UNHCR Regional Director concludes visit to Kuwait, seeks support for Sudan crisis
Mamadou Diagne Balde, UNHCR Regional Director for the Eastern Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes, concluded a two-day official visit to Kuwait, part of a broader Gulf tour to strengthen strategic partnerships and mobilize support for humanitarian efforts addressing the Sudan crisis and its regional impact.
During the visit, Balde met with senior Kuwaiti officials, including Assistant Foreign Minister for Development and International Cooperation Hamad Al-Mashaan, Assistant Foreign Minister for International Organizations Affairs Abdulaziz Al-Jarallah, and representatives from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, discussing ways to expand humanitarian cooperation.
At a press conference held at the Mövenpick Hotel, attended by ambassadors, donor agency representatives, and officials from Sudan’s neighboring host countries, Balde praised Kuwait’s leadership as a global humanitarian hub, applauding both official and popular Kuwaiti efforts in supporting refugees amid the worsening crisis in Sudan.
In his capacity as UNHCR Regional Coordinator for the Sudanese Refugee Crisis, Balde emphasized the magnitude of the crisis: over 13 million people displaced, including 4 million refugees in neighboring countries, more than two years into the conflict.
On the sidelines, UNHCR Kuwait Representative Nisreen Rabian reiterated that the Sudan conflict remains the region’s most pressing humanitarian crisis. She noted that Sudan, once known as a breadbasket, now faces widespread hunger, with 30 million out of its 48 million population in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
Rabian thanked Kuwait’s leadership and people, highlighting their deep-rooted partnership with the UN and their critical role as a top donor in global humanitarian work.
