ShareKUWAIT: Mark Bryson-Richardson, the UK Foreign Secretary’s Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, affirmed the UK’s commitment to a two-state solution including the international recognition of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. He condemned illegal Zionist entity settlements, settler violence, and increasing restrictions on the freedoms of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, urging all parties to proceed with hostage-prisoner exchanges to advance the ceasefire process.
Regarding President Trump’s calls for Gazans to relocate to Egypt or Jordan, he stated that the Palestinian people hold sovereignty over the strip and have a right to determine its future, condemning the detention conditions facing detainees on both sides; with the Zionist entity’s treatment of Palestinians prisoners one of three key reasons the UK last September suspended arms export licenses for items used by the IDF in Gaza. At a media roundtable, he stated that his country and Kuwait recently committed $6 million ($3 million each) in joint funding for UNICEF projects in Gaza and Yemen, emphasizing the UK’s desire to strengthen humanitarian partnerships with Kuwait, particularly in Gaza.
He indicated that there were some improvements in aid flow following the ceasefire but called for allowing more essential goods into Gaza and resuming commercial trade to support economic recovery. He added, “The UK has provided £129 million—including £41 million for UNRWA—in humanitarian aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories this financial year and is working with partners on reconstruction efforts.”
He addressed the urgent humanitarian needs of the Gazan people including through restoring basic services such as electricity and clean water supply. Remained its overwhelming short-term priority, Bryson-Richardson confirmed that the UK was engaging with partners including the World Bank, UNDP, and Palestinian Authority on reconstruction plans, expecting Kuwait to continue playing a prominent role in efforts to provide a better future for the Palestinian people, both individually and through its Presidency of the GCC.
He also stressed the need for the international community to come together in support of the Palestinian Authority, which the UK - in line with Kuwait and the wider GCC - views as the legitimate body to take forward the interests of the Palestinian people in both the West Bank and Gaza.
During his visit to Kuwait, Bryson-Richardson met with key officials and humanitarian organizations. He met the Acting Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the Deputy Assistant Foreign Ministers for Arab World and Development and International Cooperation Affairs.
He had also called on several colleagues from the United Nations (UN) including Ghada Hatim Eltahir, the UN Resident Coordinator in Kuwait; Rami Tahboub, Ambassador of Palestine to the State of Kuwait; representatives of the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri Charity Society, Kuwait Society for Relief, and International Islamic Charity Organization; and Omar Fouda, International Trade Manager for the UK government-funded Tasdeer program that assists Palestinian businesses to export their products to foreign markets, including Kuwait, praising the generosity of both the government and private charities’ humanitarian efforts to date, and affirming the UK’s strong desire to continue expanding its humanitarian and development partnerships with Kuwait - both in Gaza and elsewhere.
