RACA campaign raises over QR200m for Gaza

By A Robin - December 19, 2023

Palestine Duty Relief fundraising campaign

The 'Palestine Duty Relief' fundraising campaign organized by the Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA) has raised over QR200 million (QR200,048,750) to aid those affected by the aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani personally contributed QR100 million to the campaign, with additional donations from Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) (QR1.5 million), BARWA Real Estate (QR1 million), Ooredoo (QR1 million), and various other organizations and individuals.

During the campaign, broadcast on Qatar TV on Qatar National Day, donations poured in from all segments of Qatari society, including monetary and in-kind contributions. Ooredoo also announced an initiative allowing its users to make free phone calls to Palestine.

The campaign aligns with Qatar's supportive stance toward the Palestinian people, aiming to provide relief to victims of the Gaza Strip aggression, especially the wounded, orphans, widows, children, elderly, and pregnant women.

The Acting Secretary General of the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), Faisal Mohamed Al Emadi, highlighted QRCS's efforts to transport aid to Gaza, including the evaluation of the situation and the supply of medical supplies to Gaza hospitals.

Qatari Air Force planes transported a total of 1,464 tonnes of aid to Al Arish in Egypt, which was then transported into Gaza. Additionally, a relief ship from Doha to Gaza, capable of carrying over 30 cargo planes' worth of relief material, was announced by Director of Relief and International Development Division at QRCS, Dr. Mohamed Salah Ibrahim.

The campaign received significant contributions from both Qatari citizens and residents, including "non-Arab residents" who donated generously at collection points in Katara Cultural Village, Souq Waqif, and Darb Al Saai.

A survey by the World Food Program highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, revealing that nine out of ten families in some areas had spent an entire day and night without food, with as many as 90% of families unable to eat anything for up to 10 days in a month.