KUWAIT: Kuwait Relief Society (KRS) on Wednesday signed an executive contract worth $2.105 million with the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) to operate a relief ship to support and provide relief to those affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts in Sudan. Director General of KRS Abdulaziz Al-Obaid told KUNA that the association’s operation of the "Sudan Ship” confirms the depth of Kuwaiti feelings towards the Sudanese people and demonstrates Kuwait’s continued presence, through its official and charitable institutions, in leading the humanitarian work there.
Al-Obaid explained that the relief ship is scheduled to depart from Turkish ports towards Port Sudan in northeastern Sudan at the end of September and will arrive in Sudanese ports by September 15, where it will be unloaded with KRS and then handed over to the Sudanese Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC).
The Director General of the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) and its representative, Durmus Aydin, said in a similar statement to KUNA that the terms of the contract stipulated that the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation would undertake the purchase, supply, preparation, and packaging of goods and humanitarian aid according to the quantities specified in the terms of the contract, provided that they are valid for at least one year, then load them onto the ship at Turkish ports and deliver them to the Sudanese port of Port Sudan.
Aydin added that the Turkish Foundation (IHH) is also committed, according to the terms of the contract, to bear the cost and trouble of carrying out all procedures and obtaining the necessary permits for the entire shipment. He explained that the Foundation is committed to facilitating the tasks of monitoring the company and facilitating the work of media professionals and providing KRS with detailed interim and final media reports for all stages of preparation, loading, and dispatch, as well as its moral commitment to quickly complete the relief shipment.
For his part, the Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to Kuwait, Awad Al-Karim Al-Rayeh Balla, noted after the signing the solidarity of the official bodies, Kuwaiti charitable societies and organizations, and the Kuwaiti people to assist those affected by the recent events in Sudan and to work diligently to overcome the humanitarian crisis there. Ambassador Al-Rayeh Balla added that the Kuwaiti aid has been providing relief aid like food, medicine, tents, and others.
He expressed his thanks for the humanitarian efforts of the Kuwaiti government and people and the charitable societies and organizations for their efforts that highlight the pioneering humanitarian role of Kuwait. Ambassador of Turkey to Kuwait Tuba Sonmez confirmed that the agreements unify the responsibility and feelings that unite Turkey and Kuwait towards those affected by natural disasters and conflicts in Sudan.
Sonmez added that the coming days will witness more cooperation between the two countries in broader humanitarian horizons, for the good and relief of those affected by disasters and crises everywhere. In turn, the representative of the Kuwait Relief Society, Eng Jamal Al-Nouri, said that the contract comes within the framework of the Kuwaiti government’s support for the current humanitarian conditions in Sudan, given the suffering of displaced families from natural disasters and conflicts that have caused the spread of poverty and homelessness, in addition to diseases and epidemics.
Al-Nouri explained that the society will bear half the cost of preparing the cargo of the Sudan Ship, which includes about 150 containers with a total weight of 2,500 tons of various relief materials, especially food, cleaning materials, and various shelter supplies. He indicated that the society will bear the cost of preparing 75 of these containers, while the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) will bear the cost of preparing the remaining 75 containers.
He pointed out that about 83 containers were allocated for food supplies and parcels, including rice, wheat, lentils, flour, sugar, oil, tomato paste, and other food essentials, while 27 containers were allocated for mattresses, sponges, blankets, shelter supplies, tents, and waterproof plastic bags. The Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) is one of the world’s leading relief organizations that reaches war zones, conflicts, and natural disasters around the world to provide relief materials to victims and oppressed people and provide assistance to the needy and displaced.
It is one of the institutions that Kuwait Relief sought to contract with to operate a number of relief ships to the Gaza Strip and Sudan during the current year. The Kuwait Relief Society was established on April 30, 2008, and was registered by the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2012. It is a charitable relief organization based in Kuwait that works to provide relief to areas affected by conflicts or natural disasters in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and many countries around the world. — KUNA