Qatar is continuing to strengthen its role in international humanitarian response, combining emergency relief with longer-term development initiatives to support communities affected by conflicts, disasters and humanitarian crises.
Its efforts span Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan, Spain, and Venezuela, among other places worldwide, involving humanitarian air and land bridges, medical and food assistance, shelter, energy support, and international search-and-rescue operations.
In Gaza, Qatar operated air and land relief bridges during 2025 and 2026, delivering aid through 119 military aircraft and around 1,500 trucks. Assistance included around 368,000 food baskets, 100,000 emergency tents and 33.5mn litres of diesel and petrol, supporting displaced families and essential services amid severe humanitarian conditions.
In Lebanon, the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) delivered around 100 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies in April 2026, transported by Qatar Airways to support the health sector and assist tens of thousands of people affected by the crisis. In June, Qatar joined the United Kingdom and France for a joint visit to assess humanitarian conditions and strengthen international coordination.
Qatar’s assistance to Afghanistan combines emergency relief with longer-term development. Between 2023 and 2026, QFFD provided $4.8mn to the World Health Organisation to support essential healthcare, medicines, and medical supplies across 11 remote provinces, benefiting more than 1mn people. Qatar also funded education projects worth more than $10mn with international partners, including Unicef, supporting school rehabilitation, teacher training and primary education for more than 30,000 children, including a significant number of girls.
In Syria, Qatar continued humanitarian assistance through air bridges that delivered food, medical supplies, and other relief items. From August 2025, QFFD provided 800 megawatts of electricity for one year, helping to increase electricity availability in some areas to around 16 hours a day, with some provinces receiving continuous supply for up to 24 hours. QFFD and the Saudi Fund for Development also provided $89mn in joint financial support to cover three months of public-sector salaries, including workers in health, education and social affairs, as well as civilian retirees, in coordination with the UN Development Programme.
In Sudan, Qatar maintained assistance amid the escalating humanitarian crisis. A vessel carrying approximately 2,428 tonnes of relief supplies arrived at Sudanese ports in January 2026 through cooperation between QFFD and Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). In February, QFFD and the Qatar Red Crescent Society launched a land-based logistics bridge to deliver essential medicines and medical supplies to Sudanese hospitals. Qatar also announced $10mn in April 2025 to support women and girls affected by the conflict.
Qatar’s humanitarian response also extends to natural disasters. In Spain, a Qatari international search-and-rescue team from Lekhwiya was deployed during the August 2026 wildfires. The team included 129 specialists, supported by firefighting and logistical equipment, as well as a helicopter for firefighting and evacuation operations.
Following the June 2026 earthquake and natural disasters in Venezuela, Qatar established an emergency air bridge. It deployed a Lekhwiya search-and-rescue team, together with a field hospital and medical, food and shelter assistance. In Afghanistan, following the devastating September 2025 earthquake, Qatar dispatched nine Qatar Amiri Air Force aircraft and 180 search-and-rescue personnel to conduct rescue and debris-removal operations. The relief operation also delivered medicines, food, tents and hygiene supplies, with HE the Minister of State for International Co-operation visiting Kabul as part of the response.
Such efforts demonstrate a broad Qatari humanitarian approach that combines immediate assistance with healthcare, education, energy, recovery and disaster-response capabilities, while working with international and regional organisations to reach affected populations in some of the world’s most challenging environments.