Sheikha Moza bint Nasser met UNICEF Director Catherine Russell in Qatar for talks on strengthening humanitarian partnerships and supporting vulnerable communities.

Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation and Education Above All Foundation, welcomed Catherine Russell, the director of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), to Qatar on Sunday.

Their meeting centred on strengthening humanitarian partnerships, focusing on enhancing collaboration to benefit vulnerable communities.

“We discussed ways to enhance the existing efforts and partnerships between [UNICEF] and the Education Above All Foundation to support and safeguard education during times of war and crises,” Sheikha Moza said in a post on X.

The visit follows the signing of a supplementary agreement to the original contract between Qatar and UNICEF at Qatar’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York on 8 February.

Russell noted that the agreement would greatly facilitate reaching and supporting the children most in need. It also reflected Qatar’s commitment to global child protection initiatives and its leading role in humanitarian and development efforts.

The initial five-year Strategic Framework Agreement and a Core Funding Contribution Agreement in support of children’s rights, between the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and UNICEF was signed in January 2024.

The agreement sought to foster collaboration between QFFD and UNICEF, focusing on providing tailored humanitarian and development support to countries in need.

Both sides emphasised the positive impacts of their partnership, highlighting visible improvements such as access to safe drinking water in Yemen and support for drought-affected families in Somalia.

The agreement pledged annual support to the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UNICEF, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Qatar, a member of the United Nations since 1971, consistently supports various UN bodies, contributing to development projects and humanitarian aid worldwide.

At the 2018 Doha Forum, Qatar pledged $500m to UN programs and announced the establishment of four new UN offices in Doha.