News

Qatar Charity Launches Urgent Response for Displaced Families in Gaza

Qatar Charity (QC) has called on benefactors to urgently support displaced families affected by the heavy rains that hit the Gaza Strip on Saturday during the first winter storm of the season. According to estimates from local authorities in Gaza, floodwaters inundated around 70,000 tents and affected approximately 350,000 displaced people. Through its Winter Heroes campaign, Qatar Charity urged donors to respond to the appeals of displaced families and help protect them from the harsh winter conditions. The severe weather has compounded the hardships facing families already living in extremely difficult circumstances. Qatar Charity said donations would help provide affected families with essential assistance, including food, shelter and protection from the cold. Qatar Charity also thanked donors for their generosity and wished them continued health and well-being. UN Warnings United Nations officials said almost the entire population of the Gaza Strip required assistance following the heavy rains. They described the situation as “extremely tragic,” warning that restrictions and the continuing blockade were further exacerbating humanitarian conditions. Relief agencies also warned that the situation could deteriorate further with the onset of the rainy season. How to Donate Donations to the Winter Heroes campaign can be made through Qatar Charity’s website and mobile application, at its branches and collection points across Qatar, or by calling the Donor Service Centre on 44290000.

09/11/2026

10 million Beneficiaries of Winter Relief Campaigns over Three Years
Over the past three winter seasons, generous donations have helped transform Qatar Charity’s winter relief campaigns into wide-ranging humanitarian interventions, with a total value of approximately QAR 315 million, reaching or targeting more than 10 million people. Most were internally displaced people, refugees, families affected by conflicts and disasters, and communities facing harsh climatic conditions. These interventions ranged from providing food, clothing, blankets and heating supplies to improving shelter and delivering water, healthcare, hygiene supplies and sanitation services. They helped protect the most vulnerable groups, particularly children, older people and those who are ill, while easing the financial pressures on families during the winter months. The achievements of these three seasons take on particular significance as Qatar Charity launches this year’s “Winter Heroes” campaign. The need to support families facing the cold in tents, displacement centers and inadequate housing is renewed, particularly in crisis-affected areas such as the Gaza Strip. Through their generosity, donors continue to create an impact that goes beyond immediate assistance to protect health and lives and uphold human dignity. In crisis-affected areas, winter represents “a crisis within a crisis”. According to UNICEF’s estimates for this year, more than 1.76 million people around 84% of the Gaza Strip’s population are living in overcrowded displacement sites or damaged, inadequate housing, leaving families with limited protection against the cold, heavy rainfall and flooding. Heavy rains on 7 November this year affected 350,000 displaced people in the Gaza Strip and flooded 70,000 tents. As the current winter season begins, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated in a report that 4.3 million people in 16 areas of Somalia are at risk of flooding associated with heavy rainfall expected between October and December 2026, with impacts potentially extending into 2027. 2023–2024: Significant Outcomes of the “One Heart” Campaign The 2023–2024 season, under the “One Heart” campaign, was one of Qatar Charity’s largest winter seasons in terms of the scale of its response. More than 7.5 million people benefited from their interventions, at a total cost of approximately QAR 188 million. The campaign reached 14 countries outside Qatar, in addition to projects implemented within the country. The interventions covered food, health, water and sanitation, shelter, non-food items, comprehensive relief and livelihoods, reflecting an integrated response to families’ needs during winter. The interventions also extended to other countries, including Jordan, Pakistan, Somalia, Kyrgyzstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Kosovo, Lebanon, Nepal and Albania. The campaign’s impact was not limited to communities abroad. Within Qatar, approximately 4,500 workers benefited from projects that included winter kits, food baskets, medical assistance and health awareness activities. 2024–2025: “How Long?”