DOHA: Foreign aid contribution by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) increased by 33 percent in 2017 compared to 2016.

“In 2016, contributions from Qatar Fund for Development reached $507m, while in 2017 this increased by 33 percent to $674m,” said a tweet recently posted by the Government Communication Office.

On the eve of World Humanitarian Day on August 19, the GCO shared a number of posts regarding Qatar’s foreign aid programmes. “Qatar’s extensive foreign aid programmes are increasing in scope and reaching across the world,” it added.

One post also carried a statement of Khalifa bin Jassim Al Kuwari, Director General of Qatar Fund for Development, in which he said: “Qatar Fund for Development’s mission is influenced by Qatar’s steadfast commitment towards spreading hope, and promoting peace and justice through sustainable and inclusive development.”

Another tweet highlights the achievements made so far by Qatar Creating Vision, an initiative funded by the Qatar Fund for Development.

“It has been great to see the progress and achievements made by Qatar Creating Vision. Qatar Fund for Development’s investment has allowed more millions of children in India and Bangladesh to be screened for eyesight health, and millions more will be,” it said.

The tweet reveals that the Qatar Fund for Development launched Qatar Creating Vision in October 2015 on the eve of World Sight Day for which the QFFD pledged $8m to put Qatar Creating Vision into action.

The infograhics with the tweet further say that Qatar Creating Vision is a project to fight blindness and eye illnesses in developing countries such as Bangladesh. “Together the partners will deliver over 5.6 million eye tests and treatments and Qatar Creating Vision will train 6700 medical professionals.”

It is pertinent to mention here that the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) had announced in November 2017 that their eye health initiative – Qatar Creating Vision – being implemented by international eye-care charity Orbis had provided almost 2.4 million eye tests to children in India and Bangladesh.

The announcement had been made by Khalifa bin Jassim Al Kuwari, Director-General of Qatar Fund for Development, in the presence of Her Royal Highness, Sophie, The Countess of Wessex, following her visit to Bangladesh to explore first-hand sight saving work supported by Qatar.

Among numerous initiatives launched in last many years, in April this year the Qatar Fund for Development signed a $3m agreement with the World Food Program (WFP) to help displaced people in Iraq. The agreement had been signed on the sidelines of the Aid and Trade Conference held in London.

At the same event, QFFD had also signed a $2m agreement with the United Nations (UN) Humanitarian Coordinator to support emergency relief efforts for some of Afghanistan’s most needy communities.

Share this post