Attachments
January 13th, 2019 ― Doha: In response to the bad weather spell in northern Syria, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has provided vital winterization aid to as many as 60,380 beneficiaries.
QRCS’s mission in Turkey repaired 254 family tents, with additional 200 tents to be repaired over the coming few days. These tents host more than 2,200 people. Also, 12,500 blankets and mattresses were distributed to 2,796 families in the rural parts of Idlib, Aleppo, and Hama.
Moreover, 600 heaters were distributed to 3,000 people, and 248,000 liters of heating oil to 40,000 people. More aid is planned to be delivered within days, including winterization clothes for children.
In terms of shelter, QRCS’s relief personnel are restoring 785 houses damaged by floods in Idlib countryside. They cover three-month rents for 612 houses, which are inhabited by the neediest families with no breadwinner, widows, orphans, and people with physical disabilities.
As for the medical intervention, mobile clinics are deployed to the destinations of internally displaced people (IDPs), each comprising a general physician, a pediatrician, a gynecologist, a nurse, and a midwife. Community and psychological health teams hold awareness and psychological support sessions, as well as survey malnutrition among children.
As the winter began, the northern parts of Syria witnessed too low temperatures, heavy rain, floods, and frost. In 128 shelter camps, 4,983 IDP tents were submerged, and 6,079 families now live in the open air. Children, in particular, are at risk, with expectations of lower temperatures yet to come.
QRCS’s interventions are aimed at alleviating the suffering of the helpless IDPs, reducing mortality rates, and securing life-saving aid in areas that have not been reached out to by any humanitarian organizations.
About Qatar Red Crescent (QRCS)
Established in 1978, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is a humanitarian volunteering organization that aims to assist and empower vulnerable individuals and communities without partiality or discrimination.
QRCS is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which consists of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and 190 National Societies. QRCS is also a member of several GCC, Arab, and Islamic organizations, such as the Islamic Committee of International Crescent and the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization (ARCO). In this legally recognized capacity, QRCS has access to disaster and conflict zones, thus serving as an auxiliary to the State of Qatar in its humanitarian efforts — a role that distinguishes it from other local charities and NGOs.
QRCS operates both locally and internationally and has ongoing international relief and development projects in a number of countries throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe. QRCS's humanitarian actions include providing support in disaster preparedness, disaster response, risk reduction, and disaster recovery. To mitigate the impact of disasters and improve the livelihoods of affected populations, QRCS provides medical services, healthcare, and social development to local communities. It is also active at the humanitarian advocacy front. With the help of a vast network of trained, committed staff and volunteers, QRCS aspires to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity.
QRCS works under the umbrella of the seven international humanitarian principles: Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.