25 NGOs come together in Doha to discuss better refugee assistance efforts

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.