Kuwait continued its humanitarian efforts and activities this week in different parts of the world met by applauds from senior officials and organizations. In Kuwait, newly elected United Nations General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande said that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s UN humanitarian leader accolade was “well-deserved” due to the country’s “remarkable” global humanitarian record. Discussions he held with officials, amid a visit to Kuwait, focused on how the country could support nations in need, individually or through collective efforts with other nations, he told KTV at UN House.
The UN official’s discussions with His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah also touched on support Kuwait extends to UN agencies. Kuwait has “taken the lead” for many years on humanitarian issues worldwide, particularly through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development initiatives, said the Nigerian diplomat, who was elected UNGA President in June, this year. As a current member of the UN Security Council, Kuwait’s efforts are “important for all of us,” he pointed out, particularly its “engagement” with other member countries on crucial issues.
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was handed the honor for his “exemplary humanitarian leadership” by former UN chief Ban Ki-moon at a ceremony in New York in 2014. Meanwhile, Muhammad-Bunde’s visit to Kuwait saw him giving a speech at the Kuwait Diplomatic Institute, where the UN official listed several matters he viewed as priorities amid his one-year term.
The peaceful settlement of disputes through conflict prevention and cooperation, the inclusion of women, youth and the disabled, poverty eradication and urging nations to commit to climate action were amongst the topics of his address. Speaking to KTV, he also alluded to the importance of “partnerships” between nations to solve shortages one nation might face compared to others. Where one nation lacks resources, another, with an abundance, may provide, he suggested.
Last Monday, Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) sent five trucks full of necessities, foodstuff, and relief aid materials to Syrian refugees residing in Jordan. Top official at KRCS Abdulrahman Al-Aoun told KUNA that Syrian refugee families in Jordan and nearby Lebanon are in need of such relief aid now.
He affirmed that the society would continue to provide aid to the Syrian refugees throughout the upcoming period to assist them during their current predicament. In Lebanon, the KRCS provided foodstuff to some 2,940 families. According to head of the KRCS delegation in Lebanon Abdullah Al-Rashidi, the campaign involves the distribution of necessary food items to needy families in Lebanon. On a daily basis, the KRCS-run campaign also delivers around 6,000 loaves of bread to feed Syrian and Palestinian refugees, he affirmed. Lebanese humanitarian officials and nationals always receive the KRCS campaign positively.