The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) expressed gratitude and appreciation to the Kuwaiti support for children throughout 60 years of development action, during which Kuwait Fund has contributed to improving the livelihood of children in several regions around the world.

"Kuwait Fund loans and grants to education, health, agriculture, irrigation, transportation, communications, energy, water and sewerage sectors have had a deep impact on improving children-related indicators," Regional Director of UNICEF's office in the Middle East and North Africa Ms. Adele Khodr said at an event held in Kuwait on the eve of marking World Children Day, and celebrating Kuwait Fund's diamond jubilee.

"These indicators represent children mortality, disease outbreak, and poverty ratios," Khodr said, noting such rates saw a major drop recently thanks to the support extended to health sectors, which reflects development projects' effectiveness in prioritizing children as a mean to secure sustainability.

The UN official reiterated UNICEF's gratitude to Kuwait Fund for its successful financed-projects over the past five years, and whom have made a significant leap in the Fund's action strategy, in response to the crises threatening children's growth and development, via a direct partnership with UNICEF.

"This partnership has been embodied by 10 projects, including combating famine in Somalia, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Yemen, and building a sewerage system in the Gaza Strip to protect the children and their families from pollution, diseases, and floods," said Khodr.

For his part, Kuwait Fund's Director-General Mr. Marwan Abdullah Al-Ghanem stressed the importance of children in achieving sustainable development goals, affirming the Fund's commitment, on behalf of Kuwait, to assist Arab and other developing nations in enhancing their economies, facing challenges, and providing a healthy environment for children that allows them to grow, learn, and be able to carry on in the future contributing effectively in the development of their societies and countries.

The event included a photo exhibition of projects that UNICEF has achieved in recent years with the support of Kuwait Fund.