2016-01-25T02:53:39+01:00
QC hosted a preparatory workshop organized by QC and 12 other humanitarian organizations. It was attended by His Excellency Mr. Abdul-Raqib Saif Fath, Minister of Local Administration and the Chairman of the Higher Committee for Relief in Yemen.
The initiative committee included the Higher Committee for Relief, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Arab League, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (Saudi Arabia), The International Committee of the Red Cross (Switzerland), Qatar Charity Society, International Humanitarian City (Emirates), International Medical Corps (United States of America), International Islamic Charitable Organization (Kuwait), Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH Turkey), Start Network (Britain), and International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA in Switzerland).
The workshop was held for the preparation of the Conference of Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen: Challenges and Prospects of the Humanitarian Response. The initiators met for consultation, coordination and cooperation so as to face the deteriorating situation of the Yemenis and their increasing sufferings.
Humanitarian Contributions
During the workshop, Mr. Fath spoke about the great humanitarian efforts QC exerted to alleviate the sufferings of the affected Yemenis who have been suffering from the recent escalation of the crisis in their country.
In addition, he displayed to the attendants the humanitarian circumstances in Yemen and clarified the procedures that are followed in dealing with the situation. He explained, "Our work is divided into several stages. The first stage includes an urgent relief campaign for all of the territories. We are done working on this stage and we started with the second stage which covers the territories where hostilities have stopped. We identify the needs and in cooperation with our partners, we plan our response."
Mr. Abdul-Raqib commended QC's work. "QC is considered to be one of the most active humanitarian organizations in Yemen. With the continuous increase in the numbers of the injured in Yemen, QC's support to the Health sector is spectacular. The Health Sector requires bigger operating theatres and more ambulances," added he.
The conference seeks to unite the visions of the active partners in assisting the Yemenis. It aspires to set the floor for an exchange of information, reinforcement of applied procedures related to identifying the Yemenis' needs according to their type and geographical distribution. It is also to help develop the work plans and joint initiatives.
Mr. Mohammed bin Ali Al Ghamdi, QC's CEO of International Development, said that QC has proven its entire and continuous commitment to offering humanitarian and relief aids to the Yemenis. "QC has not spared any effort to alleviate the sufferings of the Yemenis and provide all the necessary means and supplies for a better life."
He also emphasized on QC's role in hosting and organizing the conference about the Yemeni crisis and how such efforts reflect QC's continuous work for the benefit of the Yemenis regionally and internationally. "QC always makes sure to coordinate, cooperate and exchange information with active humanitarian actors in the Yemeni crisis. It also prioritizes implementing relief projects inside Yemen considering the fact that its people are in deep need for aids. Many people who live there suffer from great shortages in drinking water, food and medications," said he.
QC, as Al Ghamdi said, will exert more efforts to respond to the most urgent calls for relief. It will cooperate with all of the active partners and the parties interested in the Yemenis' affairs, whether those related to the displaced, the besieged inside Yemen, or refugees outside Yemen in order to enable them to receive all of the means for a dignified life.
"Yemen, We Are With You"
It is worth mentioning that QC had already inaugurated a campaign entitled 'Yemen, We Are With You' when the crisis first started. It aimed at collecting a financial support of 36,500,000 QR in order to provide food and medication to around 1,260,000 Yemenis. QC also hosted the workshop on the humanitarian situation in Yemen which was attended by several humanitarian institutions from the Gulf and the Islamic World. The meeting resulted in creating a mechanism and a plan for urgent humanitarian intervention, and announcing commitments and pledges by the participants in order to hurry in offering urgent aids.
Through its office in the Strip and in cooperation with Ghaith for Relief and Development, QC has recently started implementing ‘Providing Drinking Water’ project to the poor. More than 3,000 poor families are expected to benefit from it. It will take around 8 months for the project to be implemented at a cost of 262,000 QR.
Kidney Diseases
The Municipalities in the Strip provide the citizens with salty water only, which could cause many different diseases such as kidney diseases. Therefore, QC decided to implement this project in order to provide the poor families with good drinking water.
