UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and Qatar Charity (QC) have signed two agreements amounting to QAR 4,744,585 (some US$ 1,3 million) to support more than 18,000 refugees in Jordan and Ethiopia.

These agreements come as part of the Letter of Intent on Islamic Philanthropy Collaboration, which was signed last year between UNHCR and Qatar Charity. The contribution, provided by Qatar Charity through these two agreements, will help UNHCR provide cash assistance to about 6,000 vulnerable Syrian refugees in Jordan to cover the most essential basic needs, such as shelter, food, and healthcare for 3 months. In addition, UNHCR will be able to support over 12,000 Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia with shelter assistance to ensure refugee families have access to safe and adequate shelter, and life-saving services.

The agreements were signed by QC’s Chief Global Programs Officer, Nawaf Abdulla Al-Hammadi, and Ahmed Mohsen, UNHCR Representative to the State of Qatar, at the 2024 Doha Forum.

UNHCR’s Representative in Qatar, Ahmed Mohsen, lauding Qatar Charity’s partnership with UNHCR, said: “While many refugees are living in destitution and hardship, their humanitarian needs remain dire and widespread. We are grateful for Qatar Charity’s timely contributions, and we hope it will help support some of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees in Jordan and Sudanese Refugees in Ethiopia, who were forced to flee their homes due to war and persecution.”

On his part, QC’s Chief Global Programs Officer, Nawaf Abdulla Al-Hammadi, reiterated QC’s commitment to supporting forcibly displaced persons through UNHCR adding. “Through these Qatar Charity contributions, thousands of Syrian refugees in Jordan will be able to cover the expenses of their most urgent needs. Moreover, Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia will have a shelter that preserves their dignity and the dignity of their families. This is part of our ongoing humanitarian efforts to support the displaced, refugees, and those affected by crises both in the region and worldwide.”

After more than 13 years of crisis in Syria, the humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries are increasing while resources are more and more limited. Jordan continues to generously host some 620,000 Syrian refugees and some 65,000 refugees of other nationalities such as Iraqis, Yemenis and others, registered with UNHCR.

As the conflict in Sudan enters its second year, more than 12 million people have been displaced either inside Sudan or to neighbouring countries. Ethiopia has generously welcomed over 65,000 Sudanese refugees providing them with protection and assistance. Ethiopia now hosts nearly 1.1 million refugees and asylum seekers, in addition to 4.4 million internally displaced people (IDPs), and more than 3.2 million IDP returnees in the country.

“Ethiopia is the third largest host of refugees in Africa, and for decades, it has generously maintained an open-door policy, welcoming forcibly displaced populations from African and middle eastern countries. Our work wouldn’t be possible without the support from the international community, and the generous donation from Qatar Charity will be crucial in improving the lives of refugee families,” said Andrew Mbogori, UNHCR’s Representative in Ethiopia.

This recent contribution by Qatar Charity comes as part of the Letter of Intent on Islamic Philanthropy collaboration that was signed with UNHCR in March 2023. With this contribution, QC has in total supported UNHCR’s operations with contributions of US$10 million, helping more than 463,000 forcibly displaced people in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen.