Qatar Charity
Once known as Qatar Charitable Society, Qatar Charity is a humanitarian and development non-governmental organization in the Middle East. It was founded in 1992 in response to the thousands of children who were made orphans by the Afghanistan war and while orphans still remain a priority cause in the organization's work with more than 150,000 sponsored orphans, it has now expanded its fields of action to include six humanitarian fields and seven development fields.
Between 2012 and 2017, Qatar Charity has spent over US$1.3 Billion on humanitarian and development operations and projects which provided relief and assistance to more than 178 million people in over 50 countries. These projects are carried out either directly by Qatar Charity through its 24 subsidiary offices around the world or through partnerships with international or local NGOs or IGOs.
In some of the world's most conflict-affected countries such as Yemen and Syria, Qatar Charity ranked among the top contributors to humanitarian activities according to the OCHA-monitored Financial Tracking Service.
Management
, Qatar Charity is headed by its president, Hamad bin Nasser al-Thani, and its CEO, Yousef bin Ahmed al-Kuwari.Major projects
Among QC's major long-term projects are "Tayf," a charity program to collect in-kind donations, and the annual "Iftar" project for the month of Ramadan, which aims to provide meals to thousands of fasting Muslims in targeted countries. In July 2015, Vodafone Qatar and Qatar Charity created a partnership. Employees of Vodafone helped feed workers at camps in the Ras Laffan Industrial City with Iftar meals during Ramadan. Vodafone promised to donate $275 per hour that each employee volunteers. The donations will go to Qatar Charity's Family Sponsorship program. The program helps low-income families throughout the Gulf area. Recently, Qatar Charity has also launched a website to attract participation in charitable work.Qatar Charity is at the forefront of relief work in the face of major natural disasters. This was the case in Nepal, where Qatar Charity distributed $100.000 in food, blankets, mattresses and other non-food items including hygiene kits. In Sierra Leone, the charity supported the purchase of vital equipment at an Ebola Treatment Center in Lunsar. It also played a part in the 2008–2009 Gaza Strip aid delivering around $140,000 worth of medical supplies. In other international efforts, it had raised around QAR 2 million as relief for the 2010 Pakistan floods.
In Niger, Qatar Charity is supporting local efforts to combat drought and improve the overall desperate conditions in the villages of Sowna and Aichign by funding the installation of modern solar-powered artesian wells. In southern Mali, it opened shelters for displaced children. During 2014, Qatar Charity's long-standing commitment to the people of Somalia was renewed as the charity provided QAR 25.5 million in life-saving relief, recovery and rehabilitation programs and activities. QC launched a project to construct the village of 'Doha Alkhair' in Djibouti at an estimated cost of QAR 4 million in September 2015. One-hundred houses, basic amenities and public utilities were among the planned infrastructure.
QC recently sent relief convoys to refugees in South Sudan, and it is currently funding programs in support of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. As of October 2015, the organization has carried out four housing projects in Syria, during which it has repaired and built new villages. The most notable housing project is Al Rayyan, an under-construction village designed to accommodate 7,000 people. QC has also deployed around 400 pre-fabricated housing units in Syria.
Moreover, the charity actively promotes engagement, employment and enterprise development for young people in the Arab world. One of the latest such efforts includes the renovation project of Al-Quds University at a cost of QAR 4.5 million.
Partnerships and collaborations with UN agencies
1. OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs2011: MoU to establish a stand-by roster of specialized personnel and a team of technical specialists to field offices managed by OCHA
2017: MoU to allocate a $500,000 dollar grant to support activities by OCHA in Syria
2. UNHCHR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
2013: MoU to allocate a $2 million grant to the UNHCR emergency response in Rakhine State, Myanmar
2017: MoU for a $5 million joint funding to support UNHCR programs in promoting protection and assistance to refugees and others persons falling under UNHCR mandate
MoU to allocate a $500,000 grant from QC to the UNHCR emergency support to internally displaced people in Yemen
MoU for a $300,000 funding from QC to the UNHCR's temporary shelter for the newly displaced in Mosul
MoU for a $200,000 funding from QC to the UNHCR's life saving referral healthcare for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon
MoU for a $500,000 funding from QC to the UNHCR's provision of shelter support to the internally displaced persons in Myanmar
MoU for a $955,167 funding from QC to the UNHCR's provision emergency shelters for Iraqi displaced persons
MoU for a $2,000,000 funding from QC to the UNHCR's operating budget of 2 community centers for the provision of protection services and assistance, the operating budget of two primary healthcare clinics, and the provision of street lighting infrastructure in Aleppo, Syria.
