Qatar Charity’s continuous winter support for refugees, the displaced, the vulnerable, The "Warmth and Peace" campaign benefited over 1.2 million people in 13 countries last winter Every year, winter comes to intensify the suffering of refugees and the displaced living in tents and makeshift housing, as well as the poor across the world. In the cold season, these vulnerable people struggle to meet their food, shelter, and other needs, due to the bitter cold, heavy rains, and harsh snowfalls, which occur frequently in winter. Such a worsening situation of the vulnerable requires early action by humanitarian and charitable organizations to meet their basic needs, and limit the negative impact of the cold season on them. The situation also reminds people of the benevolence of the sorrow of the vulnerable, especially due to the coronavirus pandemic in the upcoming winter season. Qatar Charity, as usual, dedicates campaigns to provide winter essentials needed by the vulnerable before the season approaches with its bitter cold, heavy rains, and harsh snowfalls. Qatar Charity launched the 2019-20 winter campaign “Warmth and Peace” from the Syrian and Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan. The campaign received a huge response from philanthropists, both male and female, in Qatar. The campaign enabled Qatar Charity to deliver assistance to more than 1,247,546 refugees, displaced persons and needy people in 13 countries, at a total cost of over 57 million Qatari riyals. As part of the 2019-20 winter campaign, Qatar Charity provided relief, food, shelter, and health aid, in addition to delivering winter assistance and extending social cohesion and livelihood support. The campaign focused on the affected in countries like Syria and Palestine, which are going through exceptional circumstances. It also concentrated on the underprivileged in countries where temperatures fall below zero degrees Celsius. The campaign targeted refugees, the displaced and the needy in Palestine, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, India, Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia and Myanmar. Immediately after its launch, the campaign managed to send six trucks loaded with winter supplies to be distributed to Syrian refugees and low-income Jordanian families in the Amman governorate, as well as to Palestinian refugees in Talbieh camp in Madaba governorate in southern Jordan, benefiting 16000 people. Under the “For Humanity” initiative, assistance worth QR11mn were distributed to refugees in Iraq, Yemen, and Jordan, in cooperation between Qatar Charity and UNHCR. Besides, winter bags were distributed to orphans in nine countries. Food aid and comprehensive relief supplies were provided to Rohingya refugee families in India, benefiting 4,792 persons, while winter essentials were provided for 19,658 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo and Albania. In India, food baskets and winter clothes were distributed to the poor and needy, benefiting 33,830 people. Qatar Charity is keen to intervene immediately and urgently to alleviate the suffering of the displaced and refugees living in camps, especially in Lebanon and within Syria, where they face catastrophic situations during winter.

Qatar Charity campaigns to cope with the winter cold, targeting workers

A few weeks separate us from the winter season.

Every year, Qatar Charity assists workers inside Qatar as part of its campaign to confront the winter cold, including distributing winter bags to workers, food baskets, and organizing awareness activities and events for the public to support those affected by the winter cold inside and outside Qatar.

Winter bags

Because of its interest in the category of workers, Qatar Charity is keen to meet their winter needs through its previous campaigns; it has collaborated with the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs, Ministry of Municipality and Environment, traffic department, Aster Medical Center, and voluntary initiatives,

 By distributing thousands of winter bags to workers inside the country of various Arab, Asian, and African nationalities in Qatar's different regions, the bag includes winter clothes, blankets, and others to alleviate the burden of the cold on them.

Medical examinations

It also conducted medical examinations for workers to prevent colds and organized lectures and workshops to raise their health awareness.

 Qatar Charity aims, through these campaigns and assistance, to revive the principle of giving, happiness to the needy, and the participation of community members in initiatives, in appreciation of their role in the process of building Qatar and constructing its infrastructure to achieve its national vision 2030.

Program for workers

Among the most important projects implemented by Qatar Charity under the Ministry of Municipality and Environment's supervision, as Qatar Charity provided bags containing winter supplies, entertainment activities, and meals ,Food

in addition to first aid kits, conducting medical examinations and awareness workshops in cooperation with Aster Medical Center and the ambulance team in the Qatar Red Crescent To face the winter cold, Qatar Charity, in cooperation with «Ansar Gallery» and with the contribution of other commercial centers, distributed 1000 winter bags to workers,

In cooperation with Qatar Charity, a group of Qatar organized internal campaigns to provide workers' clothing bags and food baskets, which benefited 5,000 workers.

Awareness campaigns

Qatar Charity also focuses its campaigns on the educational and awareness aspect for the public.

As part of the "Warmth and Peace" campaign last year, it organized many activities and various activities in different locations inside Qatar to raise awareness of the humanitarian conditions of refugees and displaced persons in refugee camps and the winter needs of workers inside Qatar.

More difficult

It is expected that this winter will be more difficult in light of the repercussions of Corona pandemic, which increases their suffering, which calls for people to provide more support to alleviate the effects of the cold and provide the winter needs of these vulnerable segments.

Press Release

Under the slogan "Warmth and Peace",

Qatar Charity’s 2020-2021 winter drive kicks off

* The campaign aims to provide aid to nearly one million people in 19 countries worldwide.

* Faisal Al-Fahida: We urge people in Qatar to support the campaign in order to lessen the suffering of the most affected persons, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

* Khaled Al-Yafei: The campaign focuses on refugees and the displaced people in crisis-hit areas.

Under the slogan "Warmth and Peace", Qatar Charity (QC) launched its 2020-2021 winter campaign, targeting nearly one million persons, including the displaced, refugees, the needy and the affected, in 19 countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe, at a total cost of approximately 66 million Qatari riyals.

