Gaza, March 16 (QNA) – Humanitarian and relief assistance provided by Qatar has played a significant role in supporting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israeli aggression in October 2023, according to officials involved in the aid efforts.

United Nations officials described the situation in the strip as one of the largest humanitarian disasters of the present era, with civilians facing shortages of food, water, shelter and basic services amid the ongoing restrictions on aid entering the territory.

Qatar’s aid efforts have focused on urgent and emergency humanitarian interventions to extend support and assistance to the people of Gaza amid difficult conditions caused by the Israeli entity’s blockade on the Strip, preventing the entry of aid despite having a ceasefire agreement in place.

Qatar’s Gaza Reconstruction Committee media officer Abdulrahman Al Khaldi said that the State of Qatar’s humanitarian response in Gaza has been rapid and intensive since the start of the war, focusing on mitigating the severe humanitarian crisis experienced by Gaza’s residents and meeting their basic needs, including shelter, food, water, and public services.

Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Khaldi pointed out that aside from relief, food, and medical assistance, Qatari aid included construction projects of buildings, roads, and infrastructure, most notably a project to remove rubble and reopen roads across the governorates of the Gaza Strip, which aims to ease the burden on Palestinian citizens, facilitate their movement, support the return of displaced persons, and ensure access to public services.

Qatari assistance also included a project to remove dangerous and collapsing concrete blocks from more than 200 buildings across the Strip, along with other vital projects related to infrastructure, healthcare, and water.

Al Khaldi said that since early 2025, more than 265,000 food baskets have been distributed to Gazans, along with more than 80,000 Ramadan baskets containing ready-to-eat canned meat, to ensure food reaches the Strip’s residence in the holy month. Moreover, more than 400,000 pieces of winter clothing, shoes, and Eid clothing for children have been distributed to provide warmth and comfort for those affected and displaced in camps, especially as the effects of the war continue to impact Gaza’s residents.

The media officer of Qatar’s Gaza Reconstruction Committee stated that the committee has distributed more than 80,000 tents to provide decent shelter for tens of thousands of affected families, benefiting more than 400,000 individuals across various cities, in addition to more than 30,000 tarpaulins to protect residents from rain and sunlight, along with shelter kits that include blankets, pillows, mats, clothing, and shoes.

Regarding the project to remove dangerous and collapsing concrete blocks, he said the project was launched recently, targeting more than 200 damaged buildings containing about 750 housing units, in an effort to protect residents and passersby.

Al Khaldi pointed out that clearance work is being carried out by technical teams using light equipment, and is being done in cooperation with municipalities and civil defense.

The work also includes clearing and leveling roads and vital pathways around the buildings to ensure easier movement for residents and safe access to essential services, he said.

The media officer of Qatar’s Gaza Reconstruction Committee added that approximately 372,000 tons of rubble have been removed along 100 kilometers of main streets and vital corridors to facilitate the movement of Palestinian citizens and displaced people and to allow public services, drinking water trucks, and ambulances to reach affected areas.

Regarding infrastructure projects, Abdulrahman Al Khaldi said that Qatar’s Gaza Reconstruction Committee has begun constructing and maintaining 30 water wells in different areas of the Strip to provide essential water for residents, especially in western areas classified as safe where displaced people have returned, noting that the project costs more than USD 1,000,000 and will be implemented within three months.

Al Khaldi said that the project includes building new wells and maintaining damaged ones in 11 of the Strip’s municipalities, adding that a private sector contracting company is doing the job under the supervision of Qatar’s Gaza Reconstruction Committee engineers and in coordination with the relevant municipal teams.

Concluding his remarks to QNA, the media officer of Qatar’s Gaza Reconstruction Committee indicated that the committee’s current efforts are focused on continuing to provide urgent humanitarian assistance, particularly to displaced persons, including shelter, food, and water, as well as preparing to launch new projects in various vital sectors, depending on the needs of Gazans. (QNA)