Kuwait's humanitarian aids

Kuwait continues efforts to end poverty worldwide

16/10/2019

KUWAIT-- As the world celebrates the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty Wednesday, Kuwait continues to exert efforts to end the growing phenomenon.

Kuwait's government bodies and NGOs are continuously providing humanitarian and financial aid to those in need around the world to fight poverty, under direct orders from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

According to the UN, poverty around the world is growing,with over 70 million refugees, displaced people and asylum seekers, with the majority being women and children.

Kuwait had provided two billion meals for the poor through three million programs and projects for about 103 million people in different countries, distributed by the country's charity societies including Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS), the society's Chairman Hilal Al-Sayer told KUNA.

KRCS had set a plan to fight poverty through executing projects on healthcare, development, enabling women, children's education, food and many more for Syrian refugees in Syria and Lebanon, as well as for others in need around the world, he said.

Meanwhile, Al-Sayer called for regional and international cooperation to end poverty as part of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

On his part, Director of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) Office in Kuwait Samer Haddadin noted that economic crises are the main reason behind conflicts that led to the spread of poverty and displacement in the world.

Such conflicts created a generation of children who never knew the meaning of having a home or school, he said, adding that these children lack education and skills to overcome poverty.

The UNHCR aims to enable poor families to provide for themselves through training courses and education. It also supports refugee-hosting countries by donations from different states, with Kuwait being in the 15th place as one of the top contributors to the UN body, Haddadin said.

The first commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty occurred in Paris at the Human Rights and Liberties Plaza at the Trocadero in 1987, when 100,000 people gathered to honor victims of poverty, hunger, violence and fear.