Eng. Mohammed Abu Halloub, QC’s Office Director in the Strip, said that this project is being implemented because QC wants to alleviate the sufferings of those who cannot afford to get good drinking water, and to prevent the diseases spread because of water pollution. He also emphasized the fact that water projects are on the top QC’s priorities’ list since the siege and the attacks on the Strip have destroyed all of the water networks, which were not even sufficient.
QC, as he also mentioned, will not spare an effort until it has helped the needy families and offered a good living opportunities for the needy; whether through relief or development projects.
Water Crisis
The Strip’s aquifer is both polluted and empty which made the Strip suffer from a dire water crisis. As a result, the Gazan families who are financially stable buy filtered water, while the poor families still use the brackish water provided by the municipalities.
To help face this crisis, QC is implementing a project to filter rainwater and to inject it into the aquifer in around 30 public schools.
The UN had already warned from the worsening situation of water in the Strip. According to the UN’s report, if the current conditions remain the same, the situation in 2016 will be catastrophic. The Strip is in great need for desalination plants a hundred times more than roads.
Reconstruction of Gaza
After all the destruction and wreckage the last aggression on the Strip caused, QC spared no effort to help rebuild the Strip.
More than 2,000 people were martyred during the aggression, 11,200 were injured, and thousands of families, whose houses were demolished, were displaced. Furthermore, many infrastructure facilities such as roads, hospitals, schools, and factories were destroyed.
The last brutal attack on the Gaza Strip caused the loss of so many people, houses, and facilities. 2,139 were martyred: 579 of them were children, 264 of them were women, and 102 were elders. 11,200 people were injured: 25% of them became handicapped. 1,000 children became permanently disabled. 2,088 women, 3,374 children and 410 old people were injured. 1,200 families lost their breadwinners. 90 families were entirely eliminated and 49 massacres were executed.
In addition, 466,000 citizens were displaced, 2,360 houses were completely destroyed, 13,644 houses were partly destroyed, 30,000 workers lost their jobs, and 134 factories were completely demolished. The destruction of Gaza cost a financial loss of 3,500,000,000 USD.
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As part of its early relief program to the victims of floods in the Middle Shebelle governorate in Somalia, QC implemented qualitative income-generating projects from which 400 families of the same governorate benefited.
Rehabilitation:
The projects included rehabilitation of the affected families and improvement of their life quality, in addition to supporting agriculture and shepherding. The program also included funding income-generating projects. For example, 750 goats were distributed to 150 families. Each family received 5 goats. This project was to enable them to get their ordinary lives back after the floods. The project also aimed at supporting shepherding and providing these families with a source of income that matched their previous professions.
QC has also restored agricultural lands in a total area of 250 hectares for 250 families who had worked in farming before the floods damaged their lands.
QC seeks to rehabilitate the agricultural and shepherding societies and start agricultural and shepherding businesses by supplying the workers with seeds and pesticides as well as manual cultivation instruments needed for local production. QC also helps them in their farmland restoration, and irrigation canals’ reformation. The program also supplied them with some cattle.
Terrible Immigration
The regions adjacent to the two rivers of Shebelle and Juba witnessed heavy rains in last October and November which led to the flooding of the rivers and caused a disastrous immigration of the inhabitants of the rivers’ banks. Middle Shebelle was mostly affected as most irrigation canals and flood control systems were damaged along the Shebelle River by these floods. Reports show that about 10,000 of the local inhabitants left their flooded cities, villages, and farms.
The objective QC had of the early relief project was to reach the local affected community in the governorate as it helped rehabilitate them in their crafts and professions. QC’s goal was to enable them to increase their daily income and enhance their life quality through a number of strategic projects including shops, production machinery, animals, and farmland restoration. This should facilitate their future confrontation to yearly floods. This project also seeks to restore artesian aquifers, reform schools and damaged clinics to help 93,000 people living in the region.
Tens of Thousands Beneficiaries
It is worth mentioning that QC has recently implemented various projects in Somalia including education, health, building mosques, and funding income-generating projects. Tens of thousands of Somalis around Somalia benefited from these projects. Of its construction projects in Puntland, QC inaugurated the reformation of 2 health centers and 2 preliminary schools at a cost of about 292,000 QR.
