BY Mohammed Al-Otaibi

NEW YORK, Feb 17 (KUNA) -- The Kuwaiti Mission to the UN has hosted an annual fundraising bazaar to raise money to support healthcare projects in developing countries.
Islamic Heritage Society organized the event in the hope to raise more than USD 40,000 this year.
President of the Heritage Society, Miriam Oueslati Khiari told KUNA that she thanked the Kuwaiti Mission for hosting the event and stressed that Kuwait has always been keen on engaging in humanitarian activities.
"This year the proceeds of our February event will go to the Syrian Refugees through UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Gift of Life Lebanon," the President and spouse of the Tunisian Ambassador to the UN said.
Gift of Life Lebanon, she elaborated, is an offshoot of Gift of Life International, a US based non-profit organization that funds healthcare projects in developing countries with a specific focus on the development of sustainable pediatric cardiac surgery and prevention programs for children with heart disease.
"The contribution will help to fund pediatric cardiac surgeries and the aftercare for children in need through a partnership with American University of Beirut Medical Center AUBMC's Children Heart Center/Braveheart and Rotary clubs," she added.
Founder and Chair of Gift of Life Lina Shehayeb said that every year, 1 in 100 babies are born with congenital heart disease, the most common birth defect in the world. "In Lebanon alone, more than 700 babies are diagnosed with heart disease every year." The Islamic Heritage Society, was founded in 1972. Some of its members represent Islamic and non-Islamic countries.
The Islamic Heritage Society's past fundraising events were dedicated to supporting UNHCR for Syrian refugees, Typhoon Haiyan's victims in the Philippines, and UNICEF in Lebanon for Children in the Middle East, as well as Ebola Virus Disease victims. (end) mao.nfm