BRUSSELS: Upon direct instructions from His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Ambassador of Kuwait to Belgium and Head of Missions to the European Union and NATO Jasem Al-Budaiwi announced the allocation of $2 million at a pledging conference for Ukraine that took place in Poland. Speaking remotely on Saturday, he noted that the donation will be distributed to the following UN agencies: $500,000 for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, $500,000 for World Food Programme, $250,000 for the International Organization for Migration, $250,000 for World Health Organization, $250,000 for United Nations Children's Fund and $250,000 for the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Budaiwi conveyed to organizers of the event and to the friendly Ukrainian people the greetings of the political leadership of the State of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince, and the people of Kuwait. "Today, as we are sensing the seriousness of the situation, the State of Kuwait affirms its firm position and absolute belief in the commitment to international law and the Charter of the United Nations that govern relations between states and assures respect for the sovereignty of states, while affirming Kuwait's support for international efforts aimed at calm and restraint," he underlined. Kuwait also reaffirmed the need for all concerned parties to abide by the Minsk agreements and the mechanisms established to follow up on its implementation, including achieving a comprehensive ceasefire, as approved by the UN Security Council Resolution 2202 of 2015, he said. "Finally, let me assure you, that our principles and values make it imperative for us to stand together in support of the Ukrainian people," added the Kuwaiti ambassador.

(From left) Presenter British journalist Isha Sesay, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and CEO of Global Citizen Hugh Evans attend the event "Stand up for Ukraine" joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (right) via video link in Warsaw, Poland on April 9, 2022.

9.1 billion euros

The "Stand Up for Ukraine" global pledging event held in Poland Saturday raised 9.1 billion euros ($9.8 billion) for people fleeing the Russian invasion inside Ukraine and abroad, the European Commission has announced. The sum includes one billion euro ($1.1 billion) from the European Commission, and an additional one billion euro ($1.1 billion) from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), it said in a press release.

Ambassador of Kuwait to Belgium and Head of Missions to the European Union and NATO Jasem Al-Budaiwi attends the event "Stand up for Ukraine" via video conference.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said: The "Stand Up For Ukraine" campaign has raised 9.1 billion euros for people fleeing bombs, inside and outside Ukraine, with an additional billion pledged by EBRD. Out of these 10.1 billion euro ($10.9 billion) in pledges and EBRD funding, 1.8 billion euro ($1.9 billion) are for internally displaced persons and 8.3 billion euro ($9 billion) for refugees in frontline EU Member States and non-EU countries like Moldova, she noted." We will continue providing support. And once the bombs have stopped falling, we will help the people of Ukraine rebuild their country," von der Leyen said.

Von der Leyen convened the pledging event together with Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister (remotely), and with the participation of Andrzej Duda, President of Poland. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy also remotely addressed the event. - KUNA