DOHA: Any failure to resolve the Syrian crisis and end the sufferings of the refugees could have grave consequences on the region and the entire world, The Foreign Minister H E Dr Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah (pictured) has warned.
He said Qatar has so far contributed around $1.6bn to help alleviate the suffering of those caught up in the conflict and has pledged to continue its support.
“The longer the war continues, the more likely it is that the humanitarian crisis in Syria will spread far beyond its borders and have a profound impact not only on the stability and economic well-being of these neighbouring states, but of the entire world,” said the Foreign Minister in an article published by the London’s Daily Telegraph newspaper on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of Syrian civil war.
The deprivation, displacement and disruption of families that are at the heart of any humanitarian crisis often lead to an increase in sectarian and ethnic tensions, which extremists can exploit to their own advantage, said the Foreign Minister.
“If they succeed, then the task of rebuilding those communities once the conflict has ended becomes much harder, if not impossible. This is why one of the main aims of Qatar’s aid programme is to try to soothe the refugees’ suffering,” he said.
“We need to protect the refugees from the possibility of manipulation and exploitation by violent militias and other radical groups. Indeed, we must all act to forestall the creation of disadvantaged and deprived parts of the Arab population who are perennially vulnerable to the messages of hate propagated by the extremists,” said Al Attiyah.
“For the children and young people languishing in refugee camps, it is not just about meeting their humanitarian needs, but also about making sure that a feeling of neglect does not turn into a feeling of despair.
“For despair can easily turn these young people into eager recruits for radical groups — and if we turn our backs on them, we risk exposing them to the lies and distortions of those who seek to destroy our values and demonise our faith,” he added.
