Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan
The Embassy of the State of Qatar started series of Iftar programs in the different parts of the country. It reflected its true spirits of generosity towards poor and needy people and marginalized communities i.e. orphans, disables and widows etc. It would continue during the whole month of Ramadan.
Respect of humanity and humanitarian assistance are the main pillars of its foreign policy. It has been rigorously engaged in different parts of the world and started different meaningful programs to lessen the sufferings of common poor people.
The State of Qatar and its Embassy in the country has been remained a leading charitable and welfare entity for so many years in the past. People still remember its extended spirits of cooperation, kindness, and humanitarian assistance to the orphans, poor and neglected classes of the Pakistani society.
According to some statistics, thousands of people would benefit from the program. It would target students of educational institutions, poor people and other needy. One of such programs has been held in the first week of Ramadan at new campus of the International Islamic University in Islamabad where more than 2600 students and teachers participated in Iftar program. It was a large gathering. Food stuff was delicious and refreshing.
The Embassy also supervised delivery of food packages for poor families and vulnerable in different parts of the country during the Holy Month of Ramadan. All the Iftari programs were well organized for the underprivileged section of the society and struggling people in various parts of the country. It symbolized the true spirits of humanity, generosity and compassion on the part of Qatar’s political leadership.
A distribution ceremony of food stuff/package was taken place in Topi area of Swabi district, KPK. A large number of people with special needs including elderly, infirm, disabled, orphans and widows, in rural areas of Swabi benefited from the program. They all sincerely prayed for the socio-economic prosperity of the rulers and people of Qatar.
Even most recently, under the Ramadan Iftar programme, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) started a huge drive/program and distributed food aid in three African countries, at a total cost of $237,000 (QR 851,579). According to its official figures more than 24,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) are expected to benefit from the noble initiative.
In Somalia, QRCS’s mission in Mogadishu distributed food baskets worth $100,000 to 1,560 families (9,360 people) at several IDP camps across the Banaadir region. Its food stuff/package contained 90kg of food items such as maize, rice, sugar, powdered milk, dates, and vegetable oil. IDP families are confronting very poor conditions and scarce supplies of basic necessities of life made their lives more miserable and dejected especially in the holy month of Ramadan. The officials of beneficiary municipalities thanked the State of Qatar and QRCS for this timely humanitarian assistance for the needy families during Ramadan.
QRCS’s office in Niger distributed 1,700 food packages worth $100,000 to 11,900 people in the fragile parts of Niamey, the capital, as well as IDP camps. Distributed food basket is sufficient for 30 days each package contains 62 kg of rice, millet, sugar, oil, dates, tea, salt, and canned tomato paste.
The distributions were coordinated with other humanitarian organizations to identify the beneficiaries and avoid duplication.
Chad, hosts 8,210 Central African refugees where QRCS’s mission and Al Bir Association of Chad distributed food packages to 410 families (2,780 people) in Goré and Doba provinces.
It costed $37,000 these packages contained 59 kg of food items each, including rice, flour, sugar, oil, and dates. QRCS personnel coordinated with the provincial authorities and NGOs to facilitate the field visits and distributions on regular basis.
The chief of Central African refugee camp thanked the State of Qatar and QRCS for its noble contribution for the needy people during the holy month of Ramadan.