—Support Reaching 25 Countries For the 2024–2025 season, Qatar Charity launched the “How Long?” campaign, with a response covering 25 countries, including Qatar. At launch, the campaign’s estimated cost was approximately QAR 72 million, while the number of beneficiaries was around 1.4 million people. The campaign prioritized affected communities in Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan, Yemen and northern Syria, alongside communities facing severe cold spells. Its interventions included food, shelter, clothing, heating, healthcare, water and hygiene assistance. In the Gaza Strip, the interventions demonstrated how winter assistance can meet several needs at once. In southern Gaza during December 2024, Qatar Charity distributed approximately 6,000 food baskets, benefiting 30,000 people from displaced families, as well as more than 4,600 blankets and 18,000 complete winter clothing kits, including shoes for children and adults. Assistance also reached orphans and sponsored children in 16 countries through the “Rofaqa” initiative, alongside programmes within Qatar that provided workers with food, winter kits, medical check-ups and health awareness activities. 2025–2026: A Winter Campaign Supporting Displaced People Qatar Charity continued this approach during the 2025–2026 season, focusing its interventions on internally displaced people, refugees and families most in need. The campaign’s projects were valued at approximately QAR 55 million and benefited nearly 1.1 million people. The season’s interventions covered nine countries: Palestine, Jordan, Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Djibouti and Sudan. Emphasis was placed on displaced people in the Gaza Strip, who face acute shortages of adequate shelter, clothing, blankets, food and other necessities. The campaign continued to priorities families spending winter in difficult housing conditions, providing support to help them withstand the cold and reduce the associated health risks and pressures on their livelihoods. An Impact Beyond Numbers The experience accumulated over these three seasons shows that the impact of winter campaigns goes beyond the number of food parcels, blankets and other supplies distributed. Food helps safeguard the food security of families whose resources have been depleted by crisis. Blankets, clothing and heating supplies protect children and older people from the cold, while improved shelter gives families greater security. Healthcare, water and hygiene services help reduce the risks and diseases that worsen during displacement and winter. The nature of the projects implemented also reveals how winter assistance has evolved from the provision of specific seasonal aid into a multisectoral response grounded in the interconnected needs of families. A blanket is not enough if rainwater enters the tent; a heater cannot serve its purpose without fuel; and protection against the cold remains incomplete if a family lacks food, medicine or clean water. Donor support thus creates a chain of interconnected benefits: warmth that protects against the cold, food that eases hunger, shelter that provides safety, healthcare that protects lives, and assistance that preserves families’ dignity at their most difficult moments. “Winter Heroes”: An Opportunity to Sustain the Impact As the new winter season begins, Qatar Charity seeks, through its “Winter Heroes” campaign, to sustain this impact and reach internally displaced people, refugees and families most in need. Attention is given to areas where harsh winter conditions intersect with conflict, displacement, deprivation and inadequate shelter. The campaign aims to mobilize QAR 120 million in donor support to deliver humanitarian interventions for these vulnerable groups. Qatar Charity therefore calls on generous donors in Qatar to continue supporting the “Winter Heroes” campaign, in keeping with its mission to reach more of those most in need and extend a helping hand to ease the risks posed by winter, while sustaining the impact their generosity has made in previous seasons.
09/11/2026 More details  
Qatar Charity Builds 18 Mosques and Three Qur’an Centers in Côte d’Ivoire
Qatar Charity (QC) continues to support local communities in Côte d’Ivoire in 2026 through the construction of 18 mosques and three Qur’an education and memorization centers across several areas. Designed to accommodate around 1,800 worshippers and 150 male and female students, the facilities provide suitable spaces for prayer and learning while strengthening their educational and social role and ensuring lasting benefits for the communities they serve. The projects span five main areas in central Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan District, and surrounding areas. They comprise three mosques in Bouaké, in Gbêkê Region; eight in Anyama; three in Adzopé, in La Mé Region; three in Yopougon; and one mosque and three Qur’an memorization centers in Songon. Qatar Charity has so far completed 11 of the 18 mosques planned for this year. Construction continues on the remaining seven, which are expected to open before the end of 2026. All three Qur’an memorization centers have been completed. Meeting Local Needs The projects respond to needs in communities where some existing mosques were too small or had fallen into disrepair. Others relied on temporary structures that offered inadequate protection from the sun and rain. These needs have coincided with growing Muslim populations in several neighborhoods and villages, increasing demand for suitable places for prayer and for children to learn the Qur’an. Beyond their primary functions, the mosques and centers bring local people together, host Qur’an classes and other lessons, and provide children with a safer, more stable learning environment. Bab Al Rayyan Mosque Songon GMI, in Abidjan