QC inaugurated the opening of 9 mosques, and 8 centers for memorization of Qur’an in 3 provinces in the north of Somalia: 3 mosques in the coastal province, 3 others in Burco, 1 in Awdal, and 2 in Hiran and Banaadir. It also built 8 centers for Qur’an memorization in Hiran, Banaadir, and Hargeisa. Thousands of Somalis shall benefit from these mosques and centers.
QC office in Somalia has also organized events of distributing sewing machines to 65 productive families in Mogadishu and Hargeisa city in Somaliland in cooperation with Jedoon Association for Woman and Child Development in Hargeisa and HINNA association in Mogadishu.
You can donate to support such projects through the link: Click here
Through its office in Somalia and as part of its relief campaign “Yemen, We are With You”, QC implemented an urgent relief project which targeted 600 families of the Yemeni refugees in Somalia and some of the Somali returnees from Yemen who are living in Mogadishu, Hargeisa, and Bosaso.
The food baskets, distributed to the beneficiaries, were sufficient for a whole month. Each family received 25 kg of rice, 25 kg of flour, 15 kg of sugar, 3 liters of cooking oil, 2.5 kg of powder milk, and 2 kg of dates.
Prominent Figures
Many prominent figures took part in the distribution of the aids to the people, including some members of the Somali parliament, and the representatives of the Yemeni community in Somalia. They all commended QC’s role in helping the Yemeni and Somali peoples.
This is one of so many other projects in which QC continues to fulfill its role in aiding and helping others. In addition, QC always makes sure that its beneficiaries are the neediest. The Yemeni people are suffering from a dire crisis which forced the families to emigrate and ask for asylum. This, of course, left the families without any living necessities.
Although Somalia is suffering from hard conditions and security issues, it became one of the countries which received the Yemeni refugees. Therefore, it is now the responsibility of those who work in charity and humanitarian fields to strengthen their efforts so that Somalia does not suffer from a critical condition, too.
130,000 Beneficiaries
130,000 beneficiaries benefited from QC’s continuous campaign ‘Yemen, We Are with You’ since the recent Yemen crisis started and until the end of last May (2015).
The food aid included 17,300 food baskets, 80 tons of flour, and 180 tons of different types of food which were distributed to the different governorates. Furthermore, 3 kitchens were prepared and equipped with foodstuff to provide daily fresh meals for 1,000 persons. Regarding healthcare, the hospitals of Aden, Ma’rib, and Taiz were supplied with some equipment, 100 first-aid bags, and a large amount of medications, and medical disposables.
In addition, 8 water tanks were distributed in Aden with the capacity of 1,000 liters. QC also distributed hundreds of mattresses and blankets to the displaced families there. Another project was funded to clean Aden Municipality in cooperation with its workers.
Call for Help
It is worth mentioning that when the Yemeni crisis started, QC appealed for help to provide 1,260,000 conflict-affected people with food, and medications.
After its appeal and as a first step, QC launched its campaign ‘Yemen, We Are with You’ to collect 36,500,000 QR (10,000,000 USD) to urgently deliver these humanitarian aids to the most affected categories.
QC also supervised the distribution of aids which Qatar sent to the people of Yemen. The aids were delivered through an air bridge from Doha to Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport following the instructions of his highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, God bless him. The aids were delivered over two days; there were 4 airplanes which carried 240 tons of different materials.
The aids were received by a delegation of QC which included Mr. Ibrahim Ali Abdullah, QC's Relief Department Director, and Mohammed Wa'i, QC's Office Director in Yemen.
QC’s field team was able to aid many conflict-affected families since the crisis first started in Aden and other Yemeni cities. They provided the families with food, drugs, and medical disposables. They sent the medical supplies to the hospitals so that they would treat the injured. The team also provided the families with food baskets and other basic and necessary items.
You can donate to support such projects through the link: Click here
Arsel Al-Amal (Send Hope) Initiative Continues to Provide School Meals to the Deprived Students in the Middle East
Pizza Hut in Qatar inaugurated “Send Hope” initiative supported by QC to provide school meals to the deprived students in the Middle East by supporting school nutrition projects of the UN’s World Food Programme.
