By Mahdi Al-Nimr ROME, March 28 (KUNA) -- The UN World Food Program (WFP) top official voiced optimism over success of the third International Pledging Conference for the Syrian people, due in Kuwait on March 31st, to help alleviate suffering of Syrian people until resolution of their crisis.
Ertharin Cousin, WFP's Executive Director, said she would be heading to Kuwait for the third time to attend the third donors' conference while the Syrian conflict was in its fifth year, relying on Kuwait's role as a major global humanitarian contributor.
Cousin, in an interview with KUNA, said WFP has been deeply involved since the break out of the Syrian crisis in March 2011 to provide food aid for the most vulnerable.
However, she added, "providing food assistance will not end the crisis in Syria. There is a need for a political solution to end the Syrian crisis." Cousin said she and her counterparts in international humanitarian organizations have signed a petition earlier this month urging world leaders to quickly act to reach a political solution for the conflict, which killed more than 220,000 people and displaced some 12.5 million people, who were either internally displaced or refugees in neighboring countries.
World leaders should put their differences aside to end the crisis politically, she said.
The March 13th petition called for ending the siege of more than 212,000 civilians, who were in desperate need of food and medical supplies.
Cousin said WFP was providing food supplies for people nationwide in Syria and in neighboring countries.
Inside Syria, she said that the WFP has been prevented access from some areas that have been either besieged or submersed in conflict for months now.
"What we call upon is for all parties to this crisis to provide access to those areas that is necessary- any of the parties involved." Due to lack of funds, the WFP has been forced to reduce the amount of assistance it provides with this reaching the point of suspension once in December, 2014, she said.
She hoped that donor nations at Kuwait III "continue to support the work that WFP must perform," but she underlined that if its needs are not met the UN body "will make the appropriate decision to provide as much food to as many people as we can, for as long as we can." Emphasising that the WFP is "proud" over the support of the Kuwaiti government and people, she urged the international community to recognize that "when you gives us a dollar we feed, but it requires that we have another dollar the next day, because as long as the crisis continues to go forward, we must continue to provide assistance as necessary.
"What we ask is that no hungry child be prioritized over the other and that the world continues to allow us to support those who need our help."
She described Kuwait as "a reliable partner for WFP" and mentioned the photo exhibition she was attending which highlights the impact of Kuwait's humanitarian initiatives conducted in cooperation with the WFP.
"(This) partnership goes well beyond the faces of the people you see in the pictures in this exhibit. To the children I was able to talk to the last time I was in (Jordan's) Zaatari camp - because Kuwait is now a regular and reliable donor to our work both inside Syria and for our work for the refugees outside Syria - when you talk to them you can see the difference that Kuwait has helped make in their lives." Congratulating His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on receiving his UN Humanitarian Leader title, she said this was important in recognizing "the significant role that Kuwait has played and is playing." Ensuring that its contributions make a difference, she praised Kuwait for also "bringing the global community together in Kuwait for the past three years," and encouraging "other members of the global community to provide the support that is necessary." "That leadership is being recognized," she said.
The WFP executive director went on to urge donors not to reduce funding of the 'School Feeding' programme which Kuwait contributes to in cooperation with UNICEF and other NGOs. She said it aims to encourage children to go to school through providing them with nutritious meals.
On a final note, she described Kuwait as "a partner that is committed to work not just with WFP but with other agencies as well as the NGOs" whose aim is to ensure that all development needs of victims of the Syrian crisis are met.
"I applaud Kuwait for the commitment to staying in the course of a conflict that has gone on too long," she said.
Some 12.5 million Syrians have been displaced internally and across neighbouring countries like Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, along with Iraq and Armenia to a lesser degree, due to the conflict in their country that has entered a fifth year.
Kuwait hosted two events in 2013 and 2014 which raised pledges worth a total USD 3.9 billion - USD 1.5 billion and USD 2.4 billion respectively - from international donors aimed at alleviating their suffering.
At both, Kuwait donated a collective USD 800 million, including USD 300 million and USD 500 million. (end) mn.sd.bs.gta