UNHCR Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Ambassador Mohamed Abdi Affey, visited Kuwait for a 2-day mission, where he highlighted the increasing humanitarian needs of millions affected by the drought in the Horn of Africa.
The mission included official meetings with Kuwaiti government officials, and representatives of UNHCR’s private sector partners in Kuwait, to discuss the potential support and collaboration in opportunities to showcase the latest humanitarian updates in the Horn of Africa.
He held a meeting with Hamad Al-Mashaan, Assistant Foreign minister for development and International Cooperation, where they discussed the humanitarian efforts of the Kuwaiti private sector and charity organizations. He also met with Abdulaziz Al-Jarallah, Assistant Foreign Minister for International Organizations’ Affairs, and The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, represented by Waleed Al-Bahar, Deputy Director General for Operations.
In addition to this, he also held several meetings with representatives of Kuwaiti non-profit and charity associations and humanitarian organizations, such as the International Islamic Charity Organization, Kuwait Society for Relief, Direct Aid Association, Zakat House, and Kuwait Red Crescent Society, while also meeting with business leaders and philanthropists, and the diplomatic representatives in Kuwait.
Ambassador Affey stated “My visit to Kuwait is an opportunity to emphasize the operational and humanitarian situation of refugees and displaced people in the Horn of Africa as well as to explore potential ways of supporting UNHCR’s drought response efforts through joint projects with donor countries and the private sector”.
He also added while these humanitarian needs are urgent, seeking solutions for the displaced population continues to be a priority for UNHCR, while he also soughts to give young refugees a chance to pursue their education.
He further said that the UNHCR teams are doing what they can to help and respond to the needs of people who live in extreme conditions as they seek to reach safety and avoid starvation.
The drought crisis is the worst in four decades with four failed rainy seasons, resulting in scarce water sources, crop damage, and deprivation of people’s livelihoods. As the conditions have gotten worse, thousands of people were forced to flee in search of life-saving assistance.