Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) has signed with RAND Corporation, a US research organisation, an agreement to conduct a study on opportunities for refugees and host countries in Middle-Eastern labour markets, to benefit the countries and refugees equally.
The study aims to provide a social and economic evaluation for the labour markets, a deep analysis on the refugees’ available skills and how much job opportunities are available in the host countries.
The study also works on specifying the sectors that are capable of accepting additional labour and document the skills of the refugees to know where and how the refugees may have paid employment through methods that benefit the host countries.
The study will also specify the detailed steps to be taken to facilitate long-term economical opportunity and achieve social unity.
QFFD Executive Director of Strategic Planning Ali al-Dabbagh said Qatar continues to meet its promises towards humanitarian crises in the region including Syria, Yemen and Iraq.
Al-Dabbagh added that QFFD, through this study, plans to highlight the available economic opportunity which benefits the refugees and the hosting societies.
On his part, RAND Vice-President Charles Ries said he looked forward to conduct this important study in order to help the refugees and hosting communities to find economical opportunities that benefits both sides, till the refugees return to their home countries.
He added that the desired results of this study is a great benefit to the international donors, especially those who pledged support in the 2016 London conference and 2017 Brussels conference. Ries said these conferences aimed to collect money to face the current humanitarian crisis in Syria, noting that Qatar responded to both conferences and pledged amongst other donors to provide more than $200mn in aid for the Syrian people, and it has already paid a large portion of the aid.
The study scheduled to be conducted focuses on the existing collaborative work on this matter, between the RAND Corporation with its research and the UN agencies, in addition to the large database specialised in the refugee crisis owned by both parties.
