By Abdullah Al-Mershed
KUWAIT, Jan 16 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's International Islamic Charity Organization (IICO) said Tuesday that it is following through with plans to hold a conference involving non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on February 12 to address war-torn Iraq's humanitarian needs.
IICO's Chairman Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq told KUNA that the conference has the backing of the Kuwaiti Cabinet, pointing out that the NGOs' meeting and a major conference over reconstruction in Iraq would take place concurrently.
Al-Matouq expressed his gratitude to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, whose well-chronicled humanitarian tendencies have garnered him global acclaim.
On the purpose of the conference, he said that attendees would assess the current humanitarian situation in Iraq to determine the scope of aid the Iraqi people urgently need.
"The International Conference for Reconstruction of Iraq proves Kuwait's commitment to security and stability in the region," Al-Matouq added.
Meanwhile, IICO's chief revealed that the Kuwaiti charity has invited more than 100 NGOs from around the world to attend the conference, all of whom would pledge their respective shares of aid to a nation battered by war.
IICO has recently launched a string of relief projects in Iraq at a collective cost of USD 3.5 million, running the gamut from healthcare assistance and infrastructure development to food aid. (end) amn.nam