On his part, His Excellency Mr. Khalifa Al-Kuwari, Director General of QFFD, said: “This aid comes at a critical time, particularly as Somalia faces an elevated rise in food insecurity levels. Those affected are not only suffering from farming challenges, but essential access to water, and therefore, the assistance delivered today in cooperation with its strategic partner Qatar Charity, will allow us to address this humanitarian crisis quickly before it escalates. “

It is worth noting that in November 2021, QFFD launched a cooperation with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization to support anticipatory financing mechanisms to enhance agriculture and livestock production and address the humanitarian impact of floods and droughts in Somalia.

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Somalia is highly vulnerable to recurrent shocks, with colliding and cumulative effects.The country has been recurrently affected by droughts, flash and riverine flooding, cyclones, locusts, disease outbreaks, conflict, and subsequent large-scale. These shocks have led to continual disruption of livelihoods, increased vulnerability, and poverty, resulting in acute hunger and malnutrition.

“We gather all here today to witness the signing of urgent anticipatory action agreement. We trust that the initiative will support farming and pastoral communities at risk in advance to reduce threats withing the marginalized groups. More to that, the call of anticipatory action will help deliver effective solutions that is estimated to assist 1,850 farming smallholders and respond to emergency agricultural livelihoods in advance.” Said Mr. Misfer Al-Shahwani, Deputy Director General of projects, Qatar Fund for Development

 “FAO welcomes the commitment of the State of Qatar to support vulnerable farming communities in Somalia. Through this first ever partnership with the Qatar Fund for Development, we will work together to save and reinforce livelihoods and help families to anticipate shocks such as drought and prevent and control animal diseases by increasing and diversifying their food production and protecting their livestock – an essential source of food and income.” Said Ms Beth Bechdol ,FAO’s Deputy Director-General,

And to ease this dilemma QFFD with FOA is aiming thought this project to achieve the goal enhancing  smallholder agriculture and livestock production through climate-resilient and shock-informed anticipatory action. This will serve as the objective of this project. It will include, maximizing and diversifying farmers’ production in anticipation of a drought, drought-related spread of animal disease is mitigated to protect household food security, nutrition, and income and lastly improving access to water to protect critical livelihood assets of pastoralist populations.

Additionally this project is a part of the state of Qatar’s pledge of 100 Million USD to support Countries dealing with climate change, natural hazards and environmental challenges, and build back their resilience to the devastating impacts.

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The State of Qatar responds urgently to relief the flood victims in Sudan

Qatar Fund For Development provides emergency relief assistance to flood victims in Sudan worth US $ 5 million.

The Fund is currently preparing to send an air bridge to the affected areas in Sudan, carrying about 65 tons of relief materials and medicines. This assistance is aimed to urgently mitigate the disaster and seeks to ensure that people are able to recover from it with minimal losses.

In addition, humanitarian and relief institutions in Khartoum are being directed to provide emergency assistance from food baskets and support to water and sanitation sector. Moreover, medical teams will also provide urgent health care to those affected by the floods

Sudan was affected by seasonal heavy rains on August 13, which affected 15 states out of 18, leaving more than 62 people dead and leaving several injured, in addition to the physical losses following this terrible humanitarian disaster.

This urgent relief from Qatar Fund for Development comes within the framework of the main role played by the State of Qatar to help the brothers in Sudan to overcome this humanitarian crisis successfully and mitigate the disaster.

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Qatar Fund for Development has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. This agreement will cover the initial partnership framework for a period of 4 years.
The agreement aims to provide a framework and facilitate cooperation between the two parties, on a non-exclusive basis, in areas of common interest, and establish strategic cooperation between the Qatar Fund for Development and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.
The agreement was signed by HE Mr. Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Kuwari, Director General of the Qatar Development Fund and Mr. Rolf Luyendijk, Executive Director of the UN-hosted Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.
HE Mr. Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Kuwari said that the partnership aims to support people living in difficult circumstances and who dosn’t enjoy their human rights to sanitation and hygiene. This agreement will improve the lives of more than 8 million people. HE also pointed out that such agreements support the efforts of the State of Qatar to achieve tangible results in improving sanitation, education and health.
The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, a multilateral, partnership-based international organization, aims to empower all, especially women and girls, who live in difficult circumstances and suffer from the exercise of their human right to sanitation and hygiene.
Mr. Rolf Luyendijk said WSSCC is honoured to partner with Qatar Fund for Development on vitally important sanitation, hygiene and related issues. He noted that there are still 2.3 billion people without improved sanitation, and innovative partnerships like this signal a new spirit of cooperation necessary if the world truly aims to leave no one behind.
This partnership focuses on an integrated approach to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, he especially Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation and partnerships that achieve the desired goals. The partnership is expected to improve the lives of more than 8 million people through appropriate policies, launching renewed capacity initiatives and supporting national sanitation and hygiene improvement programs.
It is worth noting that the Qatar Fund for Development earlier co-organized an event with the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council on the sidelines of the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York

