A+ A-

Kuwait continues offering humanitarian aid to several countries

Kuwait Red Crescent Society's organizes charity for needy families, children
Kuwait Red Crescent Society's organizes charity for needy families, children
KUWAIT, Feb 24 (KUNA) -- Living up to its UN-bestowed status as an International Humanitarian Center, Kuwait throughout the week continued providing humanitarian aid to people in need in several Arab and Muslim countries.
In Jordan, Kuwait's medical voluntary team "Shifaa" started Friday its 15th humanitarian journey to provide medical and spiritual care to Syrian refugees in that Arab country.
The current journey is part of Shefaa's series of trips to crises-stricken countries in the region, particularly in nations and communities hosting Syrian refugees and displaced persons, Dr. Faisal Al-Hajri, a member of the team, told KUNA.
The team will also perform a number of surgeries, provide necessary medical treatment and free medicine to refugees living in various cities and areas around the Kingdom, including refugee camps, Al-Hajri added.
Shefaa includes a very "professional" medical and relief staff that will also provide the refugees with spiritual support to help boost their spirits higher, clear their minds of negative thoughts caused by wars and forced displacement, and alleviate their suffering, said Al-Hajri.
Furthermore, he noted that his team has coordinated with the Kuwaiti foreign ministry, Kuwaiti embassy in Jordan, and a number of Jordanian relief organizations and medical centers to implement Shefaa team's three-day program.
Al-Hajri also mentioned that the team includes seven physicians and will be operating in three medical centers and hospitals in the Kingdom.
The voluntary physicians will perform urologic and general surgeries, in addition to conducting medical checkups on patients in family medicine, pediatrics, and gastroenterology, he added.
Moreover, Shefaa team will provide refugee children at Al-Zaatari camp and other Syrian refugees' camps with gifts and money, said Al-Hajri.
Since its formation in 2013, Shefaa team has performed over 200 surgeries and 1,500 medical checkups, in addition to providing medicine and treatment for patients in refugees' camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Bolivia, Kenya, and India.
Meanwhile, Kuwait Ambassador to Jordan Hamad Al-Duaij underlined the importance of charity work to Kuwait and to the development of humankind in societies in the region and around the world.
Al-Duaij told KUNA, on the sideline of celebration of placement of the cornerstone for 1.2 million Jordanian Dinars (USD 1.69 million) education and development complex in Hasban town, a contribution made by Kuwaiti charities, affirmed Kuwait's charitable efforts in the humanitarian field.
The ambassador noted Kuwait's official and private bodies contribute to creating societies that are capable of confronting challenges and difficulties, adding that such exerted efforts by official organizations and charities come as result of guidelines by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Humanitarian Leader.
The 7,000 square meters complex, west of Amman city, will be able to house more than 600 students, Al-Duaij said, accompanied by Jassem Al-Yaseen, founder of Ekhlaa' Training for Social Development Company, the Kuwaiti partner in the project, as they were putting the cornerstone for Fatema and Muneera Bazie School.
Al-Yaseen told KUNA that the school is one of the educational projects in the Jordanian society, adding that the complex scheduled to be completed in 2019-20.
In Syria, Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) has launched an online fund-raising campaign to ease out the woes of the people of Syria's Eastern Ghouta.
The fresh humanitarian initiative started Thursday, with funds to be received online via the society's website as of next Tuesday, KRCS Board Chairman Hilal Al-Sayer said in a statement to KUNA.
The three-day fund-raising campaign is primarily intended to alleviate the hard humanitarian conditions of disarmed people in Ghouta, which has come under stiff attacks by the Syrian regime, he added.
Thousands of children are facing the danger of death due to famine as a result of hard events in Ghouta, Al-Sayer pointed out.
The KRCS chief urged everyone to join the online humanitarian initiative entitled: "Save Ghouta", which targets urgent food and health aid.
Recent attacks in Eastern Ghouta have led to the death of hundreds of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.
Also, Kuwait Red Crescent Society's Secretary General Maha Al-Barjas said KRCS was keen on offering diversified services for children of needy families during national days.
She spoke to KUNA on fringes of a charity held by KRCS for families in need and their children on the occasion of Kuwait's national days.
This charity, she added, aimed at involving this segment in jubilant national days.
The event, organized by the local aid department, included entertainment activities for the children and their families.
Al-Barjas said the local aid department was organizing campaigns throughout the year aimed at helping 2,000 families.
These campaigns, she explained, included distribution of food coupons, toys, clothes, water coolers and aid for students.
In a related context, Al-Rahma International Society, supported by some philanthropists, launched a campaign to help people in the Gaza Strip suffering from the Israeli blockade more than 10 years.
Head of the society's office in Gaza Emad Kaheel told KUNA in a statement that up to 1000 food packages were distributed to the poorest families in the Strip, as part of the campaign, which comes amid tough humanitarian conditions facing residents of the Strip.
He noted that there is a three-day medical campaign, which benefit large numbers of people in dire need of treatment, in addition to providing fuel to incubations and operation rooms in some hospitals.
In Ankara, Al-Rahma International Society launched a relief campaign to Syrian refugees in the Turkish city of Sanliurfa.
In a statement to KUNA, Waleed Suweilam, head of the society's office, said the campaign included aid benefited more than 500 Syrian families and 50 orphans.
He stressed keenness of the society to diversify its relief projects provided to Syrian refugees and the displaced, describing situations of refugees in Deir Ezzor as "tragic" due to a four-year blockade.
He pointed out that the society distributed more than 250 food parcels to 250 families, in addition to 700 blankets and clothing and others.
In Baghdad, the "Kuwait by your side" campaign aims to distribute 20,000 blankets to families returned to Mosul.
Ahmad Meshref, head of Iraqi medical society, told KUNA that the first batch of blankets reached 2,400, which were doled out to the families returned to the city of Mosul.
He noted the distribution would continue to cover 1000 families of Mosul that returned to their houses. (end) hm