Kuwait Fund and UK’s FCDO sign MoUs for humanitarian aid to Sudan, Somalia

Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Abdullah Al-Yahya, and UK Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, David Lammy, during the signing of the two memoranda of understanding.

KUWAIT CITY, July 6: The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) have signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to provide joint emergency humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected communities in the Republic of Sudan and the Federal Republic of Somalia. The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuwait.

The MoUs were signed by H.E. Mr. Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Arab Economic Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, on behalf of the Kuwait Fund, and by H.E. Mr. David Lammy, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on behalf of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Under this renewed partnership, the Kuwait Fund and the UK FCDO will jointly contribute USD 10 million (USD 5 million from each side) to support UNICEF’s humanitarian operations in Sudan. The grant will help sustain critical services in healthcare, nutrition, water and sanitation, and child protection – ensuring continuity of life-saving interventions for vulnerable populations.

In addition, both parties will provide a further USD 5 million (USD 2.5 million from each) to support a joint project with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Somalia, aimed at restoring essential services in marginalized and conflict-affected areas. Acting Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Mr. Waleed Shamlan Al-Bahar, affirmed that the MoUs reflect the Fund’s commitment to strengthening international partnerships across humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding sectors.

He noted that cooperation with the UK will facilitate knowledge exchange and enable coordinated action to assist the most vulnerable, thereby enhancing the impact of humanitarian efforts in Sudan and Somalia and reinforcing Kuwait’s leadership in global humanitarian response. Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Mamadou Sow, Head of the ICRC’s Regional Delegation to the Gulf Cooperation Council, said: “Today’s partnership with the Kuwait Fund and the UK’s FCDO reflects a united commitment to humanity.

This grant is not just financial support—it’s a clear message that the lives of people in Somalia matter. Together, we are helping restore essential services in communities too often left behind. It’s a testament to Kuwait’s enduring humanitarian leadership and the UK’s steadfast role in advancing global solidarity.” The signed MoUs build on a cooperation framework established in February 2020 between the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the United Kingdom’s former Department for International Development, reflecting a sustained commitment to coordinated humanitarian efforts that support refugees, displaced populations, and crisis affected communities worldwide.