Attachments
Qatar has been a prominent actor on both the regional and global humanitarian stage. It has a population of some 2.7 million, including a significant expatriate community in the country, and a thriving business and economic sector. Qatar’s humanitarian and development programmes have expanded significantly since the beginning of 2010.
Qatar remains a strong partner to UNHCR and a top donor in the Gulf, with significantincome from both government and private donors. It has consistently ranked in the top 10 donors per capita to UNHCR globally since 2019 and has also been a member of the $20 million club through its core contribution and funding from the Qatar Fund for Development(QFFD).
Qatar has funded numerous UNHCR programmes globally in support of refugees and IDPs, with a focus on the Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen situations, as well as the Rohingya and COVID-19 emergencies. Their priority areas include health, winter and cash assistance, education, shelter, livelihoods and climate change.
Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation
-
UNHCR’s main government partners are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs(MoFA) and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD). UNHCR maintains a close and strategic partnership with both MoFA and QFFD in support of refugees and internally displaced persons around the world. Since 2018, QFFD has supported UNHCR’s work with flexible funding, as well as the provision of education, health care, shelter, winter support and cash assistance for Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, Rohingya refugees and internally displaced Iraqis.
-
UNHCR engages with other government entities including the Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities, which is an independent governmental body that regulates all fundraising activities in Qatar, as well as the Ministry of Interior and the National Human Rights Committee.
-
Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah Bin Thani Al-Thani is a major partner to UNHCR, to which he is the largest individual donor globally. He was named ‘UNHCR Eminent Advocate’ in 2019 and again in 2022 in recognition of his significant support to refugees and IDPs through UNHCR.
-
UNHCR has partnered with Educate A Child (EAC), a global programme of Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, since 2012. The programme aims to significantly reduce the number of children missing out on their right to primary education globally.
-
A strategic partner to UNHCR is Qatar Charity(QC), one of the largest non-governmental charities in the MENA region.
-
UNHCR has received several contributions from the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS)since 2014, with support provided to operations in Djibouti, Lebanon and Turkey.
-
Eid Charity, a strong supporter of UNHCR, has funded projects to assist refugees in Bangladesh, Lebanon and Jordan, as well as IDPs in Iraq, Somalia and Yemen.
-
UNHCR collaborates with Silatech, an NGO dedicated to the economic empowerment of youth worldwide through improved access to employment and enterprise development.
-
In early 2022, UNHCR renewed its partnership with Qatar Airways, Qatar’s state-owned flag carrier, for two additional years, allowing use of their fleet for shipment of core relief items to country operations around the world.