Photo Credit: Twitter/WFPGovts
London: The Qatar Fund for Development signed on Thursday a $3m agreement with the World Food Program (WFP) to help displaced people in Iraq.
The agreement was signed by Ali Abdullah Al Dabbagh, Executive Director of the Strategic Planning Department of Qatar Fund for Development and Francis Mwanza, Head of WFP London Office, on the sidelines of the aid and trade conference held in the British capital, London.
The $3m donated by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) will be allocated to provide food aid to more than 22,000 displaced Iraqis living in camps for six months.
In a statement after the signing ceremony, Ali Abdullah Al Dabbagh said that the Qatar Fund for Development is committed to supporting displaced people in Iraq, providing them with their basic humanitarian needs and giving them hope for a better future.
Francis Mwanza welcomed the QFFD contributions saying that although some Iraqis have returned to their homes, others have lost all their possessions and face security threats. They are still in the camps and need more support.
WFP uses the cash assistance system, such as e-vouchers and cash transfers, to reach the most needy families. Families in rural areas will receive cash payments, which will allow them to buy the food they need, while WFP will provide assistance in areas where there are no good local markets, through e-vouchers that can be used in selected stores.
QFFD also signed a $2m agreement with the United Nations (UN) Humanitarian Coordinator to support emergency relief efforts for some of Afghanistan’s most needy communities.
The agreement was signed by Ali Abdullah Al Dabbagh and UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan Toby Lanzer during the annual “Aid & Trade” conference and exhibition in London.
Following the signing of the agreement, QFFD official said that QFFD grant will be used to provide life-saving assistance to people in need, and will help our relief partners within Afghanistan meet the highest priority needs identified in the Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan.
Humanitarian organizations in Afghanistan need $430m to help 2.8 million of the 3.3 million people who need assistance this year as part of the humanitarian response plan in Afghanistan, according to UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Toby Lanzer praised Qatar’s contribution, stressing that this grant will help women and men of Afghanistan who have been subjected to violence and natural disasters and provide them with a better future.
This year, QFFD contributed to the establishment of similar local joint funds in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.
Qatar’s total contribution since 2014 is $32m.
