Kuwait halts construction projects in Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) — Ministry of Social Affairs of Kuwait announced on Monday stopping all its construction projects in Syria.
Informed sources told al-Jarida newspaper that the ministry issued a circular demanding charities to stop issuing approvals for philanthropist construction projects in Syria.
The decision came as a result of common endeavors of the government’s entities, especially those concerned in achieving the desired goals of philanthropy and highlighting the humanitarian side of Kuwait, the sources added.
The statement stressed that the charities, numbering 64, must abide by the aforementioned instructions, according to the sources.
Kuwait contributes along with other Arabic countries, including Qatar and Palestine, in coordination with Turkey, in building settlements in Afrin region, northwest Syria, and other Syrian areas. The projects aim at settling the Turkey-based Syrian refugees and the militants of the Turkish-backed opposition factions of the Syrian National Army (SNA), according to international reports.
On May 3, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a plan to encourage the return of 1 million Syrian refugees to 13 areas controlled by Turkey in northern Syria.
On June 8, Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ), a human rights organization, published an extensive investigative report in which it detailed Turkey’s demographic engineering in Afrin and its countryside.
Afrin has been under the control of Turkey and the SNA factions since 2018 following a military operation dubbed Olive Branch against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of preserving Turkey’s national security.