Weekly roundup of Kuwait's humanitarian efforts

KUWAIT, April 15 (KUNA) -- Living up to its UN recognition as International "Humanitarian Center," the State of Kuwait continued assisting needy people in a number of countries in the region throughout the week.
Last Monday, Somalia's Embassy in Kuwait voiced appreciation to the State of Kuwait for its relief aid to Somalian people during the recent drought wave that hit the country.
The embassy said in a release obtained by KUNA that it was very grateful to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's instructions called for helping Somalians.
The Kuwait-based Mercy International, affiliated to the Association of Social Reform, had announced the launch of an urgent relief campaign for the victims of drought in Somalia.
The campaign delivered medical programs, food packages and mobile water tanks. The aid was handed out in cooperation with Kuwait's Zakat House, the Kuwait Relief Society, the International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) and Al-Najat Charity In Lebanon, Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) decided Thursday to pay the costs of a kidney transplant for an Iraqi three-year child, as part of the society's philanthropic work and support to urgent critical cases.
The KRCS delegate to Lebanon Musaed Al-Enezi told KUNA that the society decided to take this move in favor of Amir Bashar Aboud who has to be operated on as soon as possible.
The society's humanitarian efforts are part of Kuwait's philanthropic initiatives extended to the needy around the globe, Al-Enezi said.
On his part, the child's father expressed gratitude to the KRCS and the entire Kuwaiti people for the generous assistance offered to his son, and to many other people.
He told KNUA that he discovered that his son was suffering kidney failure when the child was still six months old. His case has aggravated since then, and now it is critical.
Shebl Murani, the doctor supervising the child's case, told KUNA that the little boy arrived in the Lebanese capital with full renal failure and was admitted to the ICU. He added that the family could not afford a kidney transplant for the kid.
The KRCS has provided the costs of scores of refugees in Lebanon over the last years through the kidney dialysis it launched in north of the country.
In Akkar, northern Lebanon, Al-Sayer Group's CEO, Hamad Al-Sayer said Friday that Kuwait is always keen to provide a helping hand to people who are in need of aid worldwide.
Speaking to KUNA during a visit to Al-Rihaniyeh Syrian refugee camp in Akkar, the Kuwaiti official said that the visit, by officials from Al-Sayer group and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), was to assess efforts to provide electricity and warm water using portable and stationary solar panels.
Al-Sayer group's involvement is in line with the Kuwaiti leadership's policies to provide refugees, especially Syrians, with every bit of assistance that they need to overcome a bit of their suffering.
Al-Sayer and UNEP Regional Director Iyad Abumoghli carried out the visit to Al-Rihaniyeh camp, which includes around 1,000 people who are living in 400 tents, mostly accommodating children, women, and the elderly.
On his part, Abumoghli said that cooperation between Kuwait and UNEP was not new, affirming that both sides had worked previously on several programs in the region.
The "annual and generous" support and funding by Kuwait to UNEP ventures will always be appreciated by the international organization, said the official who hoped that both sides would be able to work together in the near future.
Some refugees at the camp told KUNA that they were grateful for the assistance provided by the Kuwaiti group, saying that from darkness, the camp was transform into a place where light illuminated their paths and dwellings. The assistance also provided warm water that helped to bring a smile to the people who suffered from the lack basic human needs.
A statement by UNEP indicated that after suffering from long injustice and cold weather, the program - through the generous financial support of its main partner Kuwaiti Al-Sayer Group - has contributed to efforts to lighting up tents and walkways in the camp in addition to providing solar-powered water heaters.
This initiative is the first of its kind in terms of using clean energy to cater to the basic needs of refugees in one of the largest camps in Akkar.
Meanwhile, KRCS signed a USD 188,000 agreement with the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to rehabilitate Syrian refugees in Lebanon, who were wounded during the conflict in their country.
KRCS's Al-Enezi told KUNA that the agreement was part of the society's continuous efforts to help Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
The agreement will also include other nationalities, said the Kuwaiti official who stressed that Syrian refugees will have the priority in receiving rehabilitation treatments.
On his part, Head of the ICRC delegation in Lebanon Fabrizio Carboni said that his organization was keen on bolstering efforts with KRCS to help all those who are in need including Syrian refugees in the country.
The mission for the Syrian refugees will continue with other international partners to ease the pain of those who are suffering, said Carboni.
In Irbil, the society Thursday inaugurated a second school for displaced people in the city of Irbil.
It was the second school that Kuwait opened in Irbil to meet the educational needs of displaced children, Kuwait Consul-General in Irbil Dr. Omar Al-Kanderi told KUNA on the sidelines of the opening ceremony.
He vowed that Kuwait would continue its humanitarian aid to displaced people in Kurdistan region.
Al-Kanderi added that the Kuwaiti non-stop aid to Iraqi people came in implementation of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's instructions to all Kuwaiti institutions to stand by Iraqi displaced people and help alleviate their suffering.
The new school contains 14 classrooms and accommodates for 500 students.
For his part, Minister of Education in Kurdistan regional government Pishtiwan Sadiq expressed gratitude for Kuwait aid for the displaced students in the province.
He described the school building as a great humanitarian initiative with remarkable effects on the community. (end) hm