Geneva: Qatar participated in the 2026 Annual Pledging Conference of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva yesterday.
Deputy Permanent Representative of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva Jawhara bint Abdulaziz Al Suwaidi represented Qatar at the conference.
In her speech on behalf of Qatar during the conference, Al Suwaidi voiced Qatar’s deep appreciation for the great efforts made by H E Filippo Grandi during his leadership of the UNHCR over the past ten years, and for his outstanding contributions to strengthening the protection of refugees and coordinating international humanitarian work, expressing Qatar’s wishes for his success in his future duties.
She added that the UNHCR’s 2026 Global Appeal makes it clear that the refugee and displacement crisis facing our world today is still ongoing, with more than 136 million people needing assistance and protection by the end of 2026.
She indicated that Qatar is keen to consolidate its strategic partnership with the UNHCR.
She noted that the first high-level strategic dialogue between the two sides was held in May, which resulted in the signing of three agreements: the first to provide $8m to support the UNHCR budget for 2025-2026, the second to provide $3m to support the UNHCR health programme in Jordan to enable Syrian refugees to access health care, and the third to provide cash assistance to about 2,500 of the most vulnerable people in Yemen.
