UK and Kuwait join forces to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and Yemen

Funding will enable Unicef to help almost 2.5 million people through water, sanitation and healthcare projects

Palestinian children queue for water in Bureij refugee camp, in central Gaza. AFP

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The UK and Kuwait have announced new joint funding of £4.5 million ($6m) to help the UN's children's fund deliver humanitarian aid to almost 2.5 million people in Gaza and Yemen.

Unicef will use the funds to restore water supply and sanitation systems in Gaza, and to sustain primary healthcare services in Yemen.

The UK and Kuwait will give $3 million to each Unicef project, which is expected to benefit approximately one million people in Gaza and 1.45 million in Yemen, in the initiative announced on Wednesday.

Gaza polio campaign – in pictures

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  The UN-led polio vaccination campaign kicked off in central Gaza and is due to head south. Here, a child is inoculated in Deir Al Balah. Reuters

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  A vial of the vaccine being administered after the Palestinian territory recorded its first case of polio in a quarter of a century. AFP

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  Three UN agencies and Gaza's Ministry of Health are working together to inoculate 640,000 children under 10. Reuters

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  Palestinians wait for their children to receive a polio vaccination during a break in fighting in the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza. Bloomberg

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  At least 160,000 children were vaccinated in central Gaza during the first three days of the campaign, surpassing the goal of 156,000. Reuters

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  Crates of polio vaccines provided by Unicef are unloaded in Deir Al Balah. AFP

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  The World Health Organisation said Israel and Hamas had agreed to at least three days of 'humanitarian pauses' in parts of Gaza, starting on August 31, to facilitate the vaccination drive. AFP

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  Medical staff during the vaccination drive for children in Gaza. Photo: Operation Gallant Knight 3

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  A health worker marks the finger of a Palestinian child, indicating that they have been vaccinated, in Zawaida, central Gaza. AFP

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  At this health centre in Zawaida, 1,500 children under 10 have been vaccinated. PA

“Conflict has aggravated the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Yemen and the UK is committed to pushing for more life-saving aid to reach those in desperate need,” Hamish Falconer, Minister for the Middle East said.

“The UK and Kuwait’s joint funding towards Unicef’s life-saving work in Gaza and Yemen demonstrates our shared commitment to tackle some of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

“I am proud of the UK and Kuwait’s close ties, which have now endured for more than 125 years and continue to go from strength to strength,” he added.

The agreement was reached at the 21st UK-Kuwait joint steering group which was co-chaired in London on Wednesday by Mr Falconer and Kuwait’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al Sabah.

“This year marks an important milestone for both the State of Kuwait and the UK as we jointly commemorate 125 years of partnership,” Sheikh Jarrah said.

“Kuwait is proud of its deep-rooted and historic ties with the UK and is committed to deepening this partnership in all its aspects. We are pleased to co-operate with the UK to support the essential work of Unicef in both Palestine and Yemen.

“As pioneers in the field of international development, both our countries will continue to explore avenues of co-operation to provide development and humanitarian assistance to populations affected by conflicts and natural disasters.”

Aid groups push to feed Yemen's hungry – in pictures

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  The father of malnourished boy Jiad Muhammad Jalal, 1, holds him at a camp for internally displaced people in Hajjah, Yemen. All photos: Reuters

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  A volunteer gives a meal to a woman at a charity kitchen in Sanaa.

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  About 17.4 million people need food aid as funding dries up, the UN has said.

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  Boys stand in line as they wait to receive meals from a charity kitchen in Sanaa.

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  Children have been particularly affected by the conflict in Yemen, UN figures show, with 2.2 million youngsters acutely malnourished.

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  Boys leave after receiving meals from a charity kitchen in Sanaa.

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  A woman cooks a meal at a camp for displaced people in Al Ghaidha.

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  A girl picks food prepared by her mother at a camp for displaced people in Al Ghaidha.

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  UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said Yemen and other vulnerable nations are being hit hard by the economic fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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  Internally displaced people collect food aid distributed by a charity in Taez.

The funding towards Unicef's work in Gaza and Yemen is the UK’s first joint humanitarian programme with Kuwait.

“Unicef deeply appreciates the generous contributions from both the UK and Kuwait, which will have a transformative impact on the lives of children and families in Gaza and Yemen,” Unicef's Representative to the Gulf Area Eltayeb Adam said.

“This funding is not just a financial commitment; it is a beacon of hope for communities struggling with the devastating consequences of conflict.

“Together, we can ensure that essential services such as water, sanitation, and healthcare reach those who need them most, restoring dignity and a sense of normalcy to countless lives,” he added.

The UK and Kuwait are celebrating 125 years of official diplomatic relations throughout 2024.