KUWAIT: The State
of Kuwait continues to extend its humanitarian arm throughout the globe,
helping those who are in dire need. Kuwait's humanitarian stance stemmed from
the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah, a figure recognized as a world humanitarian leader by the UN. In the
Gaza Strip, Kuwait's International Islamic Charity Organization (IICO) provided
$200 million funds to help irrigation projects in several areas.

Head of Gaza's
Makkah charitable society Dr Hazem Al-Seraj commended the Kuwaiti assistance,
which will provide adequate water resources to the people of Gaza. Meanwhile,
the official revealed that Kuwait also provided $40,000 to help provide medical
assistance and equipment to a hospital in the Gaza Strip.

In Geneva, the
Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Gilles
Carbonnier lauded Kuwait's contribution to the committee's humanitarian
programs and projects in Yemen. This praise came due Kuwait's $11 million-worth
donation to efforts there. Kuwait's Ambassador to the UN and International
Organizations in Geneva Jamal Al-Ghunaim said that this donation is part of
Kuwait's pledge made during the Donor Conference for Yemen, held in April 2018
in Geneva. He expressed Kuwait's keenness to back the humanitarian situation in
Yemen, and that his country contributes vitally in several ICRC's activities,
especially since it is an active member in the ICRC Donor Support Group.

The Kuwaiti
diplomat also mentioned that ICRC is currently making clear and tangible
efforts in Yemen to secure humanitarian actions in that country, particularly
in the general health field. Ghunaim affirmed his country's support of these
efforts and commitment to honor its pledges made at the Donor Conference for
Yemen. Also in Geneva, Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in
Yemen Altaf Musani lauded the role played by Kuwait in supporting healthcare in
Yemen.

Musani's
statement came after his meeting with Ghunaim. Kuwait is committed to its
humanitarian role and continues to provide vital aids to Yemenis, affirmed the
WHO official, indicating that the new batch of support will be directed towards
supporting hospitals and health clinics in Yemen. The Kuwaiti aid will also
address the shortage of medicine and the spread of contagious ailments such as
Cholera, he revealed.

Ghunaim said that
Kuwait, as a global center of humanitarian aid, would continue to provide much
needed aid to the people of Yemeni in accordance to the directives of Kuwaiti
leadership. The new batch of support comes in line with the pledge made by
Kuwait in the UN donors' conference for Yemen this spring, he added. Ghunaim
indicated that he was glad that the Kuwait hospital in Yemen was one of the
major operational health facilities in the war torn country, hoping that the
Kuwaiti-funded hospitals will attend to the needs of Yemenis.

Meanwhile,
Director of the FAO Liaison Office with the UN at Geneva Carolyn Rodrigues
Birkett lauded Kuwait's support to the organization. The remarks came after her
meeting with Ghunaim, which discussed Kuwait's support and donations allocated
to FAO's programs in Yemen, which would help in the rehabilitation of the
agricultural and food services sector in Yemen, she said. Birkett expressed
hope of this fruitful cooperation with Kuwait to continue. Meanwhile, Ghunaim
said that cooperation between Kuwait and FAO aims at directing humanitarian
support to those in need and affected in the first place. Kuwait's cooperation
with FAO, whether in Yemen or Syria, is the only one of its kind in the region,
he added. - KUNA