(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) By Mubarak Al-Enezi RIYADH, Oct 22 (KUNA) -- The Gulf countries will celebrate Tuesday, October 23, the GCC Red Crescent Society Day.
In March of 2017, the celebration was approved by a number of Gulf Red Crescent officials to commemorate the societies humanitarian efforts.
A number of festivities and activities will be held all over the GCC region during the celebrations.
The first GCC Red Crescent Day will be dedicated to the humanitarian efforts in the war torn country of Yemen.
Although the conflict in Yemen continues to preoccupy people with destruction, famine, and displacement of families, GCC countries took charge in providing urgent aid to Yemeni people through humanitarian and development packages totaling around USD 22 billion.
Such vital assistance has strengthened Gulf States' charitable role and humanitarian work on both the official and popular fronts, which is a continued measure that helped to heal the wounds of those who are distressed.
GCC countries have provided Yemen with around USD 11.5 billion in development aid since November 2006, and another 10.4 billion from 2015 to 2018.
The Gulf Red Crescent Societies played a major role in alleviating the suffering of Yemeni brethren through providing them with a number of vital projects that helped them in their daily lives and met their basic needs.
According to statistics issued by the GCC General Secretariat in September 2018, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have provided USD 1.25 billion, or 42.2 percent of the global humanitarian response to Yemen, while the global humanitarian aid estimate reached USD 2.96 billion in 2018.
Since 2006, GCC countries have shared development assistance to Yemen, with Kuwait totaling around USD 709.4 million, the UAE USD 2.9 billion, including USD 1.5 billion since 2015, and Saudi Arabia nearly USD five billion.
Oman has provided USD 100 million, Qatar USD one billion, and Bahrain USD 4.5 million.
In terms of humanitarian assistance, Gulf countries provided humanitarian assistance since 2015 and until September 2018 another generous sum.
With Kuwait providing USD 350 million, Saudi Arabia with USD 8.4 billion, including an exemption for health and education fees for Yemenis inside Saudi Arabia, Qatar provided USD 419 million, with UAE providing USD 1.3 billion, and Bahrain with USD one Million.
Furthermore, Gulf countries' aid and grants to Yemen have varied in all areas, including food and relief assistance, humanitarian needs, health, education, electricity, water and shelter projects.
The GCC countries have also been quick to rescue those affected by hurricanes through operating emergency air and land relief bridges to help those affected in Yemen, which played a decisive role.
Meanwhile, Minister of local administration and head of the Yemeni Higher Relief Committee Abdulraqeeb Fattah told KUNA on Monday "since the beginning of the humanitarian tragedy in Yemeni, GCC relief efforts and aid in various areas were crucial and active, including treatment of those wounded with provision of hospitals and medical assistance.
"Gulf aid has reached all people in Yemen and its various provinces, without prejudice to a sect, party affiliation," Fattah said.
"Without Gulf relief aid, which represented more than 75 percent of what was provided to the Yemeni people, famine would have spread in all Yemeni provinces," he added.
Fattah added that the Gulf Coordination Office for the Yemeni people has also played an active role in coordination and identification of various needs since its establishment.
The office continues to meet periodically at the beginning of each month, discusses the various relief requirements, and works needed among the relief agencies in the Gulf, Fattah noted.
Fattah mentioned as well that "the Gulf aid and relief was critical during natural disasters and emergency situations such as (Chabala) and (Mukano), which hit a number of coastal governorates Socotra, Al-Muhra, Hadhramowt, which included air operation, land and sea bridges to help with relief efforts of the western provinces, especially the province of Hodidah, which Houthi militias imposed a siege on it for more than four years.
For his part, Kuwait Red Crescent Society Vice President Anwar Al-Hasawi told KUNA that Kuwait has always been helping those in need globally, without paying attention to race or belonging or any other considerations except the humanitarian aspect in any giving situation.
"So as usual we stood by our brothers in Yemen and we will remain supportive in Yemen," Al-Hasawi said.
Kuwait extended a helping hand to the Yemeni brothers to alleviate their suffering, which according to the United Nations the crisis in Yemen has become the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, where about 22 million people need some king of humanitarian assistance and protection, Al-Hasawi explained.
He added that is why His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has swiftly contributed with USD 100 million to improve the situation there in Yemen.
Al-Hasawi noted that the Kuwaiti aid covered various aspects such as medicine, food, as well as education from building or renovating schools, paintings, school supplies, water and electricity projects.
Al-Hasawi pointed out that his office meets every month to follow up on what has been accomplished and discuss future arrangements, with a delegation consist of Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry, and the Kuwaiti Relief Society.
Al-Hasawi concluded GCC countries last week, have increased their efforts to save Yemeni lives in Al-Muhra province, which was affected by the hurricane Laban, through a number relief and aid packages using air and land routes. (end) mdm.mb
MENAFN2210201800710000ID1097601284
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.