Qatar Affirms Ongoing Efforts to Strengthen UN Humanitarian Response

Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani

The State of Qatar will remain an effective partner of the United Nations in efforts to strengthen humanitarian response, stated HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, in the statement of the State of Qatar at the UN General Assembly plenary meeting on item 72 (a) - Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations, in New York.

Her Excellency noted that deteriorating humanitarian conditions and the growing conflicts in many areas around the world have complicated humanitarian aid delivery operations, further increasing the suffering of those affected in these regions.

The unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Gaza Strip is worsening everyday due to the ongoing Israeli aggression, which last for more than a year. The continued deterioration of living conditions, destruction of residential neighborhoods, targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and obstruction of humanitarian aid delivery to those affected constitute clear violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and international human rights law, Her Excellency stressed.

This tragic situation in the Gaza Strip demands immediate and urgent action to open humanitarian corridors without conditions or restrictions, allowing the delivery of essential aid, including food and medicine, to prevent further casualties and alleviate the suffering of the residents, Her Excellency added.

In response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the State of Qatar continues to provide various forms of humanitarian assistance. The State has established an air bridge, with 116 Qatari aircraft delivering 4,766 tons of urgent relief aid, including food and medicine, to the Gaza Strip, Her Excellency stated.

In September 2024, the State of Qatar pledged $100 million for humanitarian response in Palestine. Additionally, Qatar continues to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Her Excellency added.

HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani indicated that the State of Qatar is responding effectively to numerous humanitarian crises caused by armed conflicts and natural disasters. The total value of urgent humanitarian aid provided by the State of Qatar to the Afghan people between 2014 and 2023 amounted to more than $41 million.

Her Excellency also highlighted the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) announcement last November, pledging $5 million to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in cooperation with the Qatar Red Crescent, to support relief activities in Syria and meet the basic humanitarian needs of the brotherly Syrian people.

Highlighting Qatar's solidarity with the Sudanese people, Her Excellency explained that the State of Qatar has provided a total of $86 million in aid to Sudan since the beginning of the war, including $50 million pledged at the Geneva Conference and an additional $25 million at the Paris Conference. Qatar also operated a humanitarian air bridge, delivering 673 tons of aid. In July, QFFD signed a $2 million agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide emergency humanitarian aid to returnees and refugees from Sudan in South Sudan.

Regarding aid provided to the Lebanese people, Her Excellency noted that since the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, the State of Qatar has dispatched 21 aircraft carrying medical aid as part of the air bridge established to support Lebanon.

She also mentioned that Qatar has begun finalizing contribution agreements with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), covering the period from 2017 to 2024, with a total contribution of $72 million.

As part of the ongoing joint efforts to coordinate humanitarian and development aid, Her Excellency noted that the State of Qatar and the United Kingdom had pledged, on December 3, to double their joint funding to $100 million for addressing humanitarian crises and international development initiatives. She emphasized that the joint funding will support a range of initiatives aimed at tackling humanitarian crises and promoting sustainable development.

Her Excellency highlighted the efforts of the International Search and Rescue Team of the Internal Security Force of the State of Qatar (Lekhwiya), which has successfully carried out over 100 rescue and relief missions in various countries around the world. She noted that the team's success in the international reclassification by the UN International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) last November has placed it among the most distinguished teams in international relief efforts.

In this regard, Her Excellency referred to the recent announcement, in November, of the establishment of the Hamad Bin Khalifa Charitable Foundation, which aims to improve the standard of living of those in need by providing support in education, health, and social development, as well as identifying and addressing the needs of beneficiaries both inside and outside the State of Qatar.

(QNA)