- Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon was in Qatar yesterday for discussions on the war in Gaza and Ukraine.
- The Minister presented a new UK-Qatar partnership focused on providing health-related services to Palestinian evacuees in Qatar.
- Lord Ahmad welcomed Qatar's role in mediating talks on a deal to secure the release of hostages and to allow unhindered humanitarian access and will reiterate his call for negotiations to deliver the first step towards ensuing and immediate end to the conflict.
The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon visited Qatar yesterday [20 May] to present a new partnership focused on providing healthcare services to Palestinian evacuees in Qatar.
The proposal for a UK-Qatar Health Partnership for Palestinians brings together world leading experts to provide clinical training for those professionals providing care to Palestinians as well as mental health and support to Palestinians and their families.
The first tranche of project funding by the UK will be an initial contribution of £140,000. This will fund expert-led training by the David Nott foundation, a British medical training agency, for 50 doctors and health practitioners who are treating Palestinian patients in Qatar. The David Nott foundation draws on the latest technology, including Virtual Reality, to simulate casualty scenarios and teach medical professionals best practice in trauma care.
The project will also cover a mental health needs assessment to provide a bespoke psychosocial support programme for Palestinians evacuated to Qatar.
Ahead of the visit, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for Middle East, said:
As the humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels, the need for the international community to work closer to support the Palestinian people and deliver vital aid to them becomes even greater.
The partnership we are announcing today will support the doctors, nurses and other health professionals treating Palestinian evacuees in Qatar, who have suffered immense physical and mental health issues in the conflict.
Qatar has played a pivotal role to mediate a settlement to the conflict, including securing the release of hostages and for unhindered humanitarian access. As partners we will continue to work closely with Qatar to bring this conflict to a sustainable end and strengthen the irreversible pathway to deliver the two state solution of Israel and Palestine and lasting peace in the Middle East.
In December 2023, HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani pledged the treatment of 1,500 wounded Palestinians and the sponsorship of 3,000 orphans from Gaza. This partnership will support Qatar's ambitions to achieve this goal.
The Minister also held talks with Qatari counterparts to discuss the ongoing conflict in Israel/Gaza, recognising Qatar's essential role in the ongoing efforts to mediate a sustainable end to the conflict.
He held further meetings to discuss improving collaboration on delivering aid into Gaza and increasing UK-Qatar cooperation on international development programmes around the world.
