Kuwait: The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) signed an agreement Monday with Direct Aid to provide scholarships for 40 students in the African Horn region. The agreement, which will provide scholarships at Direct Aid universities in Africa, aims to provide education for refugees from Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania. Nisreen Rubaian, UNHCR representative in Kuwait, told KUNA after the signing ceremony.

The agreement, she added, also aims at empowering youth and improving their personal and professional lives to contribute to economic development in the labor market in host countries. Rubaian said the agreement coincided with the publication of a report by UNHCR about refugees’ education in 2023, which showed that more than 50 percent of refugee children were not going to school.

She thanked Direct Aid for offering the scholarships, which showed the genuine meaning of solidarity. General Manager of Direct Aid, Dr. Abdullah Al-Sumait, said the partnerships with the UNHCR contribute to better empowerment in the African communities. He said education was a major pillar for improving living conditions and the wellbeing of people.