Kuwait responds to UN chief's call to help Syria

By Kang Hyun-kyung

KUWAIT CITY — U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appeared to have a great backer for his top agenda of how to fund the astronomical amount of money needed to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

The government of Kuwait responded in the affirmative to the U.N. chief’s requests to hold the first and second international conferences to raise financial support for the war-torn nation.

It also pledged last week to provide a total of fresh $900 million to the Syrian people.

A high-ranking government official from Kuwait interpreted Ban’s proposal as a reflection of his government’s international profile, as well as its increasing role in international humanitarian assistance.

Tareq Eid al-Mezrim, under-secretary for the Foreign Media Department of the Ministry of Information, told The Korea Times, Tuesday, that his government accepted Ban’s request to host the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria “happily and immediately.”

The government of Kuwait hosted the second conference in its capital, Wednesday, following its successful role in rallying support for Syria through the first event last year.

“I think that Ban’s requests to Kuwait to host such a significant international conference to help Syria twice indicate that Kuwait has played a positive role in the international arena,” he said. “Kuwait has been one of the major donors in different countries on different continents over the past decades ... (The difference is that) we help them but do not interfere with internal politics.”

Al-Mezrim stressed that not only the government but also nonprofit groups of his country have been very cooperative in helping Syrians in dire need.

“Several civic groups in our country have been sending blankets, food and equipment to help displaced Syrians after the lingering civil war there,” he said.

Sahir Mohyudin, protection officer of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) based in Kuwait City, said that compared to other nationals, the Kuwaiti people are “definitely” more active in humanitarian assistance for those who are in dire need.

“Over the past decades, the government of Kuwait and its people have helped people in different locations in the world. Kuwait was one of the first countries to have responded to the disaster in the Philippines last year,” he said.

Kuwait’s role in the humanitarian crisis in Syria drew fresh attention after its successful hosting of the second international conference for the war-torn nation.

“The reason why this case draws more attention than its previous humanitarian assistance is because the level of crisis there is so severe,” Mohyudin said.

According to the U.N, nearly 6.5 million of Syrians have been displaced and more than 9 million need humanitarian assistance. More than 2.2 million people have fled Syria since January 2012.

These refugees went to neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Egypt, leading these countries to also deal with the negative fallout of the bloody conflict in Syria.

Missionary zeal

U.N. chief Ban has placed one of his top priorities on the humanitarian crisis in Syria and sought to rally international financial support for displaced Syrians.

His requests for the hosting of the second international conference came against this backdrop.

In a speech to the second conference at Bayan Palace in Kuwait City, the U.N. chief urged the international community to play an active role to meet the massive humanitarian needs in Syria.

Ban said that the crisis would require the international community to raise approximately $6.5 billion.

Through the second conference, governments and humanitarian organizations pledged a total of $2.4 billion.

Korea pledged to provide additional $5 million, following its previous donation of nearly $6 million since violence started in Syria in 2011.

Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait, pledged an additional $500 million in the second conference. Separately, Kuwait-based nonprofit groups contributed $400 billion.

Last year, the government of Kuwait contributed an estimated $300 million to several U.N. agencies.

While officials in Kuwait interpreted their government’s missionary zeal to help people facing humanitarian crises as an innate tendency, some speculated differently regarding their motives.

One observer, who participated in the event, interpreted that Kuwait is willing to host major international events, because the country sees them as a window of opportunity to increase their influence in the region.

“Over the past years, Kuwait has hosted many international events in its capital. This is positive in that the country strives to play a greater role in international humanitarian assistance,” he said on condition of anonymity. “The other side of the coin is that if you are active in such international efforts with generous spending on such a cause, you will see that your power and influence grow. I think this is what the country aims to achieve.”

Since last year, Kuwait has hosted several international events, including the Arab-Africa and the Gulf Cooperation Council summits.