6/17/2021
Qatar Charity Water Projects combat drought in Somalia
(A healthy land to rebuild better. Repairing ecosystems Land Healing) the theme of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, 17 June
This year, the United Nations and humanitarian organizations are working to restore land and turn degraded land into fertile land to create economic resilience and new job opportunities and achieve global food security.
5 years achievements
Qatar Charity is one of the most important international organizations working to combat drought and desertification in several world regions. It varied between drilling and equipping surface and deep wells, establishing and equipping water purification plants, in addition to constructing sewage facilities, equipping its networks, and maintaining and rehabilitating water and sanitation facilities.
The number of water and sanitation projects implemented by Qatar Charity in several countries from 2016 to 2021 has reached more than 56 thousand projects at the cost of more than 435 million Qatari riyals, and more than 17 million people have benefited from these projects around the world.
The water projects implemented in 2021 alone exceeded 10,000 projects, benefiting more than 6 million people, at a total cost of nearly 101 million Qatari riyals.
Case Study
Somalia is one of the countries suffering from severe drought and desertification. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA reported that an estimated 2.7 million Somalis would face severe food shortages in the coming months.
Water supply
Qatar Charity is keen to enable poor and drought-affected communities to obtain potable water sources in their areas of presence by digging surface and artesian wells and digging pond water.
In 2019, Qatar Charity signed a cooperation and partnership agreement with the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources in Mogadishu.
This agreement aims to achieve sustainable development in the energy and water sector. The areas of cooperation between the Ministry and Qatar Charity include drilling deep and shallow wells, digging water ponds, restoring deep wells, installing solar water pumps for drilled wells, in addition to training cadres in renewable energy and water technology.
Qatar Charity has also worked to activate its strategic partnerships through its office in Somalia with international organizations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Medical Corps, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Qatar Charity is also a member of the NGO Alliance in Somali.
The total cost of water projects in Somalia from drilling surface and artesian wells that Qatar Charity implemented in Somalia alone from 2016 to 2021 amounted to more than 31 million Qatari riyals. About 900 water projects have been implemented, benefiting more than 413,000 people.
In 2021, Qatar Charity drilled 16 shallow wells in Somalia and 32 deep wells with 200 meters.
Relief operations
Following the drought that struck Somalia in 2019, Qatar Charity provided several aids, including the distribution of basic foodstuffs, in addition to a campaign to water potable water and deliver it to remote places. The value of this aid was estimated at 6 million riyals, benefiting more than 119,000 people.
The total value of Qatar Charity's water projects and relief campaigns for those affected by drought and drought in 2019 amounted to about 11.5 million riyals, benefiting more than 550,000 people.