Qatar Charity (QC) has distributed relief aid to more than 2,000 displaced people as part of the emergency response to the victims of the Bali volcano in Indonesia.

The relief aid included 1,000 blankets, 80 tents, 10 tons of rice and half a ton of Macaroni as well as the Qatar Charity provided the playground with toys and swings for the psychological support and entertainment of displaced children.

The food relief provided by Qatar Charity will suffice for a month. The tents and children's games will remain, at least, for eight months.

The distribution of the Emergency Relief Aid carried out after Qatar Charity, in cooperation with local authorities, assessed the needs of those affected by the volcano in Bali, Indonesia.

Humanitarian Duty

Director of the QC’s Office in Indonesia Karam Zainham said that the office distributed the humanitarian and non-food relief to the victims in the camp of Karangasem in Bali.

The QC’s aid distribution event attended by many well-known and prominent figures, started with a speech of the Director of the QC’s office in Indonesia Karam Zainham, in which he expressed his pleasure to participate in alleviating the pain of the displaced people affected by the volcano.

He noted that that Qatar Charity started its journey in Indonesia, when the tsunami hit the country in 2004 and will continue its efforts to support needy and poor people.

Zainham thanked the people of Qatar for their urgent response to support those affected by the disaster and wished their quick return to the homes.

Several Indonesian renowned personalities, including the vice-president of the city of Bali, appreciated the Qatar Charity’s efforts to provide urgent relief aid to the volcano victims.

The QC’s office team visited some families in their tents to know their conditions and hoped to meet their needs in the nearer future.

Reconstruction

It is worth mentioning that Qatar Charity has contributed to the reconstruction in Indonesia following the tsunami and has built the Al Rayyan Residential Complex for quake-affected people in Aceh, which comprises 170 apartments and several other facilities, as well as Qatar Charity provided several Income-generating Projects to improve the living conditions of those affected by the quake.

Qatar Charity (QC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in the presence of the UN Secretary General's Humanitarian Envoy, Dr. Ahmed Al Meraikhi, to enhance cooperation in the field of Emergency Relief, humanitarian assistance and sustainable development in the Horn of Africa.

The agreement was signed with the aim of entering into a strategic partnership to complete relief and development projects implemented by QC’s field offices in East Africa.

Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Meraikhi, expressed his pleasure at attending the signing of the MoU, which would strengthen the UN approaches to bridge the gap between relief and development, hoping that the MoU would be successful.

Cooperation

QC's Chief Executive Officer, Yousif bin Ahmed Al Kuwari said we welcome cooperation with regional and international institutions in the field of relief, humanitarian assistance and development, including IGAD. He emphasized that QC and IGAD will cooperate on issues of common concern, including providing services and implementing humanitarian projects within the framework of the overall objectives and sectors of mutual interest.

He pointed out that Qatar Charity affirms its keenness to ensure the success of this partnership in order to achieve the agreed goals, which include alleviating the suffering of the affected people, contributing to restoring peace and social harmony in the countries affected by the conflicts in the IGAD region, advocacy of humanitarian and development issues and capacity-building, and focus on sustainable development programs in education, culture, health, water, and sanitation production, food security, alternative livelihoods, fisheries, livestock, dry-land farming and others.

IGAD’s Executive Secretary Mahboub Maalem said I am delighted to have signed this MoU with an institution known for its great capabilities to carry out the humanitarian and development work. He pointed out that the both parties would consult on the selection of partners in countries where there is no field office for any of them, and that IGAD undertakes to use existing structures in member states with a view to completing any project agreed upon by both parties.

Based on the MoU, the IGAD will focus on a number of interventions, the most important of which are the production and food security sectors, including alternative livelihoods, fisheries, livestock, dryland agriculture and food and climate early warning, as well as trade, investment, financial integration, infrastructure, support services and cooperation among member states in health, migration and other sectors, Maalem added.

Exchange of experiences

In accordance with the MoU, IGAD’s expertise might be sought by Qatar Charity, if needed. Both parties also agreed to provide funding from their own sources or from their strategic partners and donors for the implementation of projects as well as they agreed to consult immediately in case of emergencies with the aim of coordination of a common response. Emergency cooperation includes the use of the partners’ network for Emergency Relief and Assistance.

IGAD

IGAD, based in Djibouti, is a regional integration institution comprising Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Southern Sudan and Uganda, and promotes cooperation among member states through the implementation of common policies and programs aimed at achieving development and progress.

Qatar Charity (QC) launched Arsal Relief Campaign to provide urgent assistance worth QR20mn to Syrian refugees affected by snowstorms that hit the Arsal refugee camp and other areas of Lebanon, as a contribution to ease their humanitarian suffering and meet their basic needs.

The campaign comes amid predictions that Lebanon would be hit by another snowstorm this evening after last week’s Storm Norma. Qatar Charity’ through this campaign, aims at urgently providing shelter, food, heating and health aid to help the affected Syrian refugees survive the blistering winter and mitigate the damage caused by severe cold, violent winds, rain and snow in recent days.

Qatar Charity is one of the first humanitarian organizations that managed to reach out to the affected in the camp in Arsal last week after the Storm Norma hit the area. It was very challenging to reach the refugee camp in Arsal, due to dense fog, the accumulating snow, and poor road condition. However, Qatar Charity managed to reach there and distributed aid to the affected in Arsal.

QC’s aid included heating fuel, blankets, winter clothes and other items to protect the tents from rain and wind, in addition to the distribution of food aid to the affected families, in coordination with the Union of Relief and Development Associations (URDA) in Lebanon. The aid benefited nearly 17,000 Syrian refugees, mostly children, women, the sick, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Syrian refugees of Arsal are the most affected by the blizzard, which has increased their suffering, after their camp was besieged by snow, in light of a severe shortage of basic life necessities, especially heating materials. 

On the occasion of the launch of “Arsal Relief” campaign, Qatar Charity urges benefactors in Qatar to donate in favor of the campaign in order to provide urgent assistance to those affected in Arsal and ease their hardship, as they are living these days under the harsh conditions these days, suffering from cold waves, heavy rain, accumulating snows and frost.

The charity also urges media person, social media influencers, and the public in general to interact with the campaign and support it using all possible means.

It is worth mentioning that the Arsal Relief Campaign is expected to include a live donation campaign through some media outlets, and organize some events in malls and shopping centers.