DOHA: Qatar has pledged to contribute $10bn to humanitarian and development goals over the next 10 years, Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the World Humanitarian Summit which concluded in Istanbul yesterday.
Addressing the summit, the Foreign Minister pointed to the existence of more than 60 million people including refugees and displaced people worldwide and those under siege and colonialism, “which makes it imperative for all to use all capacities to cope with this humanitarian disaster, and to find solutions by relieving them, and put an end to their suffering.”
Sheikh Mohammed said that Qatar has decided to allocate almost half of its humanitarian assistance to the education sector, “as it is aware of the consequences of neglecting it as a key element to the spread of extremism, violence and loss of hope in a life of dignity.”
Sheikh Mohammed noted that everyone agrees the focus on education is vitally important in order to protect children and prevent the loss of generations. “Neglecting education means that a whole generation would become more vulnerable to human trafficking or fall prey to terrorism,” he said. The Foreign Minister said that humanitarian action cannot be limited to humanitarian relief, but there is a need for a common political action at all levels to resolve current global crises .
He noted that poverty, unemployment, discrimination, human rights violations, and corruption have provided a fertile ground for extremist ideas, pointing out that governments’ help in finding independent and sustainable solutions to gain confidence of their citizens would contribute to conflict prevention and realisation of stability.
“Conflict prevention is a multi-dimensional action, aimed at addressing the structural errors that lead to slipping into the clutches of violent conflict and extremism,” said the Foreign Minister, adding that the efforts of Qatar in humanitarian work are not restricted to the region, but have spread to more than 100 countries all over the world. He stressed Qatar’s commitment to the continuity of humanitarian work in sustainable ways. He said Qatar has pledged to abide by the five responsibilities that are based on the vision of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon explained in his report “humanitarian one: a shared responsibility”, which draws roadmap for coordination of humanitarian work.
The Foreign Minister affirmed Qatar’s support to the efforts of UN Secretary-General for the success of the summit.
The Peninsula
