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UN panel pays out $760 million for losses from Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait

UN panel pays out $760 million for losses from Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait

The United Nations Compensation Commission, which processes and pays compensation for losses resulting from Iraq's 1990 invasion and occupation of Kuwait, disbursed today over $760 million in damages.

The payment will be given to 16 governments for distribution to 311 successful claimants. Governments are obligated to distribute the funds to successful claimants within six months of receiving the money.

Funds to pay the awards are drawn from the UN Compensation Fund, which currently receives 25 per cent of the revenue generated from the export of Iraqi petroleum and petroleum products under the "oil-for-food" mechanism established by Security Council resolution 986 (1995) and subsequently renewed.

The latest payment brings to $12,023,113,100 the overall amount of money made available to date by the UN Compensation Commission.