The State of Qatar has revealed the development of more than 10 areas for fans of refugees and displaced persons in 8 different countries, with the aim of sharing the joy of watching the 2022 World Cup, which kicks off tomorrow, Sunday.
During a press conference held in Doha, a number of Qatari officials highlighted the efforts of Qatar Charity, the Qatar Red Crescent, and the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, to establish fan areas for the displaced and refugees in a number of countries to allow refugees to follow the important football event.
The FIFA World Cup opens tomorrow evening, Sunday, with the Qatari national team facing its Ecuadorian counterpart at Al-Bayt Stadium, in the first group A confrontation, which also includes the Netherlands and Senegal.
Lulwa Al-Khater, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, said that the state has often affirmed that sport is an effective tool for bringing together peoples and promoting peace, dialogue and reconciliation, as it was keen to establish areas for fans, which translates its firm belief in the ability of sport to bring about positive social change, and stimulates sustainable development, especially by encouraging Tolerance, respect and empowerment of societies.
multiple regions
The Qatari Assistant Foreign Minister praised the efforts to establish fan zones for the displaced and refugees in Palestine, Jordan, Sudan, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Turkey and Bangladesh.
Al-Khater expressed her happiness that this unique tournament represents an opportunity for change for the better for all peoples of the world, indicating that sports have always been at the forefront of Qatar's interests over the past years, as it hosted major sports tournaments, which left an effective impact on promoting positive communication between cultures and civilizations. The true legacy that Qatar aspires to leave by hosting the World Cup.
The Qatari official also emphasized that the peoples of the region were wronged when they became victims of successive crises, armed conflicts, fierce conflicts, and an increasing escalation of Islamophobia, populist discourse, and malicious campaigns based on double standards, for which innocent people paid the price of displacement, asylum and harsh suffering, as their homelands paid for in the absence of security, stability and development. She expressed her participation in the pain and daily suffering of refugees and displaced persons.
#
Qatar_World_Cup_2022.
- Qatar News Agency (@QatarNewsAgency) November 18, 2022
Arab World Cup
Al-Khater also explained that the fan zones for refugees and displaced persons represent a glimmer of hope and a moment they hijack from the life of time, "so that they may join us and share with them the joy of the World Cup of Arabs, Muslims and humanity as a whole, the Qatar 2022 World Cup."
And she continued, "I especially mention here occupied Palestine, in which our brothers suffer from the daily crimes of the Israeli occupation. We have been keen to share the joy of this exceptional World Cup with the Palestinian people in Ramallah, Gaza, and Qatar, of course, to confirm that their just cause will always be present in our hearts." .
In turn, the Director of the Relief and International Development Sector at the Qatar Red Crescent, Mohamed Salah Ibrahim, said that the activities include providing giant screens, to allow the largest number of people to watch the competitions, and preparing sites for holding football tournaments for children and youth, simulating the World Cup, as well as carrying out activities Cultural, educational, recreational, and competitions for all groups, in addition to providing special places for women and people with special needs to attend the matches.
In the same context, Nawaf Abdullah Al-Hammadi, Assistant CEO of Operations and International Programs Sector at Qatar Charity, said that the aim of the initiative is to involve the displaced and refugees in the countries concerned with the joy of the World Cup.
A message of support to the State of #Qatar .. from the champions of the Champions Sports Club in #Gaza #qatar2022 #Palestinian_and support_Al-Anabi
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YouTube: https://t.co/vNr2rFoCKk pic.twitter.com/zh3IAQYKu7
- Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza - Q-GRC (@q_grc) November 17, 2022
The Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza said that the Hall of the Martyr Saad Sail, located in the center of Gaza City, is the first fan zone in the Strip.
The committee added that the Absa sports hall was also equipped in the Ramallah Recreational Complex in Ramallah, to host fans and observers throughout the World Cup, explaining that the events in Gaza and the West Bank will witness different activities throughout the days of the World Cup.