DOHA: Funds and assistance continue to flow from Qatar for Syrian refugees who are hit by harsh winter currently sweeping the region.
Two planes carrying Qatar’s relief aid to Syrian refugees headed to Beirut Airport yesterday while leading charities in the country pledged assistance worth a total of over QR145m to support the displaced Syrians.
Qatar Charity (QC) has allocated QR36m while Qatar Development Fund has offered a grant of $30m (QR109m).
Qatar’s emergency relief aid, dispatched upon directives of the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani included food, blankets, winter clothes, medicines, among other items.
The permanent emergency, rescue, relief and humanitarian aid committee headed by the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) oversaw the preparation of the relief materials and coordinated with authorities concerned to dispatch the aid.
Dar Al Sharq has joined the drive by donating QR250,000 for the relief of Syrian refugees. The company has handed over the cheque to Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani Foundation for Humanitarian Services (RAF).
The company, in the last three years, has provided financial support worth QR2.2m to refugees and other needy people through various charity organisations in Qatar.
Qatar Charity’s QR 36m relief for Syrian refugees included the distribution of stoves and fuel, blankets and winter clothing for refugees in Arsal and Shebaa and on the Syrian-Turkish border. It is in conjunction with the allocation of emergency aid for Syrian refugees in Lebanon and on the Turkish-Syrian border of QAR 2 million for the benefit of over 73,000 people in order to help them to face the ‘Huda’ storm
On Friday and Saturday, QC sent the first batch of urgent aid for distribution to Syrian refugees across Lebanon, particularly the areas of Arsal, the Shebaa Farms and the Syrian-Turkish border. The distribution included heaters and heating fuel, blankets, carpets, tents, mattresses, pillows and warm clothing and medicines for children, and came in addition to the running of mobile clinics, at a cost of around QR2m, out of a total QR4m of emergency aid projects to address the current cold winter, which will be carried out over the coming days.
The projects also include sponsoring 50 families, orphans or widows. QC will also establish a charity market in Al Ashiqaa Camp in Bekaa. In Iraq, QC will soon begin distributing heaters and blankets to hundreds of Syrian refugees to alleviate the effects of the bitter cold.
Under the Warm Winter campaign, QRC teams have initiated urgent interventions for Syrian IDPs and refugees. In southern Syria, they distributed $150,000 worth of assistance to 3,000 refugees in Al Amal, Breiqa, Beer Ajam and Seed refugee camps. The assistance included 6,000 blankets, 2,000 mattresses and pillows, and 1,000 mats.
Blankets were distributed in the Zaatari refugee camp and surrounding neighbourhoods, where the tents were drained and water-proofed. QRC staff distributed wood and heating oil to beneficiaries in Syria and on the Syrian-Turkish borders.
QRC is assigned with the task of supervising the programme and delivering assistance to beneficiaries from the $30m grant by Qatar Development Fund for Syrian refugees.
The programme will distribute urgent winter assistance to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, including 120,000 mattresses, 120,000 blankets, 120,000 hygiene kits, 48,000 tarpaulins, 24,000 heaters and 12,000,000 heating oil.
So far, 21,512 families have been covered throughout Lebanon, and distribution continues for more families, with the number reaching 58,044.
The Peninsula
