Kuwait Fund signs two grant agreements worth $5 million to support humanitarian efforts in Syria and Afghanistan

The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development signed two grant agreements totaling $5 million with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), to support the Syria Humanitarian Fund and the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, with $2.5 million allocated to each fund, in line with Kuwait’s commitment to supporting international humanitarian efforts and assisting the most vulnerable populations.

The agreements were signed on behalf of the Kuwait Fund by Acting Director General Rashid Ali Al-Badr, and by Muhammad Khatir Zaid, the OCHA Representative in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on behalf of the Office.

The Kuwait Fund emphasized that the two grants aim to support the urgent humanitarian response in the Syrian Arab Republic and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan by financing humanitarian programs and projects that address the most pressing needs, thereby facilitating the delivery of life-saving assistance to affected and vulnerable groups.

It clarified that this support will enable the Syria and Afghanistan Humanitarian Funds, managed by OCHA, to enhance the speed and flexibility of humanitarian response, support implementing partners, and improve the coordination of humanitarian operations, thereby alleviating the suffering of those affected by conflicts, displacement, natural disasters, and various humanitarian crises.

The Fund noted that the two grants embody Kuwait’s humanitarian approach and its continuous commitment to supporting international initiatives aimed at alleviating human suffering and strengthening partnerships with international organizations, contributing to improved living conditions for affected communities and supporting development and stability efforts.

The signing of these agreements extends the leading humanitarian role played by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development in supporting developing countries and reinforces Kuwait’s position as an active partner in humanitarian and development efforts at both the regional and international levels.

With the signing of these agreements, the Kuwait Fund’s total contributions to joint projects with OCHA amount to approximately $16.1 million. These contributions have supported a number of humanitarian funds and programs in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Palestine, Afghanistan, and Syria, in areas such as humanitarian financing and the eradication of famine, reflecting the Fund’s firm commitment to supporting humanitarian response and promoting sustainable development in partner countries.