HUMANITARIAN CONTRIBUTIONS

What we do

The Fund’s interest in humanitarian aspects of aid stems from State of Kuwait’s awareness of the importance of its role in alleviating human suffering in affected parts of the world.

Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (Kuwait Fund) is the right arm of the State of Kuwait in providing financial assistance to development aspects but includes humanitarian support to world areas affected by natural disasters and wars, and those suffering from endemic poverty, famines, and infectious diseases.

In this context, the State of Kuwait has been known for its rapid response to provide relief and reconstruction aid in the affected areas with no exceptions. Through Kuwait Fund, Kuwait’s contributions have reached most of the regions of the world that need assistance.

Kuwait Fund’s activities in the humanitarian field include providing direct support to affected areas, directly or through local humanitarian and charitable organizations, such as the Kuwait Red Crescent Society. The Fund also provides humanitarian assistance through global organizations such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which provides Palestinian refugees with human and humanitarian development services in education, primary health care, social services, infrastructure and housing camp improvement, microfinance, and emergency response.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have also been important recipients of the Fund’s humanitarian support to alleviate famines and improve the conditions of children around the world/ The Fund is also a frequent provider of financial assistance to the World Health Organization (WHO), which is concerned with improving health conditions in areas in need.

DISEASE

CONTROL
PROGRAMS

International statistics indicate that more than 500 million people around the world suffer from one or more diseases, especially in tropical and equatorial regions. More than two billion people, 25% of them are children under the age of five, live in areas vulnerable to many diseases, with about 40% of these people living in Africa. According to some estimates, about 2.5 billion people still lack basic sanitation facilities, or use unclean surface water sources for drinking, which contributes to the exacerbation of disease and health problems.

Kuwait Fund, in cooperation with international institutions such as WHO, governments of concerned countries, voluntary organizations, and local civil societies, helps in strengthening countries’ ability to combat epidemic diseases and supporting investment in health sector to achieve sustainable development goals. Great achievements have been made in prevention and treatment of several diseases, saving lives of millions of people thanks to effective International partnerships and generous financial contributions.

COMBATING THE RIVER BLINDNESS (1974 – 2015)

The epidemic had spread mainly in 31 African countries, and in some countries in Latin America. More than 16 million people were infected with the disease, including 16.6 million who suffered from skin diseases and 1.15 million people suffered from vision loss.

The WHO launched an international campaign to combat the disease in Africa through control and treatment programs that lasted from 1974 until 2002 and achieved great success. During this period, the scope of control and treatment expanded to include other countries affected by the disease. As a result, more than 100 million people in affected countries have benefited from the campaign.

Kuwait Fund had major financial contributions to the disease control and treatment programs.

MALARIA PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

The program was launched in 2008 under the supervision of WHO in cooperation with international institutions concerned with health and disease control. It aimed to coordinate international funding bodies to accelerate the fight against malaria worldwide.

One of the most important achievements of the program is the significant reduction in the global burden of malaria outbreaks.

Kuwait Fund contributed to the financing of the program during 2012-2015.

COMBATING MARGINALIZED TROPICAL DISEASES IN AFRICA

The program was launched in 2015 and is managed by the African Regional Office of WHO. Kuwait Fund was one of the founders and first funders of the initial phase of the program (2016-2020).

The program aims to combat 5 diseases, including Lymphatic Filariasis (elephantiasis)m River Blindness, Schistosomiasis, Soil-transmitted Helminthiasism and Trachoma disease.

The program covers about 47 African countries that suffer from one or more of these diseases. Between 300-400 million people benefit from the program annually.

THE GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, MALARIA & TUBERCULOSIS

The Fund was established in 2000. It is an international partnership between governments and the private sector in cooperation with development institutions, and voluntary and charitable organizations. It aims at accelerating the eliminations of Aids, malaria and tuberculosis, as they are the deadliest epidemics for humanity in contemporary history. So far, deaths from the three diseases have been declining, and the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world have been saved.

The program invests approximately 4 billion US dollars annually to support its various activities in more than 1400 countries around the world.

Kuwait Fund has been contributing to financing some stages of the program. One of the most important achievements of the program is the significant reduction in the global burden of malaria outbreaks.

GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR VACCINES & IMMUNIZATION (GAVI)

The Program was launched in the year 2000 with partnership of both the public and the private sectors. The goal of the program is to provide pharmaceutical vaccines and vaccinations, especially for children living in poor areas around the world.

Its activities currently cover more than 70 countries. Kuwait Fund contributes to finance this program, which has so far benefited more than 700 million children

COMBATING CHOLERA IN YEMEN

As part of the response operations to humanitarian needs in Yemen, Kuwait Fund has provided a special grant Yemen in combating cholera for the years 2017-2019.

The grant aims to support the humanitarian situation in Yemen and protect the population, especially children, from the deadly disease. The grant is supervised by the UNICEF.

MEASLES CONTROL FOR SYRIAN & LEBANESE CHILDREN

Kuwait Fund has provided a grant to the UNICEF to finance the organization’s provision of measles treatment to Lebanese and Syrian refugee children in Lebanon.

The grant contributed to launching national campaigns, in cooperation with the WHO and the Lebanese Ministry of Health, to combat measles and polio. More than 955 thousand children between the ages of 6 months and 10 years were targeted by the campaigns.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Kuwait Fund has contributed to supporting the efforts of the Kuwaiti health authorities in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.Kuwait Fund grants have enhanced Kuwait’s capabilities to confront the spread of the Virus.

The fund also reallocated parts of some existing grants in order to respond to the pandemic in Lebanon, Palestine, Uzbekistan, African Union, and helping the Syrian refugees in the Lebanon, in cooperation with the Kuwait Red Crescent Society.

TRANSBOUNDARY ANIMAL DISEASES

This program aims to enable to all Arab Countries and some African countries to control cross-border animal diseases and prevent their spread by applying monitoring, investigation, vaccination, and control work.

Necessary measures are being taken to protect public health and preserve livestock. The program is under the supervision of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, in cooperation with related international organizations. The program covers the years 2017 - 2024.

TROPICAL DISEASES FUND

In 1994, Kuwait Fund contributed financially to supporting the Tropical Disease Management Activity of the WHO to establish an independent endowment fund for combating tropical diseases.

The program benefitted the poor throughout the world by developing and strengthening combating activities in countries where these diseases are endemic, helping them to solve problems through training the workforce and encouraging research into developing appropriate means for implementing control programs.