UN, Arab development fund agreement to assist refugees, displaced people in MENA region

KUWAIT CITY: Officials from the UN refugee agency and Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development have inked a deal to assist refugees and internally displaced people throughout the Middle East and North Africa region.
The main aim of the memorandum of understanding will be to promote cooperation between the UN High Commissioner for Refugees organization and the development fund in responding to the humanitarian needs of vulnerable refugees, IDPs, and host communities, the Kuwait News Agency reported on Thursday.
UNHCR representative Nisreen Rubaian said that under the terms of the agreement financing and technical backing would be provided for small- and medium-sized private institutions that employed Arab refugees and IDPs in host countries and communities.
The MoU would also contribute to bolstering and cementing communication between both sides, while furthering the exchange of information and expertise, and the organization of joint activities for supporting displaced people and highlighting their needs, Rubaian added.
She noted that ongoing conflicts and recent natural disasters had contributed toward IDP numbers reaching historic levels.
Rubaian said emergency humanitarian aid for refugees and internally displaced people was as important as programs that aimed to empower them, give them basic life skills, and provide livelihood opportunities that invested in individuals in a sustainable way to help them overcome daily living challenges, especially in small- or medium-sized enterprises that were the nucleus of independence and self-reliance for refugees.