NGOs working on helping Middle East
refugees came together recently in Doha to discuss establishing a network to aid
efforts.
During the
meeting, representatives from 25 organizations discussed the nature, vision
and role of the network. They also discussed its potential activities for this
year. Amin Awad, director for the Middle East and North Africa Bureau and Regional Refugee
Coordinator, noted that this meeting should serve as a good launching
point for better cooperation in the region. By creating a large umbrella group
of NGOs, the organizations can better confront the challenges presented by
political transitions in the region.
Awad
believes forming a network is an absolute necessity. He cited statistics showing
that the region’s population of the entire world represents 6 percent, yet its
refugees represent 50 percent of the entire world. By uniting, Awad believes the
organizations have a better chance at preventing the current situation from
escalating further.
Ahmed Al Muraikhi, envoy of UN
Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, also spoke at
the meeting, noting that 143 million people in 33 countries are in need of some
sort of humanitarian assistance. In 2017, helping these people in need of
assistance would require funding of $23 billion.
