Qatar pledges $20 mn for humanitarian programme to help African countries

What the world is facing today demands urgent need for continued support for food-insecure people, says FM

QATAR has announced $20 million contributions in support of a humanitarian programme “Grain from Ukraine”, which aims at helping African countries to get Ukrainian grain exports.

This came in a speech delivered via video conference by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani before a ceremony to launch the programme in Ukrainian capital city of Kiev.

At the beginning of the speech, the FM conveyed the greetings of His Highness the Amir of State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, coupled with his best wishes that the ceremony and the programme would be a success. The FM expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky for the kind invitation.

The FM said Qatar welcomed programmes and projects that will enhance and improve food security and develop sustainable solutions to enhance countries’ resilience.

He welcomed in this regard Ukraine’s initiative to launch the humanitarian program “Grain from Ukraine” to help African countries obtain Ukrainian grain exports.

Sheikh Mohammed affirmed Qatar’s commitment as a reliable international partner to support collective initiatives and multilateral international action, in order to ensure an effective Qatari contribution alongside international partners in addressing challenges that represent a collective threat to humanity, and is a test for all in achieving the aspirations of the peoples.

The FM noted that the current challenges in the world underscore the urgent need to enhance interdependence and integration between countries, pointing out that those who are marginalised and the most vulnerable groups in various societies bear the most severe consequences of these challenges.

We welcome Ukraine's initiative to launch the 'Grain from Ukraine' humanitarian programme as an initiative to help African countries obtain Ukrainian food exports. We are pleased to announce Qatar's contribution to the programme with an amount of $20 million.”

— HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani

THE FM added that the mounting challenges facing global food security and the stability of energy supplies to millions of people around the world as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the risks related to malnutrition and famine due to the disruption of production and supply chains, require unprecedented international attention, continuous cooperation and a clear order of priorities, foremost of which is the humanitarian aspect.

He said Qatar has called since the beginning of the war in Ukraine for a speedy peaceful solution, noting that it welcomed the Black Sea initiative to transport grain, out of Qatar’s consistent policy of cooperation and partnership with the international community, and within the framework of its continuous efforts to promote international peace and security.

He said that Qatar has always been one of the first countries to respond to global crises, including the food security crisis, as it was keen to redouble its efforts to respond to this crisis within a coordination framework and in cooperation with partners in the international community. His Excellency pointed out in this context that it launched an initiative to establish the Global Dryland Alliance, which aims to achieve food security in countries suffering from drought, and Qatar Fund for Development responded to emergency humanitarian needs in the Horn of Africa by pledging $12 million to help rural communities achieve food security and build resilience, and the Fund made a total financial contribution of $90 million to the World Food Program to meet the critical food security needs in Yemen. Moreover, Qatar contributed $5 million to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health to provide ambulances and other medical equipment.