Latest news with #QNADamascus
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar continues its support for Syria's reconstructions
QNA Damascus The State of Qatar continues its support for the Syrian people through a wide range of humanitarian and development projects carried out by its official and charitable institutions across various Syrian governorates. The efforts aim to strengthen the partnership between the two countries and response to both urgent and long-term needs in vital sectors, amid the conditions that have followed years of crisis and the ongoing challenges facing reconstruction. Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, Qatar Charity (QC), Qatar Red Crescent (QRCS), and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) have been at the forefront of humanitarian action. They have swiftly provided emergency and long-term aid in close coordination with international and local humanitarian organizations, and official institutions. Their interventions span sectors such as health, shelter, education, food security, infrastructure, and economic empowerment projects. Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Director of Qatar Charity's office in Turkiye and Syria Karam Ali said that since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the QC has implemented more than 4,800 projects, with a total cost of around QR750 million. These projects, he said, have focused on health, shelter, food security, and education. He noted that the immediate response to the February earthquake amounted to around QR 70 million, providing emergency shelters such as tents and prefabricated homes, along with food baskets and other essential supplies. Ali explained that Qatar Charity used various mechanisms, either directly or through partners in Turkiye and Syria, in line with UN Security Council resolutions on cross-border humanitarian operations, as Northern Syria has been a primary focus of these efforts. Among QC's key achievements in the region is the establishment of 'City of Hope', which houses 1,400 families and includes schools, health centers, a kindergarten, a market, and integrated service facilities. More than 2,000 homes have been built, either individually or as part of residential communities, he added. As part of its Ramadan campaign, Qatar Charity hosted the 27th Night last year to rebuild 1,500 homes, he said, pointing out that work has already begun on 600 of these homes in Syria's Al-Ghab Plain and Maarrat Al-Nu'man, with preparations underway to complete the remaining houses in northern rural Aleppo. Karam Ali noted that Qatar Charity manages Bab al-Hawa Hospital and implements economic empowerment projects targeting poor families and orphan mothers through training and support for small businesses. He underlined that Qatar Charity has started new projects in coordination with Syria's Ministries of Health and Education, printing schoolbooks for grades one through nine, renovating schools, and providing medicines and medical supplies. Plans are also under way to establish solar power stations and maintain water and sewage facilities, he added. Ali also explained that food security programmes remain a priority, focusing on supporting the wheat value chain and livestock, in addition to sponsoring and operating 12 health centers and supplying the ambulance system with 18 vehicles. He emphasized that project selection and implementation are carried out in coordination with the Syrian government, local authorities, and humanitarian organizations to ensure aid reaches the most vulnerable people and areas. Head of QRCS's representation mission in Syria and Turkiye Mazen Abdullah Salloum told QNA that since 2012, the mission has provided a comprehensive response to the Syrian crisis across eight vital sectors, benefiting over 13 million people with total expenditures exceeding $160 million. Salloum said that QRCS was the first humanitarian organisation to deliver relief aid across the border into Syria following the devastating earthquake, in coordination with Qatar Fund for Development, as aid was distributed both in Syria and Turkiye. Qatar Red Crescent also deployed medical convoys that performed more than 300 specialized surgeries and operated four mobile clinics serving displaced persons. Additionally, the Qatar Red Crescent established 15 residential villages in northern Syria comprising approximately 3,500 apartments benefiting over 60,000 people, alongside repairing hundreds of damaged homes, he added. Plans are under way for additional restoration projects and the construction of new villages, aligned with government reconstruction efforts, he noted. Salloum emphasized that Qatar Red Crescent balances urgent relief with sustainable projects, including providing medicines and medical supplies, establishing cardiac catheterization units and dialysis centers, supporting hospitals, building bakeries, and rehabilitating irrigation stations all supported by the Qatar Fund for Development. He expressed confidence that the State of Qatar will remain a key humanitarian partner for Syria and plans to expand work to more Syrian governorates as stability returns. For his part, President of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Dr Mohammed Hazem Baqleh told QNA that cooperation with Qatar Red Crescent has notably developed since Dec. 8 last year, including support for poor families with food baskets, conducting heart surgeries for children, and seasonal projects such as sacrificial offerings during Eid al-Adha and Ramadan support. Baqleh noted that QRCS was active in emergency situations in southern Syria, supporting shelters with food baskets, adding that projects related to infrastructure and sustainable development are currently being prepared through joint meetings, paving the way for a memorandum of understanding covering most Syrian governorates. Cooperation between the two sides also extends to digital technology in humanitarian work, following the Syrian Arab Red Crescent's participation in a related conference in Qatar, Baqleh said, stressing that the next phase will see more partnerships and projects serving various Syrian regions. In this context, Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Hind Kabawat expressed Syria's pride in its relationship with the State of Qatar, praising the humanitarian, moral, and material support Qatar provides to the Syrian people. She noted full coordination between the ministry and Qatari institutions to identify priorities and needs, with continuous exchange of expertise and reports. Cooperation programs, she said, cover social protection, education, youth support, and small projects aimed at shifting from aid dependency to economic empowerment, along with vocational training projects and consultations on developing labor and protection laws. This firm and principled Qatari commitment to the Syrian people emphasises the State of Qatar's humanitarian and developmental role, moving from immediate relief to building resilience through sustainable projects, including residential villages, hospitals, agricultural and water resource support, and economic empowerment for families. These efforts also reflect Qatari institutions' readiness to continue working in coordination with the Syrian government and local and international partners to meet the growing needs of the post-crisis phase, enhancing humanitarian security and opening pathways for the recovery in Syria.
