By Abdullah Al-Harbi
ABU DHABI, March 30 (KUNA) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) commended His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's vision to the service of international humanitarian work.
His Highness the Amir's instructions steered development and humanitarian aid in a proper manner thus improving life of those in need, which thus encouraged UN to name the Kuwaiti leader as a "Humanitarian Leader," Minister of Development and International Cooperation Sheikh Lubna Al-Qassemi.
The Third International Pledging Conference to help the Syrian people will be held amidst enormous challenges facing the Syrian people inside their country and in neighboring nations, Al-Qassemi, also Chairperson of the UAE Committee for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance abroad, told KUNA.
"We appreciate efforts of many countries around the world towards this (Syrian) crisis but we also have to praise the active and vital role of the State of Kuwait, setting an example since the beginning of the crisis" in March 2011, said Al-Qassemi.
Kuwait's generous support for the Syrian people, either directly or via hosting the donors' conferences, has greatly contributed to alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people, she said.
"We will never forget Kuwait's historic role in supporting humanitarian causes and all people and displaced by the crises," she said.
Al-Qassemi said the UAE has rushed to offering relief aid for the Syrians people, either internally displaced and refugees, estimated at 12.5 million.
She said UAE and Jordan set up a camp and a hospital for the Syrian refugees.
She added that the UAE's contributed around USD 365 million in 2012-14 to the Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey as well as for the internally displaced.
Al-Qassemi said the UAE paid the entire USD 16.3 million it pledged for Kuwait II.
She added that the UAE gave around USD seven million for the UN children agency (UNICEF) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), USD five million for the UN Palestinian relief agency (UNRWA) and USD 15 million for the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The UAE, she said, provided USD 31 million for the World Food Program (WFP) and USD 272,000 for the World Health Organization (WHO).
Al-Qassemi said she was looking foward that the March 31 Kuwait III would help ease suffering of the Syrian people.
Some 12.5 million Syrians have been displaced internally and across neighbouring countries like Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, 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) asa.bs