Red Crescent: Expanding humanitarian partnerships and strengthening international presence

The Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) affirmed its commitment to advancing its national readiness, expanding its humanitarian partnerships, and strengthening its international presence, in line with the established humanitarian approach of the State of Kuwait and to enhance the Society’s role in serving humanity wherever needed.

Speaking to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Saturday while participating in the 12th Regional Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the Middle East and North Africa, hosted in Beirut, KRCS Vice Chairman Dr. Nasser Al-Tanak said the Society places great emphasis on participating in the regional meeting to engage with its humanitarian partners, exchange ideas that bolster its humanitarian and relief roles, and coordinate efforts aimed at developing services for communities, particularly during difficult times and circumstances, to deliver optimal performance in emergency situations.

Al-Tanak added that the Society strives to maintain its active presence at meetings of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Arab Crescent and Red Cross Society, and various humanitarian forums, exchanging experiences with sister national societies and supporting joint coordination in areas such as disaster response, volunteer work, humanitarian financing, and capacity building.

He stressed the importance of this participation in regional and international meetings, noting their role in unifying and coordinating efforts and improving performance to achieve more effective humanitarian work that serves local communities and supports people wherever the need arises.

In his address during one of the conference sessions, Al-Tanak outlined the KRCS’s progress over the past two years, a period during which the Society sought to balance the continuity of its humanitarian and relief role abroad with strengthening its national readiness and developing its institutional framework in accordance with the principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

He pointed out that, on the humanitarian and relief front, the Society continued its response to crises and disasters in several countries, prioritizing the most affected and needy areas, foremost among them the occupied Palestinian territories. The Society intensified its efforts to support the population of the Gaza Strip through relief campaigns, dispatching urgent aid, and facilitating air and land bridges in coordination with official authorities and sister national societies, alongside studying and implementing projects in the sectors of health, shelter, water and sanitation, education, and direct relief.

He noted the Society’s ongoing humanitarian support in several Asian and African countries through medical and relief aid, as well as health and social projects, in cooperation with national societies and specialized humanitarian organizations.

On the health front, Al-Tanak said the Society has increasingly focused on developing its interventions, shifting from traditional relief aid to more sustainable programs that include supporting health facilities, providing medicines and medical supplies, contributing to the treatment of patients, and studying the establishment of field medical capacities that can be utilized in disaster and emergency situations.

He highlighted the efforts made by the KRCS to expand its cooperation with sister national societies and international humanitarian organizations, developing memoranda of understanding and partnership programs in the fields of disaster preparedness and risk reduction, health, community resilience, and capacity building, including continued collaboration with several national societies in Asia and the Arab region.

He noted that, at the national level, enhancing emergency preparedness has been one of the core pillars of the Society’s work in recent periods. In this regard, the Society has raised its readiness to handle emergency cases in coordination with state agencies, prepared shelter sites, provided basic needs and medical supplies, and allocated necessary resources for rapid response.

Tinak highlighted that these efforts included recruiting and sorting more than 100 volunteers, organizing teams to work on a shift basis, and activating specialized teams for first aid, field response, and disaster management, thereby strengthening the supporting role played by the Society alongside official authorities in the State of Kuwait.

He stated that, in the field of local work, the Society continued its social and humanitarian programs targeting families and the most vulnerable groups within Kuwait. These efforts included food, educational, and health assistance, among other forms of support, while simultaneously developing the regulatory and supervisory frameworks governing the provision of such aid. This aims to enhance fairness and transparency, preserve the dignity of beneficiaries, and ensure that donations are directed to their intended purposes.

He clarified that, at the institutional level, the Kuwait Red Crescent Society reviewed and developed a number of internal regulations and financial and administrative systems over the past two years. It also strengthened governance and oversight mechanisms, reorganized certain competencies and committees, and worked on developing the administrative structure, salary scale, and internal control mechanisms. These initiatives contribute to building a more efficient and sustainable institution capable of responding to growing humanitarian needs.

He pointed out that the Society contributed to national efforts related to the regulation and protection of the Red Crescent and Red Cross emblems, and participated in discussions on legislation governing charitable and humanitarian work. This stems from its commitment to aligning national regulatory requirements with the Society’s unique nature as the National Red Crescent Society of Kuwait and as a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

He emphasized the Society’s focus on developing its capacities in innovation, training, and the use of modern technologies, including training projects utilizing virtual reality technology. These initiatives aim to enhance the efficiency of staff and volunteers and strengthen their readiness to handle disaster and emergency scenarios.

He noted that the Society launched its Mental Health Office in February 2026, a step taken as the third national society in the region to do so. Additionally, it established an artificial intelligence-based response service to calm citizens and residents following air raid sirens triggered by the recent Iranian aggression.

Tinak stated that what has been achieved over the past two years was not merely an expansion in the volume of activities, but part of a strategy aimed at developing the Society’s humanitarian work model. This model integrates rapid response, quality implementation, governance, sustainability, and the enhancement of national and international partnerships.

He added: “On this occasion, the Kuwait Red Crescent Society reaffirms its commitment to the principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, foremost among which are humanity, neutrality, impartiality, independence, unity, and universality. It is keen to continue cooperating with sister national societies and exchanging expertise with them, thereby enhancing our collective capacity to respond to growing humanitarian challenges.”

Concluding his presentation, Al-Tunak emphasized the continued efforts of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society to develop its national capacities and capabilities, expand its humanitarian partnerships, and strengthen its international presence, building on past achievements to serve and uphold “Kuwait’s entrenched humanitarian approach and enhance the role of our national society in serving humanity wherever it is found.”

For his part, Dr. Hussam Al-Sharqawi, Regional Director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for the Middle East and North Africa, stated, “This conference convenes at a particularly difficult time for our region. While wars, conflicts, and disasters have divided us, our shared humanity unites us today under the umbrella of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. These societies are present on the ground in neighborhoods and streets, working daily to meet humanitarian needs and swiftly provide relief and assistance to all in need during critical conditions and times of crisis.”

He added that the humanitarian role of these societies, along with their convergence on a noble goal of serving humanity and protecting life, contributes to building bridges between peoples and nations through humanitarian action.

He noted that the societies meet every two years to discuss various issues in the region, and today’s gathering comes “at a sensitive time for the region, which we address with the seriousness and attention that our humanitarian mission demands.”

It is worth noting that the Kuwait Red Crescent Society is participating in the conference, whose closed-session proceedings extended for two days yesterday, Friday, and today, through Dr. Nasser Al-Tunak, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, and Dr. Mohammed Al-Mutairi, Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Society.