QC Launches Early Winter Response Project in Northern Syria

Doha, October 29 (QNA) – Qatar Charity (QC), with funding from Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), has launched an early winter response project in northern Syria to deliver relief aid to internally displaced persons (IDPs), meet their basic needs and provide shelter assistance to them.

The project aims to mitigate the coming winter’s risks that are associated with extremely low temperatures, floods, rainfall and snow.

Under this project, the distribution process for the first consignment of aid has begun. The consignment targets seven camps of the IDPs most in need in northern Syria, aiming to replace damaged tents for nearly 33,000 IDPs living in the camps, in addition to distributing 6,600 bags containing warm clothes and 6,600 winterized NFI (non-food item) kits consisting of plastic sheeting for tents, ground insulation, blankets, mattresses and carpets.

This assistance is an integral package for the targeted families to help them survive this year’s harsh winter and give them life-saving warmth.

A second consignment is expected to be distributed soon, which is expected to include 600 tents and 1,600 bags containing winter clothes, as well as 1,600 winterized NFI kits.

QFFD, in conjunction with the ‘Warm Hearts’ campaign, emphasized the importance of preparedness to provide urgent humanitarian assistance and spread hope at the regional level.

“Supporting the Syrian people is a core priority for QFFD,” said Nouf Al Kaabi, director of QFFD’s Programs and Projects Department.

“Their suffering is elevated every year in the camps due to the extreme cold, floods, rain, and snow which all pose major challenges to their life and put a heavy burden on them.”
She added that the rapid early intervention, therefore, comes within the framework of adequate preparation for the winter season, with the aim of alleviating the suffering of the IDPs, especially in unsafe areas, which have difficult access to supply chains and the capabilities of the IDPs do not allow them to meet their basic needs.

Mishaal Al Hajri, the regional coordinator of QC’s Turkey office, thanked QFFD for generously donating to this important project, through the ‘Warm Hearts’ campaign, which seeks to deliver assistance to more than 1.2mn people, including refugees, IDPs and poor families across the world. He valued the continued strategic partnership between Qatar Charity and QFFD to serve humanitarian causes.

“We, through this project, aim to reduce the effects of the cold on the IDPs in the camps of northern Syria,” Al Hajri said.

He noted that the early aid comes as a proactive step to protect the IDPs from the winter risks in the coming months, which will see harsh cold, rain and snow. He also indicated that the provided aid reflects the bright aspect of Qatar’s people in terms of helping the needy and supporting the vulnerable. (QNA)