By Yusuf Al-Tattan
WASHINGTON, March 25 (KUNA) -- Washington-based Syrian activists commended Kuwait's hosting of an upcoming donors' conference for the Syrian people, calling for helping Syrian refugees start small business to guarantee sustainable income.
Bassam Barbandi, political advisor of the Syrian-American Council, praised Kuwait's relentless assistance for the Syrian people, whether the internally displaced or refugees in neighboring countries.
Speaking to KUNA, Barbandi said Kuwait's hosting of the third International Pledging Conference for the Syrian people on March 31 was another evidence of Kuwait's keenness to help the needy Syrians.
Barbandi, who used to work as First Secretary at the Syrian Embassy to the US, urged the international community to support the Syrian people start small businesses in order to have sustainable income, as well as providing education for the refugee children.
The Syrian conflict, which broke out in March 2011, killed more than 220,000 people, wounded many more others, and forced more than 12 million people to be either internally displaced or refugees in neighboring countries.
Barbandi said Syrian activists have been rallying support of the White House, the State Department, the Congress and other institutions "that understand the situation but want us to offer solutions." The upcoming donors' conference, also known as Kuwait III, is set to feature participation of 78 countries and over 40 international organizations.
Kuwait hosted the first and second donors' meetings in 2013 and 2014, where total pledges in the first amounted to USD 1.5 billion and USD 2.4 billion in the second. Kuwait pledged USD 300 million in the first conference and USD 500 million in the second.
Nora Al-Amir, member of the political authority of the Syrian National Council (SNC), commended generosity of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah towards the needy Syrian people.
Al-Amir, former SNC's vice-chairman, called for helping the Syrian refugees to start small businesses to guarantee sustainable income. (end) yt.bs