Qatar Charity (QC) has distributed heating fuel for displaced people at camps in the north of Aleppo. The distribution was made within the framework of QC’s Before They Freeze campaign and benefited around 25,000 people. Before They Freeze was launched in order to help displaced and refugee Syrians prepare for the cold winter months. Relief organisations and governments are eager not to see a repeat of storm Huda, which led to the deaths of many Syrians as well as destruction of temporary shelter. To avoid such a disaster this time, relief agencies and governments that host hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, such as those in Lebanon and Jordan, are struggling to prepare around 1.2mn refugees for the wave of frost and snowstorms expected to hit the region. As part of these efforts, QC is distributing heating fuel to 5,000 families living in camps for one month. In addition, QC is distributing heating fuel for around 12,500 people in Izaz camp in Aleppo’s countryside, in co-ordination with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. QC is also providing food and shelter assistance and winter clothing to those affected by the ongoing conflict in Syria, particularly the besieged areas such as Doma in Eastern Ghouta. QC recently carried out relief and educational projects for the benefit of displaced Syrians in both Iraq and Lebanon at a total cost of QR1,572,000, benefiting hundreds of people. It also funded a psychological support project in collaboration with Sawa, the Federation of Relief and Development Organisations in Lebanon, for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon – which benefited thousands at a total cost of around QR500,000. The project was inaugurated by QC CEO Yusuf bin Ahmed al-Kuwari during a previous visit to Lebanon and aims to provide psychological support through group leisure, sports and educational activities supervised by staff and specialists and a group of volunteers. The project also involved the renting of suitable premises for the activities and training of staff and volunteers to deal with the psychological conditions commonly found. The distribution was part of QC’s Before They Freeze campaign. QRC opens new nutrition centre in Somalia Qatar Red Crescent (QRC)’s office in Somalia recently opened a new therapeutic nutrition centre at the Badbaado refugee camp in Dharkenley district, southwestern Mogadishu, Somalia, at a cost of nearly QR500,000. The health project will provide medical and therapeutic nutrition services for severely and mildly malnourished patients, particularly children, and treat different types of malnutrition in accordance with international standards and World Health Organisation guidelines. Most displaced children at the Badbaado camp are malnourished. The new centre comprises a medical clinic and a kitchen to serve nutritious meals to malnourished children and their mothers as well. It is expected to help around 7,500 malnourished children at the Badbaado camp, which is one of the largest refugee camps in the capital, accommodating more than 4,000 families displaced from the southern parts of the country due to drought and clashes. The opening ceremony was attended by the mayor of Dharkenley district, Adam Mohamed Omar, representative of the Somali Red Crescent Society, Ali Sheikh, representative of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation office in Somalia, Elias Mohamed al-Sheikh, director of the Physicians Across Continents office in Somalia, Mohamed Shafie al-Badawi, representatives of the Somali ministry of health and local community leaders and members. In his keynote speech, Omar said: “On behalf of Dharkenley district and myself, I would like to thank QRC for executing this significant project that will be beneficial for the displaced people at Badbaado camp, who suffer bad conditions and lack health services. I call upon Islamic and international organisations to follow suit and lend a hand to those displaced people by launching health and development projects for them.” The newly opened Badbaado therapeutic nutrition centre marks another episode of QRC’s health activities in Somalia, which include operating Afgooye Public Hospital, the specialist centre for tropical diseases, Mareerey and Awdheegle health centres in Lower Shabelle and Balad health centre in Central Shabelle.