The latest announcement came a day after Sheikh Tamim and his wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani, arrived in London for an official state visit that would boost Qatar and the UK’s relations.
Qatar and the United Kingdom have agreed to double their joint humanitarian funding to £79.4m ($100m) on Tuesday on the sidelines of the visit of the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to London.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the major agreement in a statement, where he said the funding is aimed at providing humanitarian assistance globally.
Some of the issues the agreement aims to tackle include irregular migration and displacement, conflict resolution, education and scientific research, Lammy noted.
“The Qatar State Visit is an opportunity to celebrate our relationship, which is reaching new heights to boost trade and investment and help tackle global challenges, including in Gaza, Syria and Somalia, together,” Lammy said in the statement.
He added that Qatar and the UK’s joint efforts have “already helped alleviate suffering across the world”.
Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation, Maryam Al-Misnad, echoed Lammy, underlining both countries’ commitment to support vulnerable communities.
“By doubling our joint humanitarian funding, both countries reaffirm our commitment to strengthening the partnership, providing humanitarian relief, while also implementing initiatives that address the root causes of global instability,” she said in the same statement.
The latest agreement is building on existing joint humanitarian efforts by Doha and London, including in the Gaza Strip where Israel’s genocide has persisted for more than a year.
Under the new agreement, both countries would be able to provide 17 tonnes of family sized tents to the Gaza Strip, the UK government said.
The efforts would extend to northwestern Syria by supporting 625,000 children to access primary school education. Qatar and the UK would also be able to support approximately 423 vulnerable communities to recover from multiple crises in Somalia.
The latest announcement came a day after Sheikh Tamim and his wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani, arrived in London for an official state visit that would boost Qatar and the UK’s relations.
“His Highness’s state visit will further strengthen the already strong bonds between Qatar and the UK across a range of fields, supporting the long-term prosperity of both countries,” Qatar’s minister of state for international cooperation said in a statement by the British government.
Meetings between business leaders, investors and diplomats are also scheduled to take place at Mansion House on Wednesday, the statement added.
