Along its efforts to promote dialogue through soft power diplomacy initiatives, the State of Qatar has heavily engaged for decades in efforts aimed at achieving globally agreed development goals such as the millennium development goals, poverty reduction and minimizing sufferings of victims in different parts of the world.
This is through an investment in a wide range of areas and supporting development projects, creating job opportunities, funding infrastructure projects, improving health conditions and education.
Qatar believes that aid and financing development projects are means to consolidate peace and stability, in addition to nurture good relations with countries and strategic alliances worldwide. Qatar is well known for its provision with immediate aids and financial supports to countries affected by natural disasters in many parts of the world.
Qatar’s aid through both governmental and nongovernmental institutions is constantly expanding to reach more countries as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated recently that the State of Qatar is financing development to support countries in need, which have been greatly affected by climate change, especially small islands, For example, H H the Amir pledged in 2019 $100m to small countries and islands that have been affected by climate change, he said. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) focuses heavily on the impact of investment as part of the One Planet initiative, he added.
The State of Qatar provided support to nearly 50 countries during the current pandemic crisis, in addition to its active participation in the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) initiative. Within the framework of Qatar’s international aids, the Arab countries take lion’s share, as around 93 percent of the official development assistance goes to countries in the Arab region. Aid and foreign supports are not limited to government programmes and emergency initiatives, but a considerable size of aid also comes from non-governmental entities such as Qatar’s Red Crescent; Reach Out to Asia, Education Above All, Eid Charity, RAF and Qatar Charity.
The recent humanitarian aid to Lebanon reflects the bonds of brotherhood between the two countries and the spirit of cooperation to overcome the most difficult ordeals. The aid shipment by Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), is a continuation of assisting and completing the projects that were announced to alleviate the economic and health crisis and support the Lebanese people to overcome the ordeals their country is facing, especially after the Beirut Port explosion disaster, said H E Mohammed Hassan Jaber Al Jaber Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Lebanese Republic.
