Doha, April 06 (QNA) - The humanitarian and development work of Qatari charitable associations and organizations has recently transformed to focusing on providing means and tools to empower people, such as providing means of production, raising capabilities, acquiring new skills, and opening broad horizons in earning and living, which earned Qatar a leading international reputation in the field of humanitarian work.

Over the past years, Qatari relief and development organizations have played a pivotal role in helping afflicted people in crisis areas. Qatar Charity, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), and other national organizations working in the humanitarian field contribute effectively to alleviating human suffering, investing in education, and contributing to economic empowerment and supporting the poor with productive projects that contribute to the development of their societies and provide them with job opportunities.

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) strengthened the development aspect in its humanitarian work, presenting a package of projects that mainly target livelihoods through financing agricultural, livestock and commercial projects for poor families, housewives, widows and people with disabilities.

Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), QRCS said that the total number of beneficiaries of its services and assistance in the past seven years exceeded 62 million people in 57 countries around the world. The volume of aid provided during that period reached 3 and a quarter billion riyals.

QRCS shed light on its Ramadan campaign launched this year under the theme "Humanity First: Give to Charity" which targets nearly 720,000 beneficiaries through various development projects inside Qatar and in 18 countries around the world.

In the same context, the total humanitarian and development aid of Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) reached $708 million over the past year, which made Qatar one of the largest donors and supporters of the least developed countries.

The Qatari efforts have made a change in fragile and marginalized societies around the world through projects that included various humanitarian aspects, including development, health, educational, social and others.

Qatar Charity told QNA that Qatar's Charitable associations and organizations launch many humanitarian and charitable initiatives during the holy month every year to support food security and alleviate the suffering of the needy around the world. In its campaign this year, themed "Ramadan: Leave Your Mark", QC has begun implementing many projects in Qatar and 40 countries around the world at a value exceeding QR118 million.

The projects include seasonal projects for workers, low-income families, orphans, and expatriates, and seek to deliver assistance to those in debt, widows, and those in a humanitarian situation, the sick, and others through the Alaqraboon platform.

Qatar Charity said that the number of beneficiaries of its humanitarian and development projects in the past 10 years reached more than 176 million people around the world, at a total cost estimated at QR436.5 billion. The projects included vital areas like food security, health, education, shelter, water, sanitation, social care, economic empowerment, capacity building, and training.

Qatar's charitable organizations have a pivotal role in alleviating human suffering, through their effective response and humanitarian and development aid which constitute a fundamental turning point in the lives of the afflicted peoples.

(QNA)