Last November, she became the first high-ranking Arab official to enter Gaza when she visited Rafah.

Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Lolwah Al Khater received the 2024’s Champion of Humanitarian Diplomacy award on Wednesday in recognition of her humanitarian and diplomatic efforts.

Enaam Mayara, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), and Mayor of Braga, Ricardo Rio, presented the award to Al Khater in Portugal.

The annual award is granted to individuals and organisations that lead efforts that promote political, social, economic and other developments that contribute to global peace.

“The accolade is a testament to regional and international appreciation for Qatari diplomacy and its effective roles, especially in humanitarian efforts,” Doha’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The award acknowledged Qatar’s humanitarian efforts, including the delivery of aid and supporting countries in times of crises and conflicts. Some of the crises and conflicts included the Turkiye-Syria earthquake of 2023, Afghanistan and Sudan.

Doha’s ongoing mediation efforts to halt the war in Gaza were also among the diplomatic efforts that PAM recognised at the ceremony. This is in addition to its latest mediation between Russia and Ukraine to reunite children separated by the ongoing war.

Commenting on the award, Al Khater said it was “an absolute honour to be awarded the PAM prize 2024,” while dedicating it to health workers in Gaza and Sudan.

“I would like to dedicate this award to the REAL HEROES, those who risk their lives every moment to save others, those who will not be able to make it to the Award’s stage, and whose names might remain unknown. I would like to dedicate this award to the health sector workers in Gaza and Sudan,” Al Khater said on X.

“You have shown the world what it truly means to be selfless and at the service of others, around the clock. The whole world sees you, you have reminded us of our lost humanity, THANK YOU,” she added.

The vocal Qatari diplomat has been at the forefront of evacuation and humanitarian efforts in Gaza since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal war. 

Last November, she became the first high-ranking Arab official to enter Gaza when she visited Rafah.

On May 8, Al Khater witnessed the launch of the Turkiye-Qatar Gaza Goodness Ship, which carried 1,908 tonnes of vital humanitarian aid for the besieged enclave.

Aside from aid, Al Khater has been personally welcoming all Palestinians evacuated from Gaza, including holders of Qatari residency and those receiving treatment under the initiative by Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Evacuation and aid efforts have been disrupted since Israeli occupation forces raided the Gaza-Egypt Rafah Crossing on May 6 under plans to invade the entire city of Rafah. 

Israel has already killed at least 35,233 people while displacing more than 85 percent of the entire population.

Juggling humanitarian and diplomatic efforts, Qatar’s mediation, alongside Egypt’s, led to a week-long truce in Gaza last November. At the time, Hamas released 109 captives from Gaza as Israel released 242 Palestinian prisoners.

Talks have since stalled, especially after the Israeli invasion of the Rafah Crossing.

Meanwhile in Sudan, Al Khater led similar efforts in the war-stricken country.

In March, she visited Sudan as Qatar marked the resumption of the humanitarian air bridge to the war-hit country.

Al Khater visited Port Sudan where aid is offloaded and displaced Sudanese have been sheltering since the deadly war broke out on April 15, 2023. During her visit, she highlighted the suffering of the Sudanese population amid the crisis.

“Today’s visit to Sudan comes to remind the world that it seems to have forgotten the devastating human tragedy that this great country and its dear, generous people are going through,” Al Khater said on X at the time.

Al Khater’s diplomatic and humanitarian efforts were also highlighted in 2021 at the time of the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul.

At the time, Qatar led mass evacuations of more than 80,000 Afghans and foreigners, which became known as history’s largest airlift of people. Speaking to Doha News at the time of the mass evacuations, Al Khater said the developments took the world by surprise.

“Well, I think all of us have been taken by surprise, not only Qatar but the entire world. The original, quote-unquote, timeline that was given and announced to the world was months. And then we woke up literally one morning with the need to evacuate thousands of people,” Al Khater said in August 2021.

Then in May 2023, France awarded Al Khater with the Legion of Honor with the rank of “Knight”, the highest French order of merit.