KUWAIT, March 30 (KUNA) -- Kuwait has once again showed humanitarian leadership with NGOs' pledges for Syrian people Monday exceeding USD half billion Monday, and has demonstrated how it highly appreciated relief work by honoring outgoing UN top humanitarian official.
Thirty non-governmental organizations have pledged USD 506 million to provide humanitarian aid for the Syrian people, inside the country and in neighboring nations, exceeding pledges made in their meeting in Kuwait last year.
The International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) announced the total pledges, a day ahead of the Third International Pledging Humanitarian Conference for Syria, surpassing USD 348 million pledges made at the second NGOs conference for the Syrian people held in Kuwait in January 2014.
It said that Kuwaiti NGOs and figures, already active on the ground to help the Syrians, pledged USD 88 million.
The IICO said GCC, Islamic countries and international pledges amounted to USD 418 million.
Some 12.5 million Syrians have been displaced internally and across neighbouring countries - 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 in first and USD 500 million in second.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in an interview with KUNA and Kuwait TV, hoped world leaders emulate His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's humanitarian leadership, describing him as the "Global Humanitarian Champion." Ban expressed his deepest appreciation to His Highness the Amir for his generous and compassionate leadership in hosting the third international donors conference (Kuwait III) for Syria.
Ban, noting the Syrian people dire need of resources of all kinds, called on the world leaders to take part in this pledging conference.
With the estimation of USD 8.4 billion set by the UN needed to address the current humanitarian crisis in 2015-16, Ban said USD 2.9 billion are for the Syrian response plan, and 5.5 billion are also needed for refugees in the five neighboring countries.
"I sincerely hope that the international community to render their warm helping hands," he said.
When asked about the commitment of many countries in past conferences, Ban said that there have been many promises but not all have been realized.
The UN Chief expressed his gratefulness that more than 90 percent of the pledges that have been committed in the last Kuwait conference.
"I particularly hope that countries in the region will come out with more generous support, as Kuwaiti government and people have always been, in helping those in need.
The "Syrian tragedy," as he described it, is entering its fifth year, and the UN chief stressed the necessity to solve the crisis through "political dialogue." "There is no other alternative but the political solution," he said.
As His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was honored by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as a "Humanitarian Leader" and Kuwait as a "Humanitarian Center," in a ceremony in New York last September, the Arab Gulf country shares the same passion towards those working in the humanitarian field.
First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah honored outgoing UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief coordinator Valerie Amos on the occasion of ending her tenure, in a ceremony held Monday evening.
During the ceremony, held following the International NGOs conference, Amos dedicated the honor for all humanitarian workers around the world and people in need, who inspired her during her tenure.
Amos said Kuwait has been playing a key role in coordination among donors for the Syrian crisis on humanitarian basis, and that she was looking forward for generous contributions during Kuwait III.
The situation in Syria will not improve but with further contributions, she said, or people would simply perish. (end) bs