Qatar Airways has announced a partnership renewal with the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to support the shipment of relief items to refugees and IDPs worldwide. The agreement was signed during a ceremony which included a speech by Qatar Airways Group CEO Eng. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.
For the past two years, Qatar Airways Cargo has been working closely with UNHCR to help provide humanitarian aid to better the lives of people worldwide. With this partnership, Qatar Airways will provide another 400 tons of free tonnage to UNHCR to help support them in the delivery of crucial aid supplies to those most in need.
To meet these goals, Qatar Airways utilizes its hub-and-spoke network out of the Hamad International Airport. Additionally, the airline’s cargo division, which is the largest global air cargo operator in the world, has a fleet of 28 freighters with access to utilize a passenger fleet of over 200 aircraft, to a network of 70 freighter destinations and over 170 belly-hold destinations.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Qatar Airways Group CEO Eng. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer stated, “We are proud of what we have accomplished through our relationship with UNHCR over the past four years, which has helped support displaced communities around the world.” He added: “We look forward to the significant renewal of our partnership and in continuing to aid those who are most vulnerable. Qatar Airways Group is committed to fulfilling its humanitarian role by helping refugees and internally displaced people worldwide.”
On his part, Ahmed Mohsen, UNHCR’s Representative to the State of Qatar stated, “We highly appreciate this vital partnership and are proud to renew it for two additional years, which reflects Qatar Airways’ solid commitment towards supporting our humanitarian efforts, in terms of delivering essential relief items to those most in need. Since establishing our partnership with Qatar Airways in May 2020, amid a critical time during the emergence of Covid-19, Qatar Airways has lent us a helping hand to support refugees and displaced communities with vital relief items and medical supplies.”
By working with Qatar Airways, UNHCR has wide access to deliver life-saving support including water, medical care and hygiene materials. These resources help keep refugees, internally displaced people, and host community members safe around the world.