The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has signed two development cooperation agreements with the UK Foreign Office to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to people affected by the conflicts in the Republics of Sudan and Somalia.
According to a statement carried by Kuwaiti news agency KUNA, the two parties have pledged a total of US$10 million in humanitarian assistance under the new agreement.
Each party will contribute US$5 million, which will support UNICEF in continuing to provide essential health, nutrition, water, sanitation and child protection services in Sudan.
In addition, the two parties will contribute an additional US$5 million, US$2.5 million each, to fund a joint project to support the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Somalia.
The Acting Director-General of the Kuwait Fund, Walid Al-Bahar, said that the signing of these agreements demonstrates the Fund’s commitment to strengthening international cooperation related to development, peace and humanitarian assistance.
He continued by saying that this partnership with the UK Foreign Office will lead to the exchange of experiences and the unification of efforts to support the most vulnerable communities in Sudan and Somalia.
He also pointed out that this will strengthen Kuwait’s leading role in the region and internationally.
On the other hand, the Head of the ICRC Regional Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council, Mamadou Sow, said that the partnership between Kuwait and the UK demonstrates a united humanitarian commitment.
He noted that this donation is not only financial support, but also a clear message of support for the Somali people, with the aim of restoring basic social services, which have long been living in conditions of extreme poverty.
These two agreements are part of a previous agreement reached by both parties in February 2020, which established a cooperative framework for providing humanitarian assistance to improve the living conditions of refugees, displaced people, and communities affected by natural disasters and conflicts, worldwide.
