Qatar Emir: A “Generous global supporter of refugees”
At least 20 people become refugees every minute as they are compelled to flee war and bloodshed around the world and take perilous trips in search of safety. From a secure house to worn-out tents and an uncertain future, their surroundings change. The United Nations established June 20 as “World Refugee Day” in honor of the millions of refugees in today’s world in an effort to raise awareness of those who are compelled to escape their homes. Qatar has supported humanitarian aids and initiatives to help refugees worldwide lead better and safer lives as a significant UN partner.
As the world refugee situation has gotten worse over the years, Qatar has regularly made sure that the subject is covered in important speeches, specifically those before the UN General Assembly. The remarks repeatedly stress the importance of addressing the underlying causes of refugee problems, notably in the context of Syria, which has given rise to the largest refugee crisis on earth.
Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani’s role in combating global humanitarian crisis
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani encouraged the international community to address the situation of the Syrian people, particularly the millions of refugees who have been ejected from their homes, in a speech at the UNGA last year. The Emir at the time stated, “We must pay attention to the sources of the issues before their impacts knock on the doors of our country.
Since the start of the country’s war in 2011, Syria’s Bashar Al Assad dictatorship has sparked the largest refugee crisis in history. Syrian refugees make up 6.5 million of the total number of refugees worldwide, according to the UN. Assad has received a warm greeting from the Arab League despite the murderous assaults and abuses carried out on the Syrian people, but Qatar has remained steadfast in its refusal to normalize relations with the regime.
In his first interview with the media since becoming Emir of Qatar in 2013, Sheikh Tamim advocated for ending the crucial Syrian conflict. “Why do we accept that a leader massacres his people and expels millions of refugees from his country? As human beings, is this acceptable? What’s more, when we know that these refugees are going to come to us and that this will create problems?” the Qatar Emir.
Qatar serves as “an example” of how to balance humanitarian aid in global scenarios
Qatar has donated more than $350 million to UNHCR over the past ten years, providing a lifeline for refugees and other displaced people around the world. Through significant collaborations with several international organizations, including the UNHCR, numerous organizations within the Gulf state have also provided assistance to refugees. One such instance is Qatar Charity’s collaboration with UNHCR since 2012, which has helped the organization’s operations in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Iraq, Myanmar, Somalia, and Yemen while also giving urgently needed support.
One of the top ten international multi-year donors to the UNHCR is Qatar. For the first time ever in 2022, conflict, persecution, and violence prompted more people to leave their homes than ever before, providing a window into the bleak conditions in crisis-hit areas.
Globally, the number of refugees climbed from 27.1 million in 2021 to 35.3 million at the end of 2022, according to the UN, marking the greatest annual increase the organization has ever noted. The ongoing Russian offensive against Ukraine, which began on February 24 of last year, has been blamed for a large portion of the rise. In April of last year, Qatar committed $5 million through the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) to aiding displaced and refugee Ukrainians.
Donations from Qatar to the UN refugee agency are “crucial” for the world’s emergency response
More recently, as the continued turmoil in Sudan drives more people from their homes, Qatar offered $50 million to fund humanitarian efforts in the country. More than 450 000 individuals have sought sanctuary in neighboring nations since fighting first broke out on April 15 as more people continue to flee the bloodshed.
Breaking refugee isolation
In addition to financial aid, Qatar has worked to alleviate the global isolation of refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs). The Gulf state spearheaded significant efforts to guarantee that people evicted from their lands may share in the celebrations as the first Arab and Muslim host nation of the World Cup last year.
Across camps in six nations, including Jordan, Syria, Sudan, Kenya, Bangladesh, and Somalia, the Qatar created fanzones as part of the “Qatar FIFA 2022 for All: Celebrating Football with Refugees and Displaced People” initiative. With matches aired across the camps and fun events set up over the month-long football spectacular, the fanzones played a significant part in reducing the isolation of refugees and IDPs.
During the Covid-19 outbreak, which aggravated the hardship of refugees and IDPs, Qatar also played a significant role. In addition to the horrific reality many migrants are enduring, the pandemic showed the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the world. Qatar announced a $100 million program to vaccinate more than 3,500,000 migrants and displaced individuals in 20 different countries when vaccines become available in late 2020 or early 2021.
