50 percent were children.
On another front, Kuwait announced voluntary contributions worth $6.4 million for various UN bodies and programs for 2019. The contributions included $2 million for United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and $1 million for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said member of Kuwait’s permanent mission to the UN Talal Al-Fassam at the UN Pledging Conference for Development Activities for 2019 late last Monday. He said that the contributions also include $1 million for the Emergency Response Fund, $570,000 for the UN Development Program’s (UNDP), $500,000 for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and $500,000 for the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR). He added that Kuwait’s contributions will also cover many UN programs dedicated for children, environment, women and many other vital fields.
Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Al-Salam society for humanitarian and charity work, launched a campaign to collect donations to alleviate the suffering of people of the war-torn Syria and Yemen Syrians and Yemenis ahead of the winter. The society’s Public Relations Director, Dhari Al-Baijan said that they aim to send 50 trucks of aid to Syria and Yemen. The aid would include foodstuff, clothes, blankets, he pointed out. He stated that the trucks will station at Kazma’s sports club parking for 10 days to collect donations. On another international front, Director of Arab administration in the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Basil Al-Khatib praised the level of cooperation between Kuwait and the organization in achieving sustainable developments. Khatib said in a statement marking the occasion of The Arab International Aluminum Conference (ARABAL), which is scheduled to be held today, adding that Kuwait encourages industrial and comprehensive developments in the world to exert efforts to eradicate poverty. — KUNA