The launch of the campaign took place during a press conference, which was held at Qatar Charity’s headquarters, attended by Mr. Faisal Rashid al-Fehaida, assistant CEO for the International Operations and Partnerships Sector and Mr. Khaled Al-Yafei, Director of the Projects Department, and moderated by Mr. Ahmed Al-Ali, Director of the Media and Communication Department.

The campaign came in conjunction with the deployment of winter relief convoys for the Syrian displaced and refugees on the Turkish-Syrian border, and for the needy in the Kyrgyz capital.

Target Group

The campaign seeks to provide urgent winter aid to refugees and the displaced in Syria, Yemen, Palestine, Jordan, Bangladesh and other countries in the fields of food, shelter, health and education. The campaign focuses on the countries going through crises and exceptional circumstances, as well as on the countries facing a harsh winter with temperatures below zero.

The campaign also concentrates on those affected by the coronavirus in the regions of asylum and displacement and remote areas, in addition to providing winter bags for orphans sponsored by Qatar Charity in Kosovo, Palestine, Nepal, Pakistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Albania, Tunisia, Lebanon and Jordan.

Speaking at the press conference, Mr. Faisal Rashid Al-Fahida, Assistant CEO for the International Operations and Partnerships at Qatar Charity, said, “Qatar Charity always launches winter campaigns, in conjunction with providing the winter supplies for the displaced and refugees living in camps before the severe cold season comes.”

He also added that this winter campaign of Qatar Charity is expected to benefit more than 937,000 persons within and outside Qatar, especially refugees, the displaced persons and those most in need, as well as those affected by the coronavirus, which has aggravated their suffering. He also noted that the campaign is expected to provide these vulnerable with food, clothing, and heating items to keep them warm and help them survive the blistering cold of the winter.

Al-Fahida thanked donors, both individuals and institutions, who supported the "Warmth and Peace" campaign last season, which contributed to lessening the sorrow of the affected individuals and families. He also urged people in Qatar, both citizens and residents, to provide further support to the campaign this year, due to the challenging situations in light of the coronavirus pandemic, which escalated the hardship of the vulnerable, especially in regions of asylum and displacement, as well as, in remote areas.

Within Qatar

Al-Fahida explained that the campaign, as usual, targets workers within the State of Qatar where winter bags full of warm clothes, blankets and other items are expected to be distributed to them, in addition to the distribution of food baskets to them. He pointed out that the distribution of winter aid will take place in areas where the workers live, and awareness workshops, and medical examinations will be conducted for them.

Al-Fahida stated that many public and social programs and events like ‘Snowball’ and ‘Tree of Hope’ will be held in several commercial complexes, to raise awareness about the challenging situations faced by refugees in winter. The campaign is expected to benefit 16,500 people, at an estimated cost of more than 1.3 million Qatari riyals.

Outside Qatar

Mr. Khaled Al-Yafei, Director of Projects Department, said that the campaign aims to provide aid to more than 921,000 refugees, the displaced, and the poor in 18 countries to meet their winter needs and ease their hardship, at an estimated cost of 64 million Qatari riyals.

Al-Yafei pointed out that the campaign focuses on countries going through crises and exceptional circumstances, noting that it seeks to provide meals, food baskets, tents, winter clothes, blankets, heaters and fuel to help them survive the harsh winter. He also emphasized that relief convoys will continue throughout the cold season to provide the intended vulnerable with essentials, in addition to providing the necessary medical equipment and means for prevention and disinfection.  

Countries

The targeted countries include Syria, Turkey, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Kenya, Tunisia, and Chad, in addition to Rohingya refugees.

The campaign aims to provide the winter essentials in five main areas: food, shelter, health, education and non-food items, by delivering food baskets, winter clothes, blankets, heaters, fuel, tents, temporary housing units, and shelter necessities.

Besides, the campaign seeks to deliver the necessary medicines and medical supplies during the predominance of seasonal diseases to protect the poor, refugees, the displaced, and those with chronic diseases and urgent cases. Furthermore, the campaign strives to provide means for prevention and disinfection in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and support the continued education of children and youth in areas of asylum and displacement to ensure that they do not drop out of school.

How to Donate

As the freezing winter along with temperatures below zero approaches, Qatar Charity calls on people in Qatar, both citizens and residents to donate to the campaign, as it is predictable that the health and living situation of the intended vulnerable will further worsen due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The donation in favor of the campaign can be made through Qatar Charity’s website, mobile App, branches, and collection points. The donors can also request a “home collector” through the mobile App and dial the hotline 44667711 to make their contributions. Mobile donating is also available. To send, QR50, QR100, QR200 and QR500, please send an SMS with the code ‘Winter’ to 92632, 92642, 92015, and 92428, respectively.

Last Winter Campaign Achievements

The 2019-2020 winter campaign of Qatar Charity managed to deliver assistance to more than 1.2 million refugees, displaced persons and needy people in 13 countries, at a total cost of over 67 million Qatari riyals. As part of the campaign, Qatar Charity provided relief, food, shelter, and health aid, in addition to delivering winter assistance and extending social cohesion and livelihood support.

The assistance also included the distribution of winter bags to orphans in nine countries. The bags had winter clothes, a blanket, and food items. Under the “For Humanity” initiative, assistance worth QR11mn were distributed to refugees in Iraq, Yemen, and Jordan, in cooperation between Qatar Charity and UNHCR.