Doha, December 06 (QNA) - During the session titled "Economic Inequality and Inclusion, Humanitarian Access and Crisis Response" held as part of the Doha Forum 2025, running on Dec. 6 and 7, national and international organization officials discussed the extent to which alternative actors can fill the gap caused by declining aid from traditional, especially Western, donors to vulnerable groups and fragile states, noting that shifting domestic priorities, geopolitical tensions, and donor fatigue are shrinking funding sources.

The session also explored how future aid might be reshaped and the possibility of emerging new models for supporting fragile states that are more sustainable, effective, and resilient.

In this context, HE President of the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), Yousef bin Ali Al Khater affirmed that amid escalating global humanitarian challenges, humanitarian work faced a severe funding crisis in 2024, where global needs reached around $94 billion, while available funding did not exceeded $25 billion, less than 50 percent of the minimum requirements for implementing relief and development programs.

His Excellency said that over the past years, the QRCS has adopted an approach centered on diversifying funding sources through cooperation with government entities such as the Qatar Fund For Development, as well as individuals, the private sector, and international funding organizations, which has enabled the QRCS to maintain its pace of work despite growing challenges.

He noted that thanks to this approach, the QRCS was able in 2024 to implement 166 projects worth more than QR 233 million, benefiting over 6 million people in 26 countries.

HE the President of the QRCS stressed that these results reflect a strategy based on growing internal and regional capacity and partnerships extending to multiple international and UN organizations.

He said that the QRCS operates under an updated strategy supported by Qatar's diplomacy and international presence, with the strategy focusing on two main tracks: the first being shifting from emergency response to strengthening resilience and sustainable development, through expanding food security and livelihood programs.

Last year, the QRCS implemented 48 projects in this area, benefiting about one million people in 22 countries, in addition to launching development projects in several countries, most recently in Guyana to improve water and sanitation services, His Excellency added.

HE the President of the QRCS said that the 2nd track involves strengthening local partnerships and improving governance efficiency, by expanding cooperation with local associations, regional and international organizations, and developing impact-tracking and donation-evaluation systems to enhance transparency and support rapid response and intervention assessment.

His Excellency spoke about the QRCS's commitment to maintaining strategic flexibility to keep pace with evolving and increasingly complex crises, pointing out that the widening funding gap requires innovative solutions and broader partnerships to ensure the sustainability of the QRCS's role in supporting the most vulnerable communities worldwide.

For her part, Director of Financing and Partnerships Division at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Lisa Doughten said that there is an acute shortage in the funding of global relief and humanitarian operations, adding that so far, only 23 percent of needs appealed for have been met.

The situation is becoming increasingly grave, as cuts in aid destabilize fragile states and exacerbate existing needs, Doughten said, adding that the situation is a vicious circle of underfunding, rising needs, and growing instability, a cycle that prolongs crises and allows armed groups to fill the void created by declining assistance.

She said that the withdrawal of aid is reshaping the political economy in many affected countries, with funding reductions dismantling early-warning systems in some areas, prompting the UN to adopt a more predictive approach based on anticipatory plans and programs.

Doughten added that the coming phase will see wider use of artificial intelligence technologies to improve crisis prediction and management.

She pointed to a practical model recently applied by the United Nations in Nigeria following severe floods, where it collaborated with Google to develop a set of predictive analyses to identify vulnerable areas and address them before conditions worsened. 

Doughten stressed that this type of innovation presents vast opportunities - particularly in the field of climate change - as it enhances the effectiveness of humanitarian response and helps mitigate the impact of crises before they reach critical stages.

For her part, CEO of Mercy Corps Tjada D'Oyen McKenna said that the largest funding cuts have affected sectors tied to peacebuilding, governance, and long-term development - areas that are essential to preventing the escalation of future crises. She added that responding to humanitarian emergencies costs roughly seven times more than preventing them, yet the very funding now being reduced is that dedicated to prevention and long-term stability.

McKenna emphasized that humanitarian professionals strive to remain optimistic and continue advocating for reimagining and reforming the system. She noted, however, that in places such as Sudan, many people relied daily on emergency kitchens for their only substantial meal, and when these services ceased abruptly, some individuals tragically lost their lives.

She also pointed out that other programs - such as those implemented in Mauritania to support youth and create job opportunities as a safeguard against extremism - were shut down as well, leaving thousands of young people without alternatives or income. She explained that humanitarian needs had reached their peak at a time when organizations were already struggling to meet existing demands, and when support was suddenly withdrawn, communities were left exposed. Many governments, she added, were unaware of the extent to which they depended on these systems and thus were unprepared to fill the gap when it emerged.

Despite these challenges, McKenna said the humanitarian sector is still working to strengthen resilience, build capacities, and support peacebuilding efforts - even if only indirectly or quietly. She indicated that organizations are seeking to broaden partnerships and deepen collaborative efforts. In her assessment, the world is experiencing a volatile transition with serious consequences, and humanitarian actors are trying to sustain at least the minimum level of support needed for urgent demands.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the PAX Foundation, Fadi Chehade announced the launch of an advanced digital platform designed to enable local communities to present their projects directly to donors worldwide, using cutting-edge artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and satellite imagery.

He explained that the platform - developed earlier this year in partnership with the private sector - follows a decentralized economic development model. It allows citizens and institutions in towns and villages to upload their projects directly, enabling donors to choose and finance them without intermediaries. A specialized tool called the "Lapush Assistant Program" was created to help users prepare proposals, publish them, and receive funding.

Chehade said the platform uses blockchain-powered digital identity verification to ensure transparency and integrity in tracking donors and beneficiaries. Artificial intelligence and satellite imagery allow for real-time monitoring of project implementation, including reconstruction efforts such as the redevelopment of the Beirut fish market. He added that AI also assists the platform's staff by reviewing progress and generating immediate queries for team members working on each project.

He emphasized that this model marks a significant shift - from traditional aid mechanisms, which rely on governmental and intermediary channels, to a direct person-to-person financing system that ensures funds reach the organizations and groups carrying out projects on the ground. (QNA)