2018 : MoU for a $9,630,000 grant from QC to the UNHCR for the reintegration and livelihood support to the refugees, the IDPs, returnees and hosting communities in Somalia
MoU for a $2,387,304 grant provided by Qatar Fund For Development to the UNHCR for disaster risk reduction in Bangladesh
MoU for a $6,440,951 grant provided by QC to the UNHCR for disaster risk reduction and response and emergency support with basic needs and essential services for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
3. UNRWA UNRWA
2013: Support to the UNRWA Health Programme in Gaza through $1 million funding
4. WFP United Nations World Food Program
2015: MoU: Qatar Charity pledges to facilitate the official authorization of initiatives led by local companies and branches of multinationals operating in Qatar that seek to support WFP's food assistance programmes in the Middle East and around the world, including cash contributions and fundraising and advocacy campaigns and events
2017: MoU: Support to the humanitarian project in Syria "Food, Nutrition and Livelihood assistance to the People affected by the Crisis in Syria" through a $2 million funding from the Halab Labbeh fundraising campaign
5. UNICEF United Nations Children's Emergency Fund
2013: MoU: Framework for cooperation between QC and UNICEF to strengthen humanitarian prevention and response
2017: MoU: Enhance cooperation at Syrian humanitarian crisis level through a $2 million from the Halab Labbeh fundraising campaign funding and implementing of humanitarian projects
6. WHO World Health Organization
2017: MoU: Enhance cooperation at Syrian humanitarian crisis level through a $2 million funding from the Halab Labbeh fundraising campaign for the implementation of humanitarian projects
Programs
Initiatives inside Qatar
One Heart
Local documentary produced by the Qatar Charity Society and represented his idea by a group of Qatari youth excellence in the areas of advocacy and media and Message Board and poetic adventures charity and entertainment filmed in the turkey to the definition of the difficult circumstances experienced by the population there.Tayef
Tayef is a map-based web application that helps donors to connect people in need in Qatar.Global innovative aid programs
Shop And Aid
Shop And Aid is a program that helps individuals to donate for Qatar Charity works by buying several products from the internet and the profit will go to Qatar Charity efforts.Dal ala alkheer
Dal ala alkheer is a program where individuals can share different cases over the internet from the organization website and then win points as a reward. the program aim is to help individuals to donate to the organization without spending any money The name of the program means "the one who tells about good" it was taken from a quote for prophet Muhmmed That say "God reward the one who tells others about good the same reward as the one who actually made it".Travel And Aid
Travel And Aid is a booking website for flights and hotels that help individuals and organization to book flights and hotels and donate to the organization with the broker fee for each booking.Cooperation with other charities
As one of the leading Gulf-origin nongovernmental organizations, Qatar Charity has made many partnerships with many of the lead charities in the world.Cooperation with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation against polio
In 2013 Qatar Charity signed an agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to raise funds in support of a six-year plan backed by the World Health Organization to eradicate polio globally.Cooperation with Vodafone
Qatar Charity signed a partnership agreement with Vodafone in August 2010 to create and implement charitable and socially beneficial initiatives.Awards and recognition
1997: Accredited in Special Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council ECOSOC2004: Observer membership at International Organization for Migration IOM
2008: Won Voluntary Award as "best organization" – Qatar
2009: Certificate of appreciation at Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition DIHAD – Dubai, UAE
2010: Certificate of Honor from Ajman Ruler – Ajman, UAE
2011: Won 3rd prize at Sheikh Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah International Award for Charitable Work – Kuwait
2012: Award of Pioneering Projects in the social work category from the GCC Council of Ministers of Social Affairs- Saudi Arabia
2013: Sicily International Prize – Italy
2014: Excellence Reward for Orphans' care in the GCC Countries by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility – Bahrein
2015: Won Sanabel Award for Community Responsibility in Orphan Care Institutions of the Gulf Cooperation Council for the category of Community Initiatives in the Field of Orphan Care at the GCC level- Bahrain
Best Smart Applications' award – Kuwait
2016: Won 1st prize at the Arab Gulf Programme for Development for its pioneering development projects in Saudi Arabia and for its project in Sudan: 'Promoting Voluntary Return and Peace Building in Darfur' – Switzerland
2 gold medals for the 'Safari Charity' Program produced by QC at Al Haytham Arab Media Awards instituted by the United Arab Media Council of Jordan
5 awards at the Bahrain Technical Innovation Conference in Bahrain
2017: Membership at Start Network – United Kingdom
Best Charitable Organization Arab Best Awards – Morocco
UK ISO27001 Security Certification – United Kingdom
2018 : Won "Change Maker Award" at Aid & Trade – London United Kingdom
2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 : Ranked in the top 10 NGOs for humanitarian work in Syria, Palestine and Somalia. The ranking was reported by the Financial Tracking Service managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
2018: Full membership in the Somalia NGO Consortium
2018: Best Charitable Organization Arab Best Awards
International standards compliance
Qatar Charity operates according to a set of internally developed standards but is also fully compliant with international codes of conduct and security.Qatar Charity is a signatory of the code of conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs for disaster relief. Qatar Charity also uses the Sphere Project Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response and ensures their implementation in its operations.
