Geneva: The State of Qatar emphasised that, over the past several years, it has strengthened its position as a strategic partner of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) through its continued support for humanitarian responses to emergencies worldwide.
This support has helped bolster UNHCR-led programmes across numerous fields, enabling more than 9.5 million refugees, forcibly displaced people, and members of host communities around the world to access essential assistance, services, and protection.
This was highlighted in remarks delivered by Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva Abdulaziz Mohammed Al Mansouri, during the general debate at the 77th session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), convened in Geneva.
The State of Qatar is grateful for the efforts led by UNHCR under the leadership of High Commissioner for Refugees H E Dr. Barham Salih to coordinate international efforts to protect refugees and build a better future for them, Al Mansouri said.
Al Mansouri vigorously condemned attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people or alter the geographic and demographic character of the occupied Palestinian territory. He called on the international community to compel Israel to halt its settlement and expansionist plans.
UNRWA must be supported, and a just solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees must be found in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions, he stressed.
Marking the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, Al Mansouri eloquently underscored the importance of strengthening international protection for refugees and upholding international law.
The State of Qatar has supported the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees and hopes that the 2027 Global Refugee Forum will provide an opportunity to renew commitments and expand partnerships, Al Mansouri pointed out.
Al Mansouri clarified that from 2012 through June 2026, the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) provided more than USD 544 million in aid to refugees and host countries, with funding distributed across multiple sectors, particularly education, health, relief, and economic growth,
The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation has recently renewed its cooperation with UNHCR to help 200,000 refugee children who are out of school gain access to education by 2028, he recalled. — QNA