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Mr. Ali Abdulla Al Dabbagh, Deputy Director General for Planning at the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), and Mr. Rolf Luyendijk, Executive Director of the UN-hosted Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), will speak to policy- and decision-makers in New York this Thursday about the high returns that sanitation and hygiene investments bring for peoples’ health and educational opportunities.

The event, Sanitation for Education and Health – An integrated approach to human development, is an official side event for the 2018 High Level Political Forum (HLPF) taking place in New York this week and next.  The HLPF is the United Nations central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year, the HLPF is reviewing progress for SDG 6, among others, which is designed to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

“With this event, we aim to foster sharing of concrete and innovative multi-sectoral approaches that link sanitation, education and health,” said Mr. Al Dabbagh, QFFD. “The State of Qatar’s own experiences and successes in development programming throughout the world will provide an opportunity to inspire other stakeholders and policy makers to implement solutions that generate real progress – for girls in schools and the health of communities, among other opportunities.”

For the event, QFFD and WSSCC are also partnering with Education Cannot Wait and Global Citizen. Together, the four organizations will highlight that while billions of people have gained access to basic drinking water and sanitation services since 2000, some 4.5 billion people still lack safely managed sanitation. Further, households, schools and healthcare facilities often lack soap and water for handwashing, putting the health of all people, but especially children, at risk for diseases. As a result, some 800 children under the age of 5 die every day due to preventable diarrhoea. Adolescent girls are disproportionally affected by poor sanitation and hygiene, with negative impacts on educational performance and attendance. Sanitation and hygiene programmes in schools are therefore important to ensure safer and more dignified learning environments for children.

Mr. Luyendijk of WSSCC said: “We know that the return on one year of secondary education for a girl correlates with as high as a 25% increase in wages later in life, among other benefits. We hope this event will serve as a call to action on water, sanitation and hygiene-related actions, funding and programming in schools which accelerate the benefits of investing in girls’ education.”

In addition to Mr. Al Dabbagh and Mr. Luyendijk, speakers include Dr. Kepha Ombacho, Director, Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kenya; Ms. Yasmine Sherif, Director, Education Cannot Wait; and Ms. Madge Thomas, Director, Global Policy & Government Affairs, Global Citizen.

The event takes place 12 July 2018, from 13.15 – 14.30 (US Eastern Standard Time), in Conference Room 9, UN Conference building, United Nations, New York, USA.

Photos, video and a report from the event will be available the same day from the International Institute for Sustainable Development website here: http://enb.iisd.org/hlpf/2018/.

About Qatar Fund for Development
QFFD is a public development institution committed, on behalf of the State of Qatar, to implement external aid projects under Law No. 19 of 2002 and its amendments. It has provided aid to several countries around the world to achieve the international cooperation goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030. The Qatar Fund for Development’s main goal is to achieve inclusive and sustainable development, by addressing priority issues of education, health and economic empowerment.

About the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council

The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) is a global, multi-stakeholder membership and partnership organization that works with poor people, organizations, governments and local entrepreneurs to improve sanitation and hygiene at scale. WSSCC’s mission is to enable all people and especially women, girls and those living in vulnerable situations to practice the right to sanitation and hygiene across the course of their lives with dignity and safety.

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The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), Qatar Charity (QC) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) signed a tripartite cooperation agreement, in which both QFFD and QC pledged to provide UNHCR a total of $8.8 million in order to offer basic services to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

The agreement has been signed in Doha, Qatar in the presence of QFFD’s Director General, H.E. Mr. Khalifa Al Kuwari, QC’s CEO, Mr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, and UNHCR Regional Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, Mr. Khaled Khalifa.

