Mobile telecom operator Zain Kuwait recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) designed to improve living conditions, support and services for refugees worldwide.
In a ceremony at a UN building, dignitaries including Zain Kuwait’s CEO Eaman Al Roudhan and UNHCR’s Kuwait office head Hanan Hamdan initialed an agreement to bolster cooperation between humanitarian organizations and the private sector, and mitigate the suffering of people involuntarily placed in limbo.
"Refugees from global crises have risen in recent years, and the plight of these people is of real concern given their vulnerability and lack of access to basic living requirements in many cases,” Zain Kuwait’s CEO, Eaman Al Roudhan said. “This heightened level of cooperation between Zain and the UNHCR will strengthen the channels of communication between us… .”
Kuwait has long supported refugee assistance programs. Under the terms of the MoU, the country’s emergency office will assist in implementing educational campaigns regarding refugee conditions and committing to fundraising contributions to UNHCR.
UNHCR leaders commended the accord as a landmark agreement, based on Zain’s high profile in the Middle East and its history of supporting humanitarian work.
"This collaboration with the Kuwaiti private sector … links the UNHCR with the state of Kuwait as an international humanitarian center,” Hamdan said. “By collaborating with Zain, we aim at raising awareness of the issues that concern refugees and … Kuwait's efforts in international relief campaigns."
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