Doha: Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has launched a project to distribute 6,700 food parcels to the people most affected by drought in Somalia, with funding from the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs’ Department of Zakat Affairs.
The QR2m project is aimed at meeting the food needs of an average of 46,900 beneficiaries in Banaadir and Bay regions, southern Somalia. The distribution plan is as follows: (1) 3,000 food parcels in the remote camps of Banadir, and (2) 3,700 parcels in Baidoa camps of Bay.
In the presence of H E Dr. Abdullah bin Salem Al Nuaimi, Ambassador of Qatar to Somalia, QRCS’s office kicked off the food distributions to drought-affected families in Baidoa and Mogadishu. Each one-month parcel contained 66.5kg of food staples, such as wheat flour, rice, sugar, vegetable oil, powdered milk, and dates.
Dr. Al Nuaimi said, “QRCS’s humanitarian work in Somalia helps to alleviate the suffering of many locals lacking food, water, and health services, thus allowing the Somali people to recover from years of drought and conflict. This is a testament to Qatar’s response to humanitarian crises and solidarity with affected nations. That is why QRCS mobilised its resources to provide further timely humanitarian aid that protects the Somali people.”
He described the project as a supportive factor to resolve the food crisis in the country, especially with the inadequate funding to secure food for more than eight million people in need of urgent and lifesaving humanitarian assistance.
Ambassador promised to back QRCS’s activities in this and other future projects, as part of his endeavour to support the people of Somalia in every possible way, with a view to improving the available services. He thanked QRCS’s management and personnel in Somalia for their active role throughout the crisis and commitment to QRCS’s humanitarian principles and mission.
