Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has launched its annual Warm Winter Campaign for the year 2021-2022, with the theme of #HomeFeelsWarm.
Under Licence No. LC2021QRCR01-000544 by the Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA), the new campaign is aimed at meeting the food and winterisation needs of around 42,040 families (240,000 persons) in 14 countries.
In this respect, Ali bin Hassan Al Hammadi, Secretary-General of QRCS, said, “Home is the place where you find comfort, safety, and serenity. It feels warm when food, clothing, and everything else you need is readily available. For those going through the downs of life, they become exposed to calamities and lack the minimum requirements for a decent living. During the winter, in particular, their ordeals devour their physical and mental wellbeing”.
“Under the Warm Winter Campaign 2021-2022, QRCS will translate the generosity of benevolent donors into a feel-at-home state of mercy and dignity for those in need.
“They will be provided with shelter, protection from the cold winter, bread, food parcels, winterisation bags, blankets, heating fuel, tent tarpaulins, medications, and health kits.
“Help us to reach out to over 240,000 displaced and poor persons in 14 countries, giving them warmth and promoting compassion for the vulnerable,” he added.
Regarding the details of the campaign, Faisal Mohamed Al Emadi, Executive Director of Relief and International Development at QRCS, said, “The campaign seeks to deliver humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable people in 14 countries: Palestine (Gaza, Jerusalem, and the West Bank), Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, Albania, Kosovo, and Mongolia)”.
According to him, there are three categories of aid. Food parcels containing local food staples that last for one month (such as rice, white sugar, lentils, bulgur, vegetable oil, salt, tomato paste, tea, chickpeas, flour, spices, infant formula, dates, pasta, and beans). Also, there will be distribution of bread packages and food vouchers, which are aimed to save the displaced and poor families from the need to go out in the cold weather to bring food.
Nonfood items include heaters, heating oil and coal, blankets, carpets, tarpaulins, mattresses, flashlights, and winter clothes (coats for adults and children).
Health aid kits containing winter-related medications to protect the beneficiaries against cold-related illnesses and coronavirus infection.
“These projects will be implemented by our foreign representation missions and offices in the target countries, in coordination with the host national societies and local governments,” said Al Emadi.
“The standard procedures will be strictly observed in the procurement of relief items, under direct supervision of QRCS’s headquarters in Doha, thus ensuring maximum integrity, transparency, and compliance”.