District, illustrates this transformation. Qatar Charity has built Bab Al Rayyan Mosque there, alongside three Qur’an memorization centers, to meet residents’ religious and educational needs. Mariko Karim, the beneficiary community’s principal representative, described conditions at the previous mosque: “Our old mosque was a shelter with a small, dilapidated roof. It could not accommodate all the worshippers, especially on Fridays, and many had to pray outside in the sun and rain. By the grace of Allah and with the support of generous donors, we now have a proper mosque where worshippers can gather and our children can attend lessons and memories the Qur’an.” A Better Learning Environment The Qur’an memorization centers have enabled children to move from spaces with limited facilities into classrooms better suited to learning. One Qur’an teacher benefiting from the project said: “We used to teach the children in a cramped space with no seats and no protection from the rain. Today, we have clean, well-equipped classrooms. More students have enrolled as a result, and their concentration and memorization have improved. We pray that Allah grants the donors the best of rewards.” Sustaining the Benefits Qatar Charity’s approach extends beyond construction and handover, with measures designed to keep the facilities serving their communities for years to come. These include handing each mosque over to local bodies and forming a committee responsible for its management, maintenance, and upkeep. An imam and Qur’an teachers are also appointed from the local community, helping sustain religious and educational activities while strengthening local participation in managing the facilities. Working with the centers’ management teams, Qatar Charity’s field-office staff monitor whether Qur’an classes are held regularly and assess students’ progress. They also conduct periodic field visits to check the buildings’ condition and identify any needs that could affect their continued use.
08/11/2026 More details  
Qatar Charity eye-care project benefits 1,000 people in Chad
Qatar Charity (QC) has delivered a specialist eye-care project for 1,000 people in Bokoro, in Chad’s Dababa Department, in partnership with the National Programme for the Prevention of Blindness. The project aimed to reduce avoidable blindness and improve patients’ quality of life. It responded to the healthcare needs of vulnerable communities for whom treatment costs and the distance to specialist facilities can prevent timely access to appropriate care. Without treatment, manageable eye conditions can lead to complications affecting patients’ ability to learn, work and carry out everyday activities. The initiative was funded by donations to the “27th Night Challenge”, held during Ramadan earlier this year to mobilize support for humanitarian and development projects, including health initiatives, in several countries. Comprehensive Eye Care The project provided examinations to diagnose eye conditions and determine the appropriate treatment for each patient. It also supplied prescription glasses to 300 people and medicines to 400 patients, while 300 surgical procedures were performed for cases requiring intervention. Depending on clinical assessment, the procedures included cataract removal, treatment for eligible glaucoma cases and correction of refractive errors. By combining examinations, glasses, medicines and surgery, the project provided care tailored to individual patients’ needs and helped reduce the risk of complications that could cause further deterioration in their sight. Supporting National Efforts Dr. Jibrine Dirdai, coordinator of the National Programme for the Prevention of Blindness, said: “This project provides important support for national efforts to combat blindness and improve eye-care services, particularly for people who face difficulties accessing treatment. It combines examinations, prescription glasses, medicines and surgical interventions according to patients’ needs.” He expressed hope that such initiatives would continue and expand to reach more areas and beneficiaries. Dr. Gilles Baikoto, director of Bokoro Hospital, said the project had enabled patients to access specialist services, including examinations, treatment, prescription glasses and surgery. He praised Qatar Charity’s support and its partnership with the National Programme for the Prevention of Blindness. Patients: Treatment Made a Difference Beneficiaries expressed their appreciation for the services provided through the project. Mr. Moussa Abakar, who underwent cataract surgery, said: “I needed treatment for cataracts that had affected my sight, and the project gave me the opportunity to receive the medical care I needed. I thank everyone who supported this work.” Mr. Ahmed Koudou, who received medicines, said: “The project helped me obtain the medicines I need to treat my eye condition. I thank Qatar Charity and the donors who helped provide treatment for patients in need.” Mr. Ousmane Daba, who received prescription glasses, said: “Getting glasses is an important step that helps me carry out my daily activities more easily. I thank everyone who contributed to this project.”
05/11/2026 More details  

Subscribe Now

Subscribe to receive Qatar Charity Newsletter