KUWAIT — ‘A shared commitment to children' was the focus of recent discussions between UNICEF representatives and senior level officials in Kuwait. Maria Calivis, Regional Director, UNICEF Middle East and North Africa and Dr. Ibrahim El. Ziq, Representative, UNICEF Gulf Area Office met Ambassador Jassim Mubarak Al-Mubaraki, Director of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review progress made by UNICEF in supporting children and families affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria, thanks to the generous contribution of the government of Kuwait during the First International Donors Conference held in January 2013. At the meeting UNICEF announced that the majority of funds had been utilized in successfully reaching more than 3.7 million Syrian children and their families with access to clean drinking water and sanitation, a ‘Back to Learning' campaign and education interventions, psycho-social support, immunization programmes and provision of winter supplies. Calivis and El. Ziq also took the opportunity to discuss the ‘No Lost Generation' initiative launched last week by UNICEF, UNHCR, Save the Children and other partners, which calls for governments, aid agencies and members of the public to become champions for the children of Syria. — SG
