Former CEO & President of United Nations Foundation Kathy Calvin once said, “Giving is not just about making a donation, it’s about making a difference.” And this is exactly what Qatar is practicing now.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Qatar and its national flag carrier Qatar Airways delivered humanitarian relief and assistance globally, including China, Iran, Lebanon, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Australia, the UK and the US.
On Thursday, in a speech delivered by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi via videoconferencing, before the Ministerial Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the CICA Member States, he said that Qatar has strengthened the rapid response to face the dangerous repercussions of the crisis, as it has provided $88m to support the COVID-19 response to more than 80 countries worldwide, adding that Qatar is also working with the United Nations Development Program, in the innovation lab, which includes more than 47 countries, to devise solutions to address the negative consequences of the pandemic. H E the Minister also underlined the State of Qatar’s continued support for international institutions to develop health, prosperity, and stability.
Qatar is a well-known name in the field of humanitarian work both locally and internationally. Many times, the State lent a helping-hand to countries in need of assistance right before the situation gets worse, the best example of it is when the State sent immediate medical aid including two field hospitals to attend to the victims of Beirut port explosion last month.
With its humanitarian actions, Qatar shows and makes each one of us feel that we have the right to be treated equally, no one deserves to feel unworthy and no one deserves to be oppressed. The State never failed to make us feel better and somehow comfortable despite hardships and trials amid the blockade that the State is currently facing.
Just recently, to protect the interests of employers and employees in Qatar, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs introduced a non-discriminatory minimum wage and removed No-Objection Certificate (NOC) requirement to change jobs for employees. This is another proof that Qatar believes that giving is not just about money but giving is about caring and making difference in someone’s life.
Qatar consists of only 4,473 square miles land area but it teaches the whole world that, anyone can do great things regardless of race, geo-political situation, income level or any other factor.
