Kuwait FM thanks nations for $2.4bn pledges at conference

Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah thanked nations attending a conference on Syria here for pledging over USD 2.4 billion for Syrian humanitarian efforts. Some 62 nations took part, along with 14 UN agencies of various relief functions, and four regional organizations, he told the press conference held at the conclusion of the event on Wednesday. "The event comes in response to a second appeal launched by the UN in light of the deteriorating humanitarian situation and acute shortage in basic necessities," he said. The crisis has also taken a toll on surrounding nations, which have had to accept the influx of huge numbers of refugees, he described as "unprecedented in modern history" "It is because of this, that we must continue to pursue efforts in providing the adequate financial resources aimed at providing support for the UN and its specialized agencies - in order to meet the basic requirements of the Syrian people," he added. The Kuwaiti government provided USD 500 million in donations to the cause, while its NGOs, in another meeting yesterday, put forward USD 440 million.