QFFD and ICRC Sign Agreement to Support Core Humanitarian Operations

Fragility and conflicts are on the rise, undermining access to essential services, the unearmarked contribution will reinforce the ICRC’s global operations, particularly its efforts to ensure protection and assistance for people affected by armed conflict and violence. It also strengthens the ICRC’s ability to act as a neutral intermediary in sensitive operations, ensuring access to populations in hard-to-reach areas and protecting family links disrupted by violence.

Mr. Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, Director General of QFFD, stated: “This agreement reflects our shared commitment to safeguarding the dignity and well-being of communities affected by conflict and crisis. The State of Qatar remains firmly committed to advancing principled humanitarian action, and through our ongoing partnership with the ICRC, we aim to ensure that life-saving assistance reaches the most vulnerable populations, particularly in fragile and hard-to-reach settings, where needs are greatest and hope is most essential.”

The signing took place at the ICRC's headquarters in Geneva. On the sidelines of the event, H.E. Sheikh Thani, Chairperson of QFFD, held a bilateral meeting with Ms. Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The QFFD delegation also visited the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, which provided an insightful and curated visual experience into the history, mission and essence of the organization’s humanitarian efforts.

Pierre Krähenbühl, Director-General of the ICRC expressed, “This agreement with QFFD reinforces the strategic partnership between the ICRC and Qatar, and our shared vision to support people affected by armed conflict in a principled and effective way. Qatar’s unearmarked contribution is a strong expression of trust in our humanitarian mandate. It allows us to respond where needs are greatest, uphold our neutral intermediary role, and continue our work to protect civilians and promote respect for international humanitarian law.”

This agreement comes at a time when global humanitarian needs are escalating, with protracted conflicts pushing systems and communities to the brink. Flexible, unearmarked funding remains one of the most effective tools to allow humanitarian actors to respond quickly and efficiently to crises as they evolve.