Kuwaiti humanitarian activities continue covering several areas
KUWAIT: Kuwait continues to extend its humanitarian arm around the world, helping those who are in dire need. In a statement to the press, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ahmad Al-Manzari said that Kuwait will fund programs to combat the spread of measles among Syrian refugee children in Lebanon and Lebanese kids as well. This comprehensive Kuwaiti support comes after briefing Kuwaiti Health Minister Sheikh Basel Al-Sabah on the problem of the spread of measles among Syrian refugee children in Lebanon and the ease of its transmission to Syrian children, he added. He pointed out that the meeting also discussed the various WHO programs funded by Kuwait in Iraq and Yemen and for the benefit of Syrian refugees, which had a significant impact in the face of health crises resulting from the situation there.
Manzari stressed that Kuwait’s great humanitarian role in implementing many health programs and its continuous solidarity with the most vulnerable community groups directly contributes to saving lives. The Director-General of the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) Abdulwahab Ahmad Al-Bader announced last week humanitarian projects to improve the situation of Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan region of Iraq in cooperation with the UNHCR. In a joint press conference, Bader said that Kuwait and KFAED have a prominent role in providing humanitarian services to refugees in all countries, especially Syrian refugees in a number of countries, especially those living in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Bader affirmed that KFAED will continue to provide humanitarian projects for refugees in cooperation with the UN organizations to alleviate their suffering.
Ibril Governor Firsat Sofi expressed his deep thanks to the KFAED and the Kuwaiti charitable organizations for providing humanitarian services to Syrian refugees and displaced Iraqis. He pointed out that the region has gone through difficult economic conditions during the past years, stressing that without the assistance provided by Kuwait and other organizations, the situation “would not be worse than it is now, and we would not have been able to receive such a large number of refugees.” According to the latest statistics of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, in addition to the 250,000 Syrian refugees who have been living in the region for years, more than 14,000 Syrians have sought refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan since the outbreak of violence in northeastern Syria.
Meanwhile, the specialized medical camp for ear, nose and throat surgery started in the Yemeni province of Marib with the support and funding of the Kuwaiti International Mercy Society. The camp, which was inaugurated at Marib General Hospital, aimed to perform 150 free surgical operations, said Foundation for Human Development in a statement. Furthermore, Kuwait International Mercy Society opened its health projects in Marib, laying the foundation stone for the construction of a model health center and the launching of the mobile medical unit within the framework of the ‘Kuwait by Your
Side’ campaign. In the meantime, a delegation of Kuwait’s National Society of Human Rights praised Bahrain’s experience in the field of human rights. This came on the sidelines of a field visit by the Vice-President of the National Office for Human Rights, Dr Seham Al-Freih and Kuwaiti Advisor Huda Al-Shayji to Al-Karama Center for Social Welfare and Dar Al-Aman Center to learn about Bahrain’s experience in the field of human rights. Dr Freih said that the field visit comes within the framework of the keenness of the Kuwaiti human rights society to be acquainted with the various Bahraini experiences in the field of human rights and benefit from them.
Kuwait, through the International Islamic Charity Organization (IICO), inaugurated the largest relief project for Syrian refugees in the camps of the Kurdistan region of Iraq with the distribution of more than a thousand tons of food under the supervision of the Consulate General of Kuwait in Irbil and the implementation of the Barzani Charity Foundation. Kuwaiti Consul General in Irbil Dr Omar Al-Kandari said that the project came to meet the needs of Syrian refugees in the region as part of the Kuwaiti campaign launched by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people.
Kandari, who supervised the launch of the project, noted that the assistance provided by Kuwait to the displaced Iraqis and Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan region of Iraq will continue and diversify to include all categories and benefit a wide range of people in need. Chairman of the Barzani Charity Foundation Moussa Ahmad said that Kuwait and its humanitarian organizations have an active role in providing various humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees and displaced Iraqis distributed in camps in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Ahmad thanked Kuwait for its humanitarian initiatives towards refugees and displaced people in the region, adding that Kuwaiti humanitarian institutions have made a promise to continue providing assistance in the future as long as they need assistance.
The free medical camp, which included 210 minor surgeries funded by the Islamic Heritage Revival Society, was concluded in Aden on Thursday, said the Yemeni Wisdom Society in a statement. The Director of the Public Health and Population Office in Aden Dr Jamal Khadabish praised the generous humanitarian role adopted by Kuwait and its societies and their inherent position alongside the Yemeni people under the circumstances. Director of the Wisdom Society’s Aden branch Mohammad Abdulwaseh stressed the continued support provided by the Islamic Heritage Revival Society in Kuwait, which represents a tributary of humanity and development of the Yemeni people. The Kuwaiti Patient Assistance Fund has launched a campaign for preventing diseases and environmental sanitation in Khartoum State. The Director General of the Ministry of Health in Khartoum State, Osama Ahmad Abdulrahim, praised the generous support provided by the Patient Assistance Fund Association and Kuwait in supporting various programs in Sudan. — KUNA