Manama: Kuwait has doubled its annual contribution to the Central Emergency Response Fund (Cerf) from $500,000 (Dh1.83 million) to $1 million.
Kuwait’s Diplomatic Attache Lulwa Al Rasheed attributed the increase in the contribution to the wish to strength cooperation with the fund, supporting the multilateral humanitarian response and meeting emergency needs.
The decision also recognises the pivotal role of the United Nations and its specialised agencies and funds in the area of humanitarian assistance and emergency relief, Lulwa said at the annual Cerf high-level conference held in New York late on Wednesday.
In her speech, she recalled the statement of the Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, during the UN’s celebration of his international humanitarian efforts, when he said Kuwait would double the amount of its voluntary annual fixed contributions to Cerf.
Kuwait is at the same time following up intently the preparations being undertaken by the United Nations for the World Humanitarian Summit to be held in 2016 in Istanbul, she added.
“We wish to confirm our support and our active participation in the regional consultations leading up to the summit, namely, the Middle East and North Africa regional consultations, to be held in Jordan’s capital Amman in March 2015,” she said, quoted by the Kuwait News Agency (Kuna).
The diplomat stressed Kuwait’s emphasis on the speedy delivery of life-saving emergency relief.
She said the world had witnessed an unprecedented increase in conflicts and natural catastrophes, adding that “it is incumbent upon us to strengthen and reactivate the efforts of international partnership to ensure early relief.”
