Kuwaiti charities vow to continue humanitarian efforts to ease sufferings

Two Kuwaiti charities have vowed to do all in their power to help alleviate the suffering of the civil conflict-traumatized Syrians. Member of the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society Ibrahim Al-Alyat told KUNA that his society will intensify efforts to raise more donations to secure safe housing for Syrian refugees in neighboring countries, provide them with their basic needs, mainly food and clothes and monthly subsistence. He added that the society will continue offering care for orphans, stationaries and school bags to students. It also plans to set up a number of hospitals and schools to serve the refugees. He disclosed that the society had erected three small refugee camps inside Syria -- each houses 100 Syrian refugees -- two other camps in Lebanon, housing projects for refugees in Jordan and a medical compound in Turkey. The society had repaired and reopened several hospitals in the opposition-held areas and is paying the salaries of their staff. Moreover, he said the society offered direct financial aid affected Syrians from January 2013 till now, amounted to KD 2.63 million. He expressed his appreciation of the initiative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al -Sabah to host the 2nd international donors conference for Syria, on January 15, to support humanitarian work in Syria. Meanwhile, Jamal Abdulkhaleq Al-Nouri, of Abdullah Al-Nouri Charity Association, also promised to continue efforts to help Syrians in their plight. He told KUNA that his association has distributed 650 tons of dates to the displaced Syrians in 2013 and plans to take the amount up to 4,000 tons in 2014. The association has offered Syrian refugees aid at a total value of USD six million since the beginning of the crisis, Al-Nouri said. He stressed that Kuwait is one of the biggest supporters of the Syrian people in their ordeal. He expressed hopes the 2nd donors conference would prove successful in raising the required donations to provide the desperate Syrians with their needs.