This initiative allows Pizza Hut’s costumers, in all of its branches, in Qatar to donate to ‘School Meals’ project the amount they want. The donation is added to the costumers’ bills. With each Qatari Riyal given, a child will receive a meal at school. These children will have a better future to aspire for.
Last May, QC and WFP signed an agreement in WFP’s headquarter in Rome, Italy, to fight hunger and malnutrition, and to bolster food security worldwide. This strategic cooperation will strengthen the private sector’s role in the battle against these life-threatening challenges which threaten the lives of millions of people whether in the times of peace or conflict. These challenges also hinder the developmental efforts exerted in many countries.
Abdullah Al-Wardat, WFP’s representative and the Gulf’s Office Director, said, “We sincerely thank Pizza Hut for this great initiative which supports the Programme’s efforts to fight hunger and malnutrition by providing students with school meals in the Middle East. Our strategic cooperation with QC offers a chance to the Qatari private sector’s companies, which understand that fighting hunger and malnutrition is the primary element for their success and for the community’s stability. The companies also understand their moral duty towards the children and the country.”
In a press release, Sterling Cos’ representative, Pizza Hut franchiser in Qatar, said, “It’s our pleasure to cooperate with QC to implement “Send Hope” initiative. We hope it would help support WFP’s efforts to give meals to more than 2,600,000 needy students in the Middle East. I hope this would bring hope to their hearts; I hope it makes their lives better. Education is essential to build a bright future, especially to those with a limited income.”
Mr. Jassim Al-Mansouri, QC’s Marketing Manager, expressed his gratitude to Pizza Hut for this initiative, and expressed his happiness with this cooperation to serve the school children. He also showed his great trust in the companies of the private sector in Qatar and how sure he is that more companies will be involved in supporting such initiative. The private sector is known to be very generous and to have a sense of responsibility towards the needy communities around the world. Its efforts will stand as the practical application of the agreement which QC had signed with WFP. “Send Hope” is expected to be well received for its noble goals.
This cooperation between QC and WFP represents an opportunity for the private sector in Qatar to be more involved in supporting the fight against hunger by supporting QC’s and WFP’s campaigns for collecting financial and in-kind contributions according to the procedures of Human Appeal International. Companies are aware of the fact that by fighting hunger, ending malnutrition and bolstering food security, they can achieve success. They are also aware of the moral duty behind such battle.
Around 1,000,000 people benefited from the sacrifices campaign for the year 1436 AH which QC implemented and called ‘Your Sacrifices, their Eid’ at a cost of around 14,000,000 QR.
Mr. Youssef Bin Ahmed El Kuwairi, QC’s CEO, expressed the relief he felt because the sacrifices project was successful. QC implemented this campaign with the help of its partners in 52 countries from around the world, including Qatar. It was able to make so many needy and low-income families, who could not provide their children with meat, happy.
The affected who suffered from exceptional circumstances were prioritized such as the Syrians inside Syria, the Syrian refugees in the neighboring countries, the Gaza Strip, Yemen, Somalia, etc.
El Kuwairi said, “I am mostly thankful to those who donated for this project in Qatar, and I pray Allah that He accept their good work and reward them. Most certainly, their donations were the reason behind making the needy happy and achieving social teamwork in Qatar.”
QC had already distributed more than 28,300 sacrifices during the season, which meant 500 tons of meat in 52 countries. More than 43,200 families inside Syria benefited from the project. It was implemented in Damascus and its countryside, Idlib and its countryside, Al Rastan, Al Houla and Talbiseh in the countryside of Aleppo, in the countrysides of Hama, of Lattakia, of Daraa, and Quneitra. In addition, 4,200 orphans’ families from the Gaza Strip and 120,000 Somalis benefited from the project.
Other countries in which the project was implemented:
Palestine, the Palestinian camps abroad, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, Burundi, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Tanzania, Mali, Togo, Nepal, India, Chad, Central Africa, Angola, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Yemen, Bangladesh, Benin , The Gambia, Namibia, Lesotho, Sri Lanka, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo, South Africa, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan , Indonesia, Kosovo, Comoros Islands, Albania, the Philippines, Ghana, Bosnia, Ethiopia, and Georgia.
