Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development Signs Two Grant Agreements Worth $5 Million

The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development signed two grant agreements with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), totaling $5 million, to support both the Syria Humanitarian Fund and the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund. In a statement to KUNA, the Fund said the agreements reflect Kuwait’s commitment to supporting international humanitarian efforts and assisting the most vulnerable populations, with each grant amounting to $2.5 million for each fund. It added that the 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 helping to deliver life-saving assistance to affected and most vulnerable groups. The Fund clarified that the support will enable the Syria and Afghanistan Humanitarian Funds, managed by OCHA, to enhance the speed and flexibility of the 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. It noted that these 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 improving the living conditions of affected communities and supporting development and stability efforts. The signing of the agreements follows 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. The Fund stated that its total contributions to joint projects with OCHA, including these two agreements, amounted to approximately $16.1 million. It added that its contributions have covered a number of humanitarian funds and programs in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Palestine, Afghanistan, and Syria, in the areas of humanitarian financing and the eradication of famine, reflecting the Fund’s firm commitment to supporting the humanitarian response and promoting sustainable development in partner countries. The agreements were signed by Acting Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Rashid Al-Bader, and the Representative of OCHA in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Zaid.