Unloading relief kits at the Madjigilta site in Chad on the border with Sudan. ©UNHCR/Colin Delfosse
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and Qatar Charity (QC) have signed two agreements amounting to QAR 4,375,696 (US$ 1,200,136) to support more than 30,000 Sudanese refugees in Egypt and Chad through Zakat funds.
The agreements come as part of the Letter of Intent on Islamic Philanthropy collaboration that was signed last March between UNHCR and QC, building on the critical role Zakat plays in responding to global humanitarian needs.
With this contribution, UNHCR will provide cash assistance to 22,341 Sudanese refugees in Egypt to enable them to secure their most urgent needs, such as rent, food, and healthcare. In addition, UNHCR will provide 7,790 Sudanese refugees in Chad with essential relief items, such as blankets, kitchen sets, sleeping mats and jerrycans.
UNHCR’s Representative to Qatar, Ahmed Mohsen, lauded Qatar Charity’s commitment to support humanitarian efforts and welcomed this contribution, stating: “With more than 759,000 refugees and asylum-seekers who fled the conflict in Sudan and crossed to neighboring countries, their humanitarian needs are growing increasingly, and our teams on the ground are working around the clock to support them and respond to their needs.” He added: “We appreciate Qatar Charity’s timely Zakat contribution, and we hope it will enhance our ability to reach more refugees in need.”
Nawaf Abdulla Al-Hammadi, Chief Global Programs Officer at Qatar Charity reiterated QC’s humanitarian commitment to supporting forcibly displaced persons through UNHCR, and stated: “With this contribution, we hope to ease some of the burdens posed on vulnerable refugee Sudanese families fleeing to Egypt and Chad in a dignified manner through cash assistance and core-relief items, thus allowing them to prioritize their expenses and cover their most pressing needs.”
In Egypt, more than 280,000 people seeking safety have arrived through the country’s southern borders. “UNHCR is doing everything within its means to provide assistance to new arrivals across Egypt to help them make ends meet. Funding from NGOs and the private sector is crucial to allow us to expand our current programmes and provide much needed assistance to Sudanese new arrivals. We are grateful for the support from Qatar Charity and we look forward to expanding our collaboration in the near future,” said Hanan Hamdan, Representative to UNHCR Egypt and to the League of Arab States.
“We welcome this generous contribution from Qatar Charity that will help provide refugee families fleeing Sudan with the basics to sleep, cook, and wash with dignity. Chad now hosts the largest number of people fleeing Sudan. We rely on our partners’ generosity and solidarity to continue responding to growing needs and ensure people fleeing their homes receive the help they need to rebuild their lives. We hope that this first contribution of Qatar Charity to Chad marks the debut of a strong partnership”. Jerome Merlin, UNHCR Assistant Representative Operations to Chad.
The conflict in Sudan has forced more than 4.9 million people to flee their homes within Sudan and into neighbouring countries. And with no end to the violence in sight, people are desperately seeking safety and protection both inside Sudan and in bordering countries such as Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Central African Republic.
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