LOC14:26
11:26 GMT
KUWAIT, March 31 (KUNA) -- Gulf states have so far pledged a total USD 660 million at talks hosted by Kuwait aimed at raising humanitarian pledges for Syrians displaced internally and across neighbouring countries on Tuesday.
Launching the talks, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah had announced a pledge of USD 500 million at the event hosted by his nation for a third year.
The sum will be provided in wake of the continuing tragedy affecting the Syrians, and stemming from Kuwait's belief on the need to remind them of the international community's commitment to ending their suffering, he said.
He also commended the efforts on hosting some 3.9 million Syrian refugees of the five neighbouring host nations - Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.
Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf pledged on behalf of his nation the sum of USD 60 million.
He said the amount would be added to former contributions made by the Gulf nation exceeding USD 150 million.
He praised His Highness the Amir's commitment to the humanitarian catatrophe, which he described as "the worst in modern times."
The international community has a moral obligation to the situation in Syria, he said, adding that his country has made total contribution of over USD 600 million since the start of the conflict in March, 2011.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said it would pledge USD 100 million to the efforts.
The sum, announced by Minister of Development and International Cooperation Lubna Al-Qassemi, said the amount would be distributed directly to Emirati humanitarian organisations who focus their activities on programmes targeting the displaced and refugee communities.
The UAE has fulfilled its pledges made at the former two events in Kuwait (Kuwait I and II) including USD 300 million and USD 60 million respectively.
She added that her nation supports the cause through the Jordanian-UAE refugee camp, the UAE Red Crescent Society camp in Iraq and the Jordanian Field Hospital.
Qatar, whose representative Foreign Minister Khaled bin Mohammad Al-Attiyah did not pledge any sums at the talks, said it would be contributing to a sustainable education fund.
The move, said the minister, would be aimed at preventing the emergence of a "lost generation" including two million children who are currently without schooling.
These children will tomorrow be swayed to join fundamentalist and terrorist groups, he said. "We cannot let this happen."
The fund, he said, would be launched by Qatar and administered by UN agencies, including UNICEF, among others, and would be aimed at delivering academic and vocational training at refugee-host countries. (end)
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