KFAED provides $5 million grant to UNICEF to combat cholera in Sudan
The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed a $5 million grant agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in New York on Monday to support efforts to combat the cholera outbreak in Sudan.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Kuwait Fund by Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, while UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell signed on behalf of the organization.
According to KFAED, the project aims to limit the spread of cholera, reduce health risks arising from deteriorating water and sanitation services, improve access to safe water, promote hygiene practices, and strengthen the health system’s capacity to respond promptly to the outbreak.
The initiative also seeks to implement long-term preventive interventions to ensure the sustainability of basic services in affected communities across Khartoum, River Nile, and Gezira states.
The project consists of two main components:
- Rehabilitation of water and sanitation infrastructure, including:
- Renovation of 12 water treatment plants and 18 small water points, with new submersible pumps, tank replacements, and improved distribution systems.
- Installation of solar energy systems at water sites.
- Rehabilitation of sewage systems in hospitals and health facilities and improvement of environmental conditions within these facilities.
Awareness and behavioral change initiatives, focusing on:
- Community campaigns to promote hygiene practices.
- Distribution of hygiene supplies.
- Training specialized field teams to respond to cholera outbreaks.
The grant comes under the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between KFAED and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on July 6, aimed at jointly supporting UNICEF’s work in Sudan. Under this collaboration, Kuwait and the United Kingdom each provide $5 million, for a total of $10 million, expected to directly benefit approximately 1.5 million people.
This contribution marks the tenth humanitarian partnership between KFAED and UNICEF. Since 2017, the Kuwait Fund has provided around $23.5 million to support nine projects, including a $1.5 million grant in March 2017 for the restoration of water supply and sanitation systems in the Gaza Strip.
