UN expects Kazakhstan to be a global leader among new humanitarian donors - Stephen Tull

It is the first time Kazakhstan marks the World Humanitarian Day established by the UN General Assembly in 2008. Head of the MFA office in Almaty Igor Musalimov, UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan Stephen Tull, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Marcel Vaessen, deputy head of Almaty department of emergency situations Nurlan Madyarov gathered to discuss Kazakhstan's humanitarian activities.

On World Humanitarian Day, the international community commemorates the aid workers killed in the line of duty, and pays tribute to all those who continue to help people. This day is also a reminder of the tens of millions of people suffering today from hunger, disease and violence in more than 20 countries.

"Only in 2011, about 30,000 children died of starvation in the Horn of Africa," said Stephen Tull and stressed the importance of the humanitarian activities of states such as Kazakhstan. Today Kazakhstan is the largest donor country in Central Asia. Moreover, along with the U.S., Russia, the EU and the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, Kazakhstan is a major source of humanitarian funding for its Central Asian neighbors, he said.

"In recent years, the role of Kazakhstan in the humanitarian issues in the region and the world has increased significantly. We especially appreciate the fact that Kazakhstan supports humanitarian operations around the world through multilateral mechanisms," S. Tull added.