UNHCR Chief visits Kuwait, urges greater global support for displaced people
The Times Kuwait Report
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi concluded an official visit to Kuwait last week, during which he expressed his appreciation for Kuwait’s steadfast humanitarian commitment and praised the country’s continued support for refugees and displaced communities worldwide. He also used the occasion to call on the international community to intensify support for vulnerable forcibly displaced populations, as global displacement reaches a record 123 million people amid rising humanitarian needs and funding shortfalls.
During his visit, Grandi met with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and His Excellency Abdullah Al-Yahya, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Grandi also held discussions with Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), Waleed Al-Bahar, and signed two grant agreements from the Fund totaling US$5.7 million to assist displaced Sudanese and host communities in Sudan and Chad.
The first agreement, worth $2.5 million, will enhance access to education, clean water, and healthcare for more than 300,000 people affected by the ongoing conflict in eastern Sudan. The second, valued at $3.2 million, will support 50,000 Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad through the construction of durable shelters, solar-powered lighting, and clean water systems.
“These agreements will significantly improve the lives of tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees and displaced families by providing shelter, clean water, and access to essential services,” said Grandi. “We deeply value our enduring partnership with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, a trusted partner in times of urgent humanitarian need.”
The High Commissioner concluded his visit by meeting representatives of Kuwaiti charitable organizations, the private sector, and philanthropists, emphasizing the importance of strengthened partnerships to sustain humanitarian action and expand support for displaced populations across the region and beyond.
Grandi’s visit underscores Kuwait’s longstanding role as a global humanitarian leader and comes at a time of intensifying humanitarian crises, calling for greater international solidarity to meet the needs of millions forced from their homes worldwide.