Agreement’s Projects                                                                        

The generous contributions, which come ahead of the monsoon season, will be channeled towards a number of life-saving projects, including disaster risk reduction and response programs in Kutupalong camp, basic needs and essential services for refugees in Bangladesh.

These pledges come from QFFD and QC to strengthen cooperation and partnership with UN organizations, particularly with UNHCR, which clearly demonstrates the continued Qatari humanitarian commitment and reflects its pioneering solidarity role at the international level.

The agreement outlines numerous projects, including contributions towards the reinforcement of 52,000 homes ahead of the rainy season where some 260,000 refugees, many of whom are women and children, reside in Kutupalong camp. Likewise, some 37,500 refugees will benefit from shelter kits. It also covers weather-proofing road and bridge projects as well as drainage projects and major works to channel rain water.

1. Misfer Hamad Al Shahwani, Director of Development Projects at QFFD also stressed the importance of the donation, noting “It is our collective responsibility to alleviate the hardship of Rohingya refugees, as they face unimaginable suffering. QFFD is dedicated to supporting UNHCR in helping those most in need, whether by providing emergency shelter kits or tackling health and sanitation challenges”.

“UNHCR welcomes QFFD’s and QC’s timely generous contributions” said Khaled Khalifa, UNHCR Regional Representative to the GGC Countries. “The suffering of Rohingya refugees is worsening, particularly during the rainy season. This contribution will help reduce the risks they face, during the rainy and cyclone season, and beyond, through the provision of essential life-saving assistance.” he added.

“It is important for us to ensure that these men, women and children, who have lost everything, not only survive, but are provided with conditions that help them to recover and rebuild their lives” said Mohammed Ali Al-Ghamdi, Executive Director of the Executive Management of International Cooperation at Qatar Charity. “We look forward to continuing our impactful work with UNHCR both in Bangladesh and beyond” he added.

This strategic partnership was recently announced by QFFD, QC and UNHCR to support the Rohingyas during an event organized within the framework of the Aid & Trade Conference and Exhibition held on 25-26 April in London, which brings together humanitarian actors from across the globe.

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At an Extraordinary Ministerial Conference on 15 March entitled “Preserving Dignity and Sharing Responsibility – Mobilizing Collective Action for UNRWA,” Qatar made the largest pledge, which will safeguard Palestine refugee children’s access to education in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon for the remainder of the current academic year as well as other core and essential services the Agency provides to Palestine refugees in the Middle East.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who was present at the conference, praised Qatar for its announced funding to UNRWA saying in a statement, “I sincerely thank the Emir for Qatar’s generous contribution in support of Palestine refugees.”

Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Thani said it was important for Qatar to fund the essential services of UNRWA: “In affirmation of the State of Qatar’s steady support policy towards the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the State of Qatar announced the donation of US$ 50 million to enable UNRWA to provide the necessary services to Palestine refugees.”

In response to this outstanding pledge, UNRWA Commissioner-General, Pierre Krähenbühl expressed gratitude. “I applaud Qatar for translating its political commitment into action and for its support to the Palestine refugee community in the region” and he added : “I am deeply and sincerely thankful to the government for this remarkable announcement and to His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani for his strong trust in UNRWA. ”

The partnership between UNRWA and the State of Qatar has been developing for years and with this unprecedented donation will now enter a new phase, with a significant focus on education, including emergency education, particularly in Syria and Gaza.

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The seriousness of the health situation in Yemen necessitates the response of all countries to this urgent humanitarian appeal, the QFFD said, adding that the State of Qatar has donated $5 million to support UNICEF efforts to eradicate cholera in Yemen, and that the number of beneficiaries will reach about 500,000 people.

“The contribution of the Qatar Fund for Development is critical to UNICEF’s urgent appeal for the eradication and spread of cholera in Yemen, as this support will allow UNICEF to continue prevention efforts and provide lifesaving assistance in water, sanitation, hygiene, health and nutrition for children,” UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Geert Cappelaere said.

It should be noted that this support aims to build national capacity in the health sector and its staff to respond to the new and growing cases of the disease. It focuses on how to handle new drugs against cholera.

The support also provides immediate assistance through rapid response mechanisms to encourage Yemeni community to change human behavior to prevent and treat cholera.

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