More than 250,000 to get aid during QRCS’ Warm Winter campaign

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has launched the Warm Winter Campaign for the year 2019-2020, which seeks to provide winterisation aid worth QR18mn for more than 250,000 vulnerable beneficiaries.The initiative was announced yesterday at a press briefing addressed by QRCS officials Muhsen Abdullah al-Maliki, director of Communication; Dr Mohamed Salah Ibrahim, executive director of the Relief and International Development; and Yousef Mohamed al-Awadi, director of the Financial Resources Development.“For 14 consecutive years, QRCS has launched a winterisation camp every year to help the homeless and the displaced during the cold winter. There are millions of children, women, patients and old persons who suffer too much in the winter. QRCS is there for them, providing them with shelter, clothes, heating and food,” said al-Maliki.Thanks to benevolent donors in Qatar, “this year we plan to expand our winterisation aid projects, reaching out to more than 250,000 beneficiaries, whether they are expatriate workers in Qatar or victims of disasters, wars, storms and famine in eight countries - Palestine, Jordan, Yemen, Iraq, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sudan and Somalia”, he stressed.Dr Ibrahim said the Warm Winter Campaign is driven by QRCS’ humanitarian mission and the long-established Qatari culture of benevolence and giving.“This year, we look forward to implementing winterisation relief operations at a total cost of QR18mn for the benefit of more than  250,000 people,” he said. In Qatar, winterisation bags will be provided containing the basic needs of workers during the winter. These include gloves, hats, socks, scarves and blankets, and these will be distributed among 2,500 workers at worksites.Outside Qatar, food parcels will be provided in Palestine, Yemen, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia and Jordan (Syrian and Palestinian refugees). Each parcel will contain local food staples of the respective host countries and, for a five-member family, a parcel can last for a month. The total number of target beneficiaries exceeds 100,000.Also, other forms of aid will include shelter, nonfood items, heating and winter clothes for adults and kids. Among the items to be distributed are jackets, shoes, gloves, hats, socks, woollen scarves, blankets, mattresses, straw mats, carpets, umbrellas, gas heaters and heating oil.Around 150,000 people will benefit from these distributions, which will be executed by QRCS’ foreign missions in the host countries in co-ordination with the fellow national societies and international humanitarian agencies concerned.On his part, al-Awadi said: “We would like to thank the Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities for helping with all the administrative preparations for the launch. Thanks also go to the donors who contributed to the previous editions of the campaign. As usual, we expect to raise more funds to help our brothers and sisters, utilising the power of charity.”An Arabic-English brochure has been published for this purpose and it includes all the project details, host countries, number of beneficiaries, donation shares and means of donation. A webpage dedicated to the campaign has also been created on the QRCS website.In a press statement, QRCS has listed the ways in which people can donate to the campaign: call hotlines (16002-66644822); call for home visit (66666364); donate through QRCS agents at malls and shopping centres (such as Landmark, Villaggio, Hyatt Plaza, Ezdan Mall, Gulf Mall, Al Khor Mall and Al Meera hypermarkets); make remittances via Barwa Bank (IBAN: QA26BRWA000000000100000002005); send an SMS with “W” to donate as follows: 92216 (QR100), 92402 (QR150), 92552 (QR250), 92869 (QR350) and 92092 (QR500); or visit the QRCS headquarters (Old Salata) or the Al Khor branch.