QRCS provides vital winterisation aid for displaced families

The Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is implementing its Warm Winter campaign 2023-2024, under the theme 'Humanity First: Hope for Warmth', which involves a wide range of winterisation projects and aid for the benefit of more than 230,000 internally displaced people (IDPs), refugees and poor people in 13 countries – Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Sudan, Niger, Lebanon, Jordan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kosovo.
These operations, according to an official QRCS statement, are carried out by QRCS’s foreign representation offices/missions under the supervision of the headquarters in Doha, and in co-ordination with the national societies and local partners in the host countries.
This year’s campaign has a higher fundraising target than the past years (QR15mn), given the increasing needs and suffering of millions of people affected by disasters and conflicts.
They face the harsh winter with the least available means of living, hardly enough to protect against low temperatures.
The victims of the ongoing humanitarian crises remain homeless, with no food, shelter or heating.
This is detrimental to the health and lives of thousands of vulnerable people, especially children, patients and older persons.
“When it comes to climate change, nobody is safe,” said Dr Mohamed Salah Ibrahim, the director of the QRCS’s Relief and International Development Division. “The biggest impact is always on poor and displaced people, who suffer even more from the extremely low temperature during the winter, when it is difficult to get the clothing, food, and heating they need to survive the bitter cold.”
“Realising their critical situation, we have launched our annual Warm Winter campaign,” he said. “With the donations of the benevolent people of Qatar, we will be able to give vulnerable people hope, satisfaction, warmth and better living conditions.”
Currently, several winterisation aid projects are in progress. They are:
* Gaza: As part of the Qatari humanitarian airlift for the war-affected people of Gaza, mostly displaced to other parts of the blockade to escape the bombing, while the winter is looming, the QRCS was actively engaged in these efforts, by providing shelter items to support homeless people in the face of cold weather.
With funding from the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), the QRCS’s office in Gaza provided blankets, winter clothes, firewood, self-heating meals, food parcels and other forms of aid that would hopefully alleviate their suffering.
* The West Bank: The materials were purchased and are being supplied to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS)’s warehouses in Jenin. A total of QR313,818 winter parcels (each containing two blankets, two mattresses, two pillows, one rug, one lamp, and two hot water bags) will be distributed to 490 families or 2,940 people.
* Afghanistan: The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) distributed 7,750 blankets to 1,550 displaced families (five blankets each), or 10,850 people whose homes were damaged by the Herat earthquake in October. The $100,000 distributions took place in Zinda Jan, Rabat Sanji, Sar-e Biland, and the outskirts of Herat City.
* Jordan: In co-operation with Jordan National Red Crescent Society (JNRCS), heating fuel vouchers worth QR182,244 were purchased and delivered, and the lists of beneficiaries are under inspection, including 640 families, or 3,200 Syrian refugees and poor Jordanians across the country.
* Tajikistan: Under a co-operation agreement with the Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan, 80 winter bags (each containing one hat, one jacket, one pair of trousers, and one pair of shoes), 80 electric heaters, and 140 blankets, will be distributed to 620 beneficiaries, at a cost of QR80,190.
* Kosovo: A tender was completed to purchase winter jackets for men, women, and children at a cost of QR80,190. There are arrangements with the Red Cross Society of Kosovo to begin distributing the winter clothes to 579 poor and low-income people.
* Lebanon: A supplier was contracted to procure heating oil worth QR182,500, for 360 families, or 1,800 Syrian refugees and locals in Arsal, Baalbek-Hermel, to receive $100 heating oil vouchers, amid high prices of fuel in the country.
* Syria: The QRCS’s office in Turkiye and Shafak Organisation work together to provide e-coupons worth QR1,450,000, for the benefit of 1,800 families, or 9,000 people, in and outside camps of Aleppo and Idlib, as follows – 600 e-vouchers for heating oil/firewood, 600 e-vouchers for winter clothes and 600 e-vouchers for carpets and blankets.
* Bangladesh: In Dhaka, the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) is preparing to distribute winter blankets to 2,640 poor beneficiaries, at a cost of QR182,316.
* Iraqi Kurdistan: A total of 592 heaters and 594 blankets will be distributed to 592 families, or 4,445 refugees, IDPs and locals in Erbil, at a cost of QR1,822,556.
* Yemen: The QRCS’s office in Yemen is pursuing the procedures of purchasing winterisation kits for the benefit of 6,000 IDPs, orphans, and poor families in the governorates of Taiz, Sana’a, Ma’rib, Ibb, and Dhale, at a cost of $274,466. The project involves distributing winter clothing vouchers (sweaters, jackets, trousers, socks, and wool scarves) and winter bags (each containing two blankets and two mattresses) to 3,300 children and 2,700 families, or 8,700 people respectively at a cost of QR1,100,474.
To help improve the living conditions of the target beneficiaries, the QRCS has invited the benevolent people of Qatar to donate via the website (www.qrcs.qa), donor service (66666364) or home donation collection service (33998898), or bank transfer: Masraf Al Rayan (IBAN: QA18MAFR000000000011199980003), QNB (IBAN: QA21QNBA000000000850020196062), QIB (IBAN: QA51QISB000000000110575190014), or QIIB (IBAN: QA66QIIB000000001111126666003).