Lastly, Qatar Charity has implemented quality standards that enabled it to obtain ISO / IEC 27001, a certification from the Bureau Veritas Certification Holding SAS, which is specialized in audit and international certification services.
Nectar Trust (ex-Qatar Charity UK)
The Nectar Trust was founded in March 2012, and was known as the Qatar Charity UK until October 2017. The Nectar Trust is the British subsidiary of the Qatar Charity, from which it received more than £28 million in 2016/17.Saleh Mohammed Fahad Gharrab Al-Marri, born in January 1952, is a Qatari national and director and trustee of the Nectar Trust since February 2018. Al-Marri is also the adviser of the executive chairman of the Qatar Charity main organisation.
The Emaan Trust of Sheffield lists Aiman Mohammed Ebrahim Saeed as a person with significant control. Saeed was given a suspended 18-month jail sentence and ordered to pay £300 compensation each to seven victims whose stolen phones were found in his possession.
The Nectar Trust has also donated over £1.5 million over 2015/16 to the Human Relief Foundation, which was banned by Israel due to its support for Hamas.
The Nectar Trust continues to support Muslim Brotherhood groups in Europe, notably UCOII and Fonds de Dotation Passerelles, a regional French Islamic organisation. British media revealed that the Qatari official who ran the British arm of Qatar Charity also founded an anti-Semitic website.
It is worth noting that Qatar Charity has always been cleared from any accusations of support to terrorism by the United Nations
According to Foreign Policy, Osama Bin Laden named the organization “one of several charities that were used to fund al Qaeda’s overseas operations”.
On February 11, 2015, Sudan Tribune reported controversial statements by Yahia Sadam, an official of the Minni Minnawi Sudanese liberation movement who accused Qatar of endorsing the genocide perpetrated by Sudanese militiamen in Darfur by funneling money though the Sudanese branch of Qatar Charity, active in Darfur since 2010. Sadam claimed that Qatar Charity, which had purportedly signed a cooperation agreement with the Sudanese troops, was "building housing complexes in remote and isolated areas to harbor and train extremist groups." Those camps are believed to be hosting ISIS fighters, a concern voiced by attendees from the intelligence community at a March 2015 event at the United States Institute for Peace.
Cables leaked through WikiLeaks show that Qatar Charity was an organization of concern to the U.S. Government for “its suspect activities abroad and reported links with extremists” and its “intent and willingness to provide financial support to terrorist organizations willing to attack US persons or interests.” These cables were created in 2009, years before Al-Kuwari became CEO of Qatar Charity but controversies surrounding Qatar Charity have persisted under Al-Kuwari's leadership. While Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other countries in the region designated Qatar Charity as a terrorist organization along with a dozen organizations in the aftermath of the blockade imposed on Qatar in June 2017, the United Nations continues to work with Qatar Charity. It is worth noting that Qatar Charity had won numerous Saudi Arabian awards just months before the feud, among which the 1st prize at the Arab Gulf Programme for Development for its project in Sudan: 'Promoting Voluntary Return and Peace Building in Darfur'
In 2013, while Al-Kuwari was CEO of Qatar Charity, a Washington Institute for Near East Policy report emerged that Qatar Charity assistance had made its way to the Syrian Islamic Front, an umbrella group of powerful jihadist organizations operating in the Syrian Civil War. The Qatar Charity logo reportedly appeared in the video showing Syrian Islamic Front affiliates distributing the Qatar Charity-labelled aid. In 2013, Iranian news agency FARS reported that Qatar had wired $5 billion to Syrian rebel groups through Qatar Charity.
In May 2016, Hamad bin Nasser al-Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family, and Yusuf Ahmed Al-Kuwari traveled to Italy, where Qatar Charity reportedly donated 25 million euros over three years for the construction of mosques and Islamic centers. These donations led to questions over how religious instruction will be implemented in the religious centers.