UN: The UN Gulf War reparations body yesterday paid out nearly $600 million to individuals, companies and governments who proved damages caused by Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, a statement said.
The payment brings to almost $16.7 billion the amount paid by the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), out of $43.75 billion in awards approved to date.
Set up by the Security Council, the Geneva-based fund compensates victims who suffered losses stemming from Iraq's invasion and its seven-month occupation of Kuwait before its forces were driven out by a US-led coalition.
Kuwaiti individuals, firms and government bodies are to receive $466.4 million, the lion's share of the latest round of payments being made through 17 governments.
They are followed by British claimants, sharing $44.3 million, and Saudi entities, with $36.1 million. American individuals and companies were paid some $7.1 million.
The UNCC has received claims of $300 billion. It now receives 25 per cent of the proceeds from the UN's oil-for-food programme, which allows Iraq to sell oil.
Monthly income for the six months through November averaged about $200 million, according to UNCC sources.
Meanwhile, Turkey yesterday officially invited five countries - Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria - to a meeting to discuss ways of resolving the Iraqi crisis peacefully, a foreign ministry spokesman said.
"We have evaluated the possibility for regional countries to issue a call to the Iraqi administration to take all initiatives to allow the peaceful resolution of the problem," the spokesman, Mr Yusuf Buluc, told reporters after a meeting at the ministry with the ambassadors of the five countries.
"We have invited the ambassadors today and told them Turkey was ready to organise a meeting for this purpose," he added.
Mr Buluc said the idea for the meeting came out after a recent tour by the Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Abdullah Gul, to the five countries to discuss how to resolve the Iraqi crisis and avert a possible war.
The spokesman said Turkey would await reactions from the countries invited before deciding where and when to stage the meeting.