Kuwait reiterates support for internatoinal humanitarian efforts

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah reaffirmed here on Tuesday keenness to beef up worldwide humanitarian efforts to help people affected by natural disasters, internal crises and wars. Speaking while opening the Fourth Annual Conference on Effective Partnership Information Sharing for Better Humanitarian Action, he underlined his country's support for international efforts in Syria out of its firm belief in helping affected people. The opening ceremony of the conference was attended by Minister of Justice, Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Abdullah Al-Mousharji, Chairman of the International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) and the UN secretary-general's envoy for humanitarian affairs Abdullah Al-Matouq, Secretary-General of the GCC Abdul-Latif Al-Zayani and UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos. The minister said the gathering comes at a critical time that requires concerted efforts to alleviate relevant reflections and to improve the living conditions of world people. He appreciated the humanitarian efforts of all regional and international organizations and civil society, as well as UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos's office for delivering international aid to affected people. The office has contributed to swift international response to humanitarian emergency through joint efforts of international organizations, he added. On Syria, the minister warned of the aggravating humanitarian tragedy in Syria, including the killing of over 100,000 people and injury of thousands, not to mention internally displaced persons and refugees. He said since the third annual conference on Syria was held in Kuwait in September 2012, the number of Syrian refugees has skyrocketed to one million from 260,000 last year. Furthermore, 4.250 have been internally displaced compared to 1.2 million last year, he said. Such figures require the UN and all other international bodies involved to shoulder due legal and moral responsibilities to ease out the sufferings and pains of the Syrian people, to stop bloodshed in the country and to ensure aid access to them, the minister urged. He reiterated Kuwait's support for humanitarian efforts, pointing to HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's response to a UN call for hosting a donor conference on Syria, which drew USD 1.6 billion, including USD 300 million from Kuwait. In this context, he urged other countries to meet their pledges to help the Syrian people. Appreciating the humanitarian efforts of the Kuwaiti private sector and charities, the minister hoped that the conference would come up with tangible results that could lead to the improvement of coordination among international humanitarian organizations to help affected people worldwide. The conference is being held under the patronage of the Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and organized by the International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO), Direct Aid and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This year's conference brings together prominent actors from the government, humanitarian and corporate sectors to tackle challenges facing humanitarian organizations.