The ‘Qatar FIFA 2022 for All: Celebrating Football with Refugees and Displaced people’ initiative has kicked off, in conjunction with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The initiative aims to share the joy of the world cup with refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in camps and allow them to watch the world cup matches and events by setting up fan zones in several countries.

Qatar Charity supervises the fan zones in the camps of six countries, which are Jordan, Syria, Sudan, Kenya, Bangladesh, and Somalia.

The fan zones aim to alleviate the suffering of the refugees and IDPs, give them hope for a better life, restore normalcy to their lives, contribute to building positive relations between refugees and their host communities, and enhance social cohesion through entertainment and cultural programs.

A Variety of Activities

The fan zones will have live broadcasts of the world cup matches daily and will hold sports and entertainment activities for children and youth, in addition to distributing sportswear, footballs, and meals to the refugees and DPs, encouraging the families to attend the event, and holding two singing concerts and virtual tournaments.

“This initiative aims to share the joy of the Qatar World Cup 2022 with the IDPs, refugees, and vulnerable communities, and highlight their issues and conditions, based on our belief that sport is the right of everyone, and its role in the peace and development of all communities,” said Mr. Nawaf Abdullah Al Hammadi, CEO's Assistant for International Operations and Programs at Qatar Charity. He also emphasized the importance of sport as more than just a recreational activity for the IDPs and refugees, noting its ability to provide an opportunity for integration, protection, development, growth, and psychological support.

In addition to Qatar Charity, the initiative is participated in by many bodies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Qatar Fund for Development, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), and beINSPORTS.