QFFD renews support for 96,000 Syrian refugees

The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) has provided multi-purpose cash assistance for some 96,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan for two months.

The contribution, totalling $2.6mn, will enable UNHCR to offer critical cash assistance to more than 13,500 Syrian refugees in Jordan and close to 82,400 in Lebanon to help them afford their most basic needs, such as food, shelter, and medication in October and November.

The assistance is the outcome of an agreement signed by QFFD, the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Director General at QFFD, Khalifa al-Kuwari, said: “QFFD spares no effort in responding to the ever-growing humanitarian needs around the world. The onset of winter makes our efforts more crucial to support those in urgent need of assistance. We are proud of our partnership with UNHCR and we believe it is critical that we continue to work together to ensure no one is left behind.”

UNHCR Senior Adviser and Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries Khaled Khalifa said: “This timely contribution is providing much-needed hope to the most vulnerable Syrian refugees, especially as winter has set in.

“We are grateful for the Qatar Fund for Development’s continued and unwavering support to UNHCR, and we look forward to further expanding our strong partnership to assist the forcibly displaced around the world.”

Qatar has a long history of addressing the needs of those affected by conflicts, especially those forced to flee their countries.

Qatar’s pivotal role in supporting UNHCR’s programmes has helped alleviate the suffering of those in most need, with total contributions from the Government of Qatar and Qatari organisations exceeding $373mn since 2010.

For over a decade, UNHCR has provided life-saving humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, helping the most vulnerable with a wide array of programmes, including multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA).

UNHCR’s MPCA is among the most cost-efficient and successful means of aid delivery since it directly supports the local economy while also granting refugees the freedom and dignity to make their own financial decisions.

Cash assistance is particularly important to refugees during the winter months when expenditures tend to rise as families try to remain warm.