QC inaugurated a special campaign for pilgrimage and Eid Al Adha for this year (1436 AH). It included distributing the sacrifices inside and outside Qatar, giving people the chance to perform substitute Hajj, and distributing Eid clothing. Tens of thousands of people will benefit from this project.
The project was also implemented inside Qatar on the third and fourth days of Eid Al Adha. 2,500 sacrifices were distributed from which 12,000 people benefited, including 668 sponsored families with limited income.
Some of the Qatari volunteers helped in the distribution. In addition, QC, for the first time, offered delivery service using refrigerated cars. The sacrifices were given to the beneficiaries at their homes in Khor, Al-Shahaniya, Industrial Area (Sanaiya), and other areas inside Qatar.
This project also targeted the orphans’ and the low-income families, the indebted, the laborers, the divorced, Ramila Hospital’s inpatients, the laborers, courts, the bank, the mail, Al Qahira School, Al Cilia territory, and Abu Hamur territory and the Indian, Egyptian, Yemeni and Philippine communities.
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In 33 different countries, 1,750 orphans enjoyed the Eid and became more hopeful for a better future thanks to Rofaqa initiative, one of QC’s initiatives.
This project is one of so many others which QC works hard to implement so as to bring joy and happiness to the hearts of its sponsored children in Eid Al Adha.
Love & Care
Countries which suffer from exceptional circumstances were focused on such as Palestine, Syria and Yemen. These countries’ orphans need all the love and care one can possibly offer. They suffer every single day that any ray of hope could be very useful to them.
However, QC did not forget about the orphans elsewhere. It’s project was implemented in India, Jordan, Philippine, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, the Comoros, Kyrgyzstan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mauritania, Kenya, Morocco, Chat, Mali, Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana, Togo, Niger, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo, Sudan and Tunisia.
‘Eid Clothing’ campaign covered the orphans’ different needs. It included getting them shoes, and presents (based on their age and gender): shirts and pants for the boys, and dresses and shoes for the girls. More than 550 orphans benefited from the project.
Values of Mercy
Mr. Youssif Bin Ahmed Al Kuwairi, QC’s CEO, said, “We, at QC, made sure to prioritize the orphans, and pay extra attention to them. QC does its best to provide them with the necessary care they need. Plus, we all know that the reward our religion promises to those who sponsor orphans is great.”
He, then, added, “‘Eid Clothing’ initiative is only a means to compensate for their loss. Yes, it is not like parental love and care; however, QC works hard to make the orphans feel like they’re a part of something, a family. We know how important it is to stand by these orphans’ side; which is why supporting them is a priority.”
Through its ‘Rofaqa’ initiative, QC inaugurated ‘Eid Clothing’ campaign for the benefit of its sponsored orphans. The number of sponsored orphans from 31st of December 2013 until today reached 39,057 orphans from 35 different countries the world over.
Similar Projects
At the same time QC implemented ‘Eid Clothing’ project, it implemented ‘Your Sacrifice, their Eid’ campaign. Through this campaign, QC was able to provide 28,100 sacrifices (of bulls and sheep) in 54 countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe at a cost of 13,560,000) QR.
As for the Hajj season, QC implemented many projects which included ‘Substitute Hajj’, ‘Feeding Pilgrims’ and ‘Grouping Pilgrims’. Thanks to QC, 1,500 pilgrims performed substitute hajj at a cost of 5,700,000 QR. It also grouped 16 pilgrims at a cost of 152,000 QR and provided 25,000 meals for the pilgrims.
Comprehensive Care:
QC sponsors around 80,000 orphans from 35 countries. It offers them comprehensive care which includes education, health, shelter and other basics.
‘Rofaqa’ Initiative is a unique humanitarian initiative which is interested in helping orphans worldwide. It aims at reaching a complementary level of care for children and orphans. It wishes to offer a new vision based on comprehensive care to include social, educational, health and psychological aspects. ‘Rofaqa’ initiative, which was inaugurated in December 2013, was able to sponsor 39,057 orphans so far.
You can donate to support such projects through the link: Click here