Unicef signs MoU with Qatar Charity

Al-Kuwari and Calivis signing the MoU.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and Qatar Charity (QC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide a framework for co-operation in humanitarian response to disasters and the betterment of lives of underprivileged children.

The MoU, signed by the Unicef regional director for the Middle East and North Africa Region Maria Calivis and the CEO of Qatar Charity Yousef bin Ahmed al-Kuwari, will be implemented within Unicef global plan framework aimed at strengthening humanitarian response and prevention, and development projects for the benefit of children and women in various fields.

   These include: Child survival and development, basic education, gender equality, HIV and children, prevention and response to incidents of violence, exploitation and abuse, and the development of policies and partnerships to support the rights of the children.

Calivis appreciated the important role played by Qatar, and particularly QC, in the fields of childhood and humanitarian relief through carrying out local and international initiatives that secure the rights of children all over the world and improve their chances of survival, development, and protection.

She also stressed the previous successful co-operation between QC and Unicef, especially the joint projects in Somalia, indicating that such experiences will be the basis for the work of the two institutions, focusing on those who urgently need aid at the areas of intervention within the framework of the agreement.

“This partnership is an example of the integration of the United Nations agencies and NGOs working in the field of humanitarian relief and development. We hope that this step will encourage other institutions in the Arabian Gulf region to strengthen their co-operation with us in the areas of mutual interest for the good of all, especially the underprivileged segments of the world,” said Calivis.

Under the agreement, Unicef and QC shall co-operate on different activities such as joint missions to the target countries.

Al-Kuwari stressed that the MoU lays the foundation for a new era of partnership and co-operation between QC and Unicef, where the humanitarian work and organisations active in this area face a lot of challenges.

These are mostly due to the global financial crisis, severe disasters and conflicts, the breakout of diseases and epidemics, and the fast spread of poverty.

“This MoU is part of our efforts to actively maintain our co-operation with regional and international humanitarian organisations. We have to combine our humanitarian efforts to meet present and future challenges to help the less fortunate and affected people anywhere in the world, and to meet their needs and protect their rights,” said al-Kuwari.