Kuwait donates $68m for Syrians, Palestinians

The Kuwaiti donation is part of a USD 300 million pledge announced by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during the donor conference for Syria held in Kuwait on January 30, 2013, Al-Otaibi told KUNA. "We are in the process of distributing the pledge announced by HH the Amir during the International Pledging Conference for Syria held in Kuwait to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Kuwait," he said. "Kuwait has decided to deliver all payments to international organizations and agencies which provide humanitarian services to our Syrian brothers," he added. He hoped that such funds would contribute to easing out the humanitarian sufferings and pains of Syrians, mostly women, children and elderly, at home and abroad. He recalled to memory that HH the Amir had pledged during the recent Arab Summit in Doha, Qatar, to continue humanitarian and political support for the Syrian people. Al-Otaibi regretted that the humanitarian situation in Syria was getting from bad to worse and the conditions of Syrian refugees were very difficult. He also reminded that the Syrian people had hosted refugees from neighboring countries in the past and that was why everybody now should provide humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees. However, he called on the international community to step up efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis, which could fulfill the ambitions of the Syrian people. The Kuwaiti diplomat is scheduled to hand tomorrow (Tuesday) another two cheques to the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), thus bringing the total donations up to USD 80 million. The remaining sum pledged by the State of Kuwait, hitting USD 220 million, will be delivered by the Kuwaiti permanent delegation in Geneva to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Committee of the Red Cross, World Health Organization, World Food Program and other organizations. For her part, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Yoka Brandt told KUNA following her meeting with Ambassador Al-Otaibi that "we are extremely thankful and grateful to the Government of Kuwait for this very generous contribution which is going to be a long way to help children in need both inside Syria and in neighbouring countries." She said the Kuwait's "very generous" contribution came at a time the UN humanitarian agencies are facing sky-rocketing humanitarian needs. "It is very, very welcome." She noted that UNICEF shared with the Kuwaiti Government how it was going to distribute the assistance to the Syrian internally displaced and refugees, especially children in need. She explained that UNICEF still has a functioning office in Damascus, Homs, and other towns, manned with international and national staff, adding that UNICEF is also working with other partners too. Richard Wright, Director of UNRWA Office in New York told KUNA following the meeting that his office was "very grateful" for the Kuwaiti contribution, and that Kuwait has set a "good example" for other donor countries to follow suit. He described the Kuwaiti contribution as "extremely generous and we are extremely grateful to the Kuwaiti Government and people" for supporting the Palestinian refugees, whose situation is "extremely difficult," not only in Syria but also in neighbouring countries. He noted that some 40,000 Palestinian refugees have left Syria to Lebanon and 5,000 more to Jordan. "This generous contribution will certainly help us take care of their needs which are growing by the day," he stressed. He recognized that by contributing this way and this much, Kuwait is setting a "good example to the other countries" that participated in the International Donor Conference in Kuwait on January 30th, and hopefully, "this will act as a catalyst for others to come forward with contributions to all UN Agencies, not just UNRWA" which "urgently needs funds to deal with this crisis situation". "We are immensely grateful for this very generous contribution and the example it set for everyone else. It is a very good day for us," he reiterated. The Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Valerie Amos and the head of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres are scheduled to brief the Security Council on Thursday on the humanitarian situation in Syria and the refugee status. The following day, Friday, Joint Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi is scheduled to brief the Council on the status of his mediation efforts.