Doha: August 30, 2021

HE Secretary-General of Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) Ambassador Ali bin Hassan Al Hammadi met with Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Adam Abdelmoula and his accompanying delegation to discuss the humanitarian situation in Somalia and means of promoting the cooperation to enhance the joint humanitarian work in the country.

During the meeting, the delegation gave an overview of the difficult living conditions in most of Somalia, where drought, flooding, and desertification displaced 2.9 million persons, now living at camps with hardly any basic services like education and health care. Almost half of the population, or 5.9 million persons, need humanitarian aid, 2.7 million need food, and 1 million children are at risk of famine and malnutrition.

Al Hammadi emphasized QRCSs keenness to improve the humanitarian conditions in Somalia, and Africa in general, capitalizing on its strong times with the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS). Together, they have already executed numerous humanitarian projects in many parts of the country.

For his part, Executive Director of Relief and International Development Division at QRCS Faisal Mohammed Al Emadi explained that QRCS is working on 18 projects in Somalia, with a total budget of over QR 19 million. These include health care, water and sanitation, food security, economic empowerment of the poor, agricultural production, and medical convoys.

The two sides agreed to arrange for a visit by QRCS Secretary-General to Somalia with the aims of strengthening the relations with SRCS, following up with QRCSs representation mission there, and setting the scene for resuming bilateral cooperation between QRCS and OCHA in Somalia and elsewhere.