Dr. Mohamed Salah Ibrahim, Director of Relief and International Development Division at Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), has visited Afghanistan to inspect progress in the humanitarian projects being implemented by
QRCS's representation office there, inaugurate new ones, hold coordination meetings, and sign agreements with local and international partners.
Most importantly, Dr. Ibrahim met several Afghan ministers, including HE Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Khalil Rahman Haqqani, Minister of Refugees, HE Mohamed Younus Akhundzada, Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, and HE Maulvi Habibullah Agha, Minister of Education.
He also met HE Abdul-Wali Haqqani, Deputy Minister of Health Services, Matiul Haq Khalis, President of the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS), Katharina Ritz, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross' (ICRC) delegation in Afghanistan, Health Director in Kandahar, and ARCS leaders and staff in Kabul and Kandahar.
A press conference was co-held by Dr. Ibrahim and Mr. Khalis, to announce a new project to construct, equip, and operate 10 health centers for two years, with the aim of providing primary health care and enhancing maternal and child health services for more than 250,000 beneficiaries per year in underserved areas, mostly mothers and children.
Dr. Ibrahim visited hospitals and specialized centers of cardiac catheterization for children in Kabul, QRCS's office, the Indira Gandhi Hospital's Cardiology Center, QRCS's water and sanitation projects across Zabul, Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar, ARCS Mental Health Hospital, the community health center (CHC) in 3rd District, Kandahar city, and some flood-affected areas in Baghlan.
During the visit, it was agreed to extend QRCS's support for CHC, active since 2018, to provide it with medications, medical/nonmedical supplies and equipment, operational budget, and staff training until 2027, with the aim of providing basic health services and maternal care services for an average of 46,000 people per year.
With funding from Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), QRCS signed a cooperation agreement with ARCS to launch a project to enhance resilience among families most affected by conflicts and natural disasters in Afghanistan by enhancing food security and livelihoods. The project will benefit 800 families in Farah, Faryab, and Helmand provinces.
Under the medical convoys program, QRCS launched phase 4 of the Little Hearts project in Afghanistan. In partnership with ARCS, a volunteer medical delegation from Sidra Medicine was deployed to the country to perform cardiac catheterizations for 169 children with congenital heart defects, at a total cost of $416,616.
There are preparations to launch phase 4 of the project to support education in remote areas of Afghanistan, to be implemented in Zabul and Farah.
In Kandahar, Dr. Ibrahim laid the foundation stone for a health center in Dand District, which will serve 18,720 people in the province and neighboring regions. Apart from construction, equipment, and furnishing works, the project involves operation; staffing; and provision of medications, medical supplies, and operational budget for 18 months.
The visit concluded with a tour of Baghlan Province, to launch an emergency project to meet the needs of flood-affected families, by distributing food and nonfood aid to 1,000 families in Baghlani Jadid & Burka Districts.