Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) have signed a $12mn funding agreement to support displaced communities in Syria, as well as Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries, under the umbrella of the United Nations (UN).

The agreement was signed by Ali Abdullah al-Dabbagh, executive director of Corporate Strategy at QFFD, and Rashid Saad al-Mohannadi, director of Relief and International Development at QRCS.

Targeting a total of 5.6mn beneficiaries in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, this contribution comes under the Syria Humanitarian Response Plan adopted by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, according to a press statement.

According to al-Dabbagh, this funding is part of Qatar's $100mn pledge announced during the second Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region’, held on April 24 and 25.

"Qatar is absolutely committed to addressing the impact of the humanitarian tragedy inflicted on the Syrian people over the past seven years. These funds will go for life-saving projects that will meet the basic needs of the Syrians," said al-Dabbagh.

Al-Mohannadi added, "This agreement is a new episode in Qatar's track record of helping the Syrian people for years now. A key asset of this support is the strong, co-ordinated partnership between QFFD as a major donor and QRCS as a leading humanitarian provider in many crises, particularly in Syria".

He hoped that the pact would help alleviate some of the hardships suffered by Syrian refugees and displaced people on a daily basis, particularly vulnerable groups such as children, women, patients and elderly people.

The plan involves several significant activities to be executed in Syria, including but not limited to operating healthcare centres, providing psychological support services, building clay housing units, rehabilitating houses and roads in Idlib, and offering vocational training.

Also, Syrians in Jordan will receive secondary healthcare and chronic disease treatment free of charge. Primary healthcare clinics at the Al Zaatari refugee camp will be given a new life, offering dialysis services for patients with kidney failure, the statement adds.

In Lebanon, there will be healthcare and physiotherapy for injured people, rehabilitation of refugee camps and buildings, operation of water purification plants and water systems, and reopening of the urban solid waste management plant.

In August 2016, a similar agreement was signed by QFFD and QRCS for the Syria response under Qatar's $100mn pledge made at the ‘Supporting Syria and the Region’ conference in the UK in 2016.

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