Qatar pledges $50 million humanitarian aid package to Gaza's war-hit residents

Qatar on Wednesday vowed to provide $50 million in humanitarian aid to residents of the Gaza Strip, who are currently impacted by Israel’s non-stop aggression and siege.

The aid package will benefit refugees, displaced persons, orphans and wounded individuals, an official statement posted on X read.

This came during Qatar’s participation in the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, held with the aim of improving conditions for refugees and host countries.

The forum, held every four years and organised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is taking place between 13 and 15 December this year.

Doha said it would also provide 100 scholarships to Palestinian students from Gaza enabling them to continue their university education in Qatar through the Al-Fakhoura programme.

Today, Qatar 🇶🇦 pledged $50 million at the #GlobalRefugeeForum organized by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees @Refugees 🇺🇳 in response to the increasing humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories 🇵🇸.

The pledge is aimed at refugees, displaced people,… pic.twitter.com/LPMgFcdmaI

— لولوة الخاطر Lolwah Alkhater (@Lolwah_Alkhater) December 13, 2023

Lolwah Al-Khater, the Minister of State for International Cooperation who represented Qatar at the forum, said Doha’s aid package was pledged "in response to the increasing humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories".

The diplomat expressed concern over the ongoing suffering which Palestinian refugees are subject to, as well as the alarming number of displaced people worldwide, currently standing at over 141 million.

"I would like to take this opportunity to emphasise the need to find a just, lasting and holistic solution to the suffering of more than 5.9 million registered Palestinian refugees," Al-Khater said.

The diplomat also brought stressed that Israel's war in Gaza "constitutes violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law", emphsasing its obligation to ensure "the protection, welfare and human rights of the civilian population under its occupation" as an occupying power.

Israel has killed at least 18,608 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, including thousands of women and children. Tel Aviv has gone on to bombard schools, refugee camps, and hospitals, reducing key infrastructure to rubble.

Additionally, Israel has placed the enclave under a complete siege, depriving 2.3 million residents of essential and lifesaving needs.

Throughout Israel's war in Gaza, Qatar has played a mediatory role in negotiations which granted a seven-day truce last month, which saw the release of several Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian women and children prisoners.

Doha has also gone on to provide over 1,000 tonnes of medical aid and emergency supplies, including a field hospital and ambulance vehicles.

Qatar also regularly provides financial assistance to around 100,000 Gazan families every month, each receiving $100, and donated large sums of money to UNRWA's emergency aid programme in the territory.