Qatar provided $1.6bn for Syrian people: FM

DOHA/New York: Qatar has provided nearly $1.6bn to help alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people in and outside Syria, through international humanitarian organisations and donor conferences, Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said yesterday.
Addressing a summit on refugees called by US President Barack Obama in New York on the sidelines of the 71st session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Minister said Qatar had funded the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) programmes in 2013. During 2013-2014 Qatar provided more than $121m for refugees in Turkey and Jordan.
The Minister also referred to Educate A Child (EAC), a programme of Qatar-based Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, which succeeded in securing the return of 600,000 Syrian refugee children to schools. Their number is expected to go up to one million by the end of this year.
He said Qatar has allocated $20m for education and training of a million Syrians, adding Qatar had sponsored education of 100 Syrian refugee students, at Sorbonne in Paris.
“The experience of long years of suffering of Arab peoples have thrashed hopes about the ability of politics and international law to find a fair and lasting solution to the conflicts and crises in the region,” the Minister said.
He also stressed Qatar’s continuous support for efforts to help the Syrians and Palestinian refugees and alleviate their sufferings, saying Qatar continues to support UNRWA programmes, especially in the field of education, including building and renovation of schools at a cost of nearly $6m.
Qatar has renewed its pledge to allocate $20m to finance education and professional development for refugees, which is part of its pledge to provide $100m for the benefit of Syrian people, at the London Conference, held last February in support of Syria and the region, said the Minister.
He added that Qatar is now hosting more than 60,000 Syrians who are living with their Qatari brothers, as well as the reunion of 7,000 people to their families living in Qatar.
The Minister also addressed a meeting held by Friends of Syria on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session to discuss the future of Syria. He said participation of the Syrian opposition in the political process stems out of their keenness in a political solution to the crisis.
The Minister described the opposition’s vision for a political solution as comprehensive. He added that it proves the accusations by the Syrian regime about the unwillingness of the opposition to find a political resolution were wide off the mark.
He also highlighted the views of Staffan de Mistura, UN special envoy for the Syria crisis, indicating that the opposition was serious in finding a solution. The first step towards a resolution is to find out the reasons of the crisis before proceeding towards a political transition in accordance with the Geneva conference, he added.