Humanitarian initiatives launched in the space of just last week revealed Kuwait’s steadfast commitment to humanitarian aid around the world, and reinforced the country’s status as a global ‘Humanitarian Center’.
Kuwait-based International Islamic Charitable Organization (ICCO), which takes care of families of disabled Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, as part of its global initiatives, last week offered grants to 35 university students in Gaza.
Speaking to the media, the Chairperson of ICCO, Heba Adwan said the grants would ensure that the students could continue their university studies, unhampered by monetary concerns. She added that the 12-year siege of Gaza by the Israeli occupation forces had caused untold suffering to the inhabitants there and many were suffering from critical circumstances.
Meanwhile, also last week, a team affiliated to IICO opened a community center in Turkey’s southern Kilis province for Syrian refugees. Speaking to media outlets, Team Leader of Nasaem Al-Khair team, Dr. Sharifa Al-Khamees, said the center would provide Syrians, mainly orphans and widows, with medical and social care, training and development programs.
She added that the main purpose of the center, which has been operating in Turkey since 2012, was to rehabilitate refugees from being mere consumers of aid into productive members of society. Hailing Turkey for taking in the largest number of Syrian refugees among all countries, she also thanked the Kuwaiti embassy in Turkey for assisting the Kuwaiti team to accomplish its humanitarian tasks.
Also, last week, the Kuwait-based Al-Najat Charity funded a campaign in the southwestern Yemeni province of Taez to treat people infected with cholera. A spokesperson for the Charity, revealed that the first phase of the campaign was to treat 120 people in the Republican Hospital in Taez, while the second phase would involve well-water in the province to prevent the spread of cholera.
On Friday, 5 April, the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, acting upon instructions of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, dispatched a plane loaded with 40 tons of relief supplies to help the Iranian people affected by floods that swept several Iranian towns and villages since 27 March.
The Charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Kuwait in Tehran, Falah Al-Hajraf, said Kuwait is fulfilling its humanitarian duty towards the Iranian people by providing humanitarian and relief assistance to those affected by floods. He pointed out that the Iranian leadership had acknowledged the support and thanked His Highness the Amir for his generous gesture. The authorities in Iran also noted that Kuwait, which has played a valuable role in providing emergency assistance to Iran, is one of the biggest foreign aid donors to Iran so far.
For his part, the Chairman of KRCS, Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer said the plane was loaded with medicines, food and water pumps. He noted there were coordination and direct cooperation with the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Tehran, and the Iranian Red Crescent to distribute aid to those affected.
Meanwhile, Kuwait Consulate General in Irbil, north Iraq, commemorating the World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), handed out gifts to children with special needs. Speaking to the media, Consul General Omar Al-Kandari said, “We are keen to be with children who are suffering from autism and take part in WAAD to make these children happy.”
He added that this initiative, which comes at the behest of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait was within the framework of ‘Kuwait beside you’ campaign, that signaled His Highness the Amir’s care and concern for this segment of society.
For his part, the Head of Irbil’s autism center, Kamal Al-Jabari, thanked Kuwait and its humanitarian organization for being interested in children with special needs. He revealed that there are 2,800 people suffering from autism in Irbil, and they are in dire need of treatment and training. Their families need support, as their monthly income cannot afford the cost of treatment, he said, calling for more backing to these children and their families to alleviate their sufferings.
Also, last week, a top UN official heaped praise on Kuwait’s global humanitarian efforts and its IICO for philanthropic works around the world.”Kuwait we know is emerging as a major player in the humanitarian world and IICO the leading humanitarian organization in the Islamic world,” said the Deputy Director General of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),Daniel Gustafson. He was speaking to the media ahead of the signing of a letter of intent between FAO and IICO at the sidelines of a major international conference against hunger in Brussels.”We are embarking on a new partnership with the IICO. We are delighted about it,” said the top FAO official
The FAO official stressed that “the government of Kuwait is a key partner, a key member of FAO in Rome and elsewhere but it is the voice of Kuwait within the collective discussions of FAO member countries in Rome which is a strong one due to the excellent work of the team.”
Staff Report