Qatar Tribune
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
In Implementation of HH the Amir's directives, search and rescue arrives in Syria for urgent humanitarian assistance
QNA Damascus In implementation of the directives of His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, a team from the Qatar Internationalآ Search and Rescue Group of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) arrived at Aleppo International Airport, representing the Standing Committee for Rescue, Relief and Humanitarian Assistance in sisterly and friendly countries. The step comes in the framework of the team's participation in firefighting operations in areas of the Latakia countryside on the Syrian coast, in addition to providing urgent humanitarian aid to help mitigate the effects and repercussions of these fires. The initiative embodies the State of Qatar's commitment to supporting the brothers in the Arab Republic of Syria, and supporting them during times of emergency and disasters through immediate response to urgent humanitarian needs.
Qatar Tribune
03-06-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Lifting sanctions important step to attract investment to Syria: Al Kar
QNA Damascus Chairman of the Aleppo Chamber of Commerce Mohammad Said Sheikh Al Kar said that the US administration's decision to lift sanctions on Syria is a positive and important step economically, attracting domestic and foreign investment into the country, despite ongoing challenges and uncertainties. Al Kar said that comprehensive economic recovery in Syria still requires deep reforms, infrastructure rehabilitation, and activating regional partnerships, especially in the fields of energy, transportation, and banking. He pointed out that US sanctions imposed over the past decades directly and indirectly targeted the Syrian people and exhausted key economic sectors including industry, agriculture, trade, and services. The chairman of the Aleppo Chamber of Commerce highlighted Syria's substantial economic potential and the diversity of its economy, possessing a strong industrial sector and strategic crops and raw materials, such as cotton, wheat, and olive trees. He also noted Syria's rich commercial heritage and its exceptional geographic location linking three continents, serving as Asia's gateway to the Mediterranean. Moreover, Syria's cultural, religious, and natural heritage makes tourism a promising sector for supporting the national economy. Despite his optimism regarding the lifting of sanctions, Al Kar acknowledged that major challenges persist, especially securing energy resources. He said the legacy of the previous regime left behind a devastated infrastructure, particularly in the electricity sector, where power stations require comprehensive maintenance and transmission lines need full rehabilitation. He pointed out that Aleppo Industrial City - Sheikh Najjar includes around 2,000 factories, with more than 400 of them having resumed operations. These facilities are in urgent need of electricity to restart production lines, adding that the economy will not pick up the pace unless this fundamental issue is addressed. Regarding the sectors most ready to benefit from the lifting of sanctions, Al Kar explained that all sectors were severely affected by the war and accumulated sanctions, thus requiring reinvestment and restructuring. In agriculture, he called for interest-free loans for farmers and the cancellation of accumulated debts through the Agricultural Cooperative Bank to help them resume production. In the transport sector, he emphasized the need to rehabilitate roads, build highways, and develop port and dry port infrastructure. On the telecommunications front, the Chairman of the Aleppo Chamber of Commerce stressed the importance of integrating Syria's telecommunication network with global systems to provide suitable internet speeds that can support maritime, air transport, and logistics services. He also noted that the energy sector is still in its early stages and needs to be rebuilt from the ground up, including infrastructure, resources, and project financing. Regarding Syria's foreign investment legal framework, Al Kar said that the government is working to create favorable conditions to attract capital. He added the Ministry of Economy has established direct communication channels with economic stakeholders to amend any law or decree that hinders commercial or industrial activity. Al Kar also pointed to a newly issued decision that exempts new investments from taxation for two years, demonstrating flexibility and official responsiveness to investor needs. He said relevant authorities are keeping pace with necessary development plans to attract both Arab and foreign investments. In response to a question about the role of Gulf banks in the coming phase, Al Kar praised the states of the Arabian Gulf, particularly Qatar, for standing by the Syrian people over the past years and providing vital support throughout different period. He added that their deep understanding of the Syrian market and their trust in the Syrian citizen as an economic actor, will strongly motivate them to return to the Syrian market once the SWIFT system is reactivated. In conclusion, Al Kar predicted that Gulf banks will play a pivotal role in financing investment projects, particularly in production and the service sector, adding that the lifting of sanctions presents a valuable opportunity for a new start for the Syrian economy, yet recognizing that this momentum will not be realized without international and regional support, along with strategic investments to rebuild essential sectors.
