Qatar - QFFD, OCHA sign deals for global humanitarian aid

Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) continues to support the strategic partnership with the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Three agreements were signed in support to the global role of OCHA in addressing human needs. The first agreement is for providing unearmarked multi-year primary funding to OCHA with $16mn over a period of two years (2021-2022).
The second agreement was the signing of QFFD to support to the Syrian Cross-border Humanitarian Fund (SCHF), in addition to Jordan and Lebanon Country based Pooled Funds (CBPFs); with a total of $2mn allocated to strengthen the capacity of local organisations and support growing needs of the affected populations.
The third is to fund OCHA's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) with $2mn for 2022-2023, to be disbursed equally -- $1mn each year.
CERF enables humanitarian responders to deliver life-saving assistance whenever and wherever crises strike.
QFFD is one of OCHA's strategic partners and plays an important global role in responding to humanitarian crises. In 2020, Qatar was ranked the 9th country in the top donors list for OCHA global donors contribution.
The agreements are aimed at enhancing co-ordination and improving global humanitarian assistance.
Previous contributions between QFFD and OCHA included a memorandum of understanding for co-operation for 2017-2020, signed in Doha on May 14, 2017, to set out procedures which apply to QFFDs multi-year financial contributions to OCHA to the areas of co-operation in the humanitarian field, with the aim to strengthen co-ordination and emergency response.
QFFD Director General HE Khalifa bin Jassim al-Kuwari said: 'The Qatar Fund for Development stresses that strengthening the capacity of humanitarian institutions demonstrates the Fund's ability as a key partner to find solutions to the humanitarian and relief international crises. This support aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the field of humanitarian response. This multi-year contribution is important to support the humanitarian assistance efforts lead by OCHA.'
'Humanitarian needs continue to rise around the world and the most vulnerable people face the impact of the climate crisis, protracted conflicts and political instability,' said UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-ordinator, Martin Griffiths.
'Our longstanding partnership with the Qatar Fund for Development and the flexible, multiyear support for OCHA and the Pooled Funds helps humanitarian organisations bring people the relief they desperately need.' (QNA)

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