Kuwait and ICRC hold fourth high-level strategic dialogue to reinforce humanitarian partnership

The Dialogue was co-chaired by H.E. Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, deputy minister of foreign affairs, and Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the ICRC, with the participation of Pierre Krähenbühl, ICRC director-general, and senior representatives from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS).

The meeting highlighted Kuwait’s continued humanitarian leadership and the ICRC’s global mission to protect and assist people affected by armed conflict and violence. Discussions focused on expanding joint responses to humanitarian crises in Gaza, Sudan, Somalia and Syria, advancing efforts on the issue of missing persons, and reinforcing the promotion and respect for International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

During the Dialogue, several key outcomes were achieved:

• Announcement of a USD 7.7 million contribution by the Government of Kuwait to strengthen ICRC humanitarian activities in Syria, enabling essential assistance to communities affected by years of conflict.
• Signing of a USD 2.5 million agreement between the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the ICRC to support humanitarian operations in Somalia, reflecting Kuwait’s integrated approach to linking humanitarian response with sustainable development.
• Signing of a USD 2 million agreement between the Kuwait Red Crescent Society and the ICRC to strengthen access to healthcare services for vulnerable communities in the Republic of Sudan.
• Recognition of Kuwait’s leading role on the issue of missing persons, with both sides agreeing to expand cooperation and technical coordination to advance humanitarian and institutional initiatives addressing this priority area.
• With its generous contributions and long-standing humanitarian partnership, the State of Kuwait has expressed its intention to rejoin the ICRC Donor Support Group (DSG), reaffirming its commitment to active engagement in shaping global humanitarian action.

ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric commended Kuwait’s humanitarian vision and global leadership saying:

“As conflicts multiply and intensify, Kuwait’s support to our humanitarian work helps our teams be present in protracted crises like Somalia, Syria, and elsewhere,” said ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric. “I also appreciate Kuwait’s commitment to helping in our work to find answers on missing people globally, and for being among more than 90 countries who joined our initiative to galvanize political commitment for the rules of war.”

Speaking at the event, H.E. Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah emphasized Kuwait’s commitment to multilateral humanitarian action:

"The relationship between the State of Kuwait and the International Committee of the Red Cross is both historic and enduring, built on shared principles, trust and a common vision of humanity. For over three decades, our cooperation has embodied Kuwait’s belief that humanitarian action must go hand in hand with diplomacy and development. Today’s dialogue reaffirms our resolve to translate these values into concrete results, protecting civilians, addressing the plight of the missing and supporting recovery in countries torn by crisis. Kuwait will continue to stand with the ICRC and all partners working to uphold human dignity and alleviate suffering wherever it exists."

H.E. Ambassador Khalid AlMaghamis, chairman of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society:

“Since its establishment in 1966, the Kuwait Red Crescent Society has worked in close partnership with the ICRC as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, advancing humanitarian action and ensuring that aid reaches those most in need, including in forgotten crises.

The USD 2 million agreement signed today between the Kuwait Red Crescent Society and the International Committee of the Red Cross, reflects Kuwait’s enduring solidarity with the Sudanese people and its commitment to strengthening resilience in the face of ongoing humanitarian challenges.”

Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the link between humanitarian action and sustainable development, supporting the ICRC through a USD 2.5 million grant agreement signed during the High-Level Strategic Dialogue to fund a project in the Federal Republic of Somalia, stating:

“The project aims to enhance access to essential services by supporting both the construction of new infrastructure and the rehabilitation of existing facilities. It also seeks to address critical gaps in healthcare delivery and access to safe water, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach regions of the country.

This grant is the second contribution of its kind between the Kuwait Fund and the ICRC in the field of humanitarian support. The first grant was signed in 2021, in support of bolstering the resilience of essential services for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, amounting to USD 3.5 million.”

The event included bilateral meetings between the ICRC leadership and His Highness the Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait, as well as senior Kuwaiti officials, including the minister of justice, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, and the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, followed by an evening session at the Saud Al-Nasser Al-Sabah Kuwait Diplomatic Institute attended by the diplomatic corps and international organizations.

Note to Editors:
The ICRC–Kuwait High-Level Strategic Dialogue (HLSD) is an annual policy platform launched in 2017 to align humanitarian and development priorities between the ICRC and the State of Kuwait. It serves as a model of effective, principled partnership that combines Kuwait’s global humanitarian diplomacy with the ICRC’s operational expertise worldwide.