Qatar Charity (QC) is supervising FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 fan zones in camps housing internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in Jordan, Syria, Sudan, Kenya, Bangladesh, and Somalia, a statement said.
The ‘Qatar FIFA 2022 for All: Celebrating Football with Refugees and Displaced people’ initiative aims to share the joy of the World Cup with refugees and IDPs living in camps.
The fan zones aim to alleviate the suffering of the refugees and IDPs, give them hope for a better life, restore normalcy to their lives, contribute to building positive relations between refugees and their host communities, and enhance social cohesion through entertainment and cultural programmes.
The fan zones will have live daily broadcasts of the World Cup matches and hold sports and entertainment activities for children and youth, in addition to distributing sportswear, footballs, and meals to the refugees and DPs, encouraging the families to attend the event, and holding two music concerts and virtual tournaments.
“This initiative aims to share the joy of the Qatar World Cup 2022 with the IDPs, refugees, and vulnerable communities, and highlight their issues and conditions, based on our belief that sport is the right of everyone, and its role in the peace and development of all communities,” said Nawaf Abdullah al-Hammadi, CEO's assistant for International Operations and Programmes at QC. He also emphasised the importance of sport as more than just a recreational activity for the IDPs and refugees, noting its ability to provide an opportunity for integration, protection, development, growth, and psychological support.
In addition to QC, the initiative is participated in by many bodies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Qatar Fund for Development, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the Qatar Red Crescent Society, and beIN Sports.
Nawaf Abdullah al-Hammadi
