Chairman's Message
On August 29, 2005, I had just returned to Qatar to join my family for my father's funeral. Late into the night, my brother and I exchanged stories about our father's life, just as the television news began to report on a major hurricane that made landfall some 8,000 miles away in the Gulf Coast of the United States. The tragedy that unfolded before me and millions of others made witnesses of us all.
I had only been Ambassador to the United States for four weeks, but I had a strong connection to America. I studied in Michigan as an undergraduate, worked in Washington as a junior diplomat, and later served in New York as Ambassador to the United Nations. My American friends are too numerous to count.
It was well after midnight when I received a call from the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He again expressed his condolences to my family. Then he asked me if my office in Washington could quickly report on the extent of the storm damage. "Is it as bad as it looks?" he asked. "Worse," I reported back later.
The Minister called again later that night. His Highness the Amir, he told me, wanted to help the people of the United States affected by the Hurricane Katrina.
And that's how it all started. Qataris stayed up late into the night, as millions of others had, watching in stunned amazement as the storm wreaked its havoc. This is the reality of globalization. Our world is small, our experiences shared. But as witnesses, we cannot simply look away. We are obligated to act, and to do what we can to help those in need. I am proud that Qatar decided to act that night.
Qatar is a small country. We do not have search and rescue teams to deploy. We did not have ships that could reach New Orleans fast enough to provide relief. His Highness decided that the people of the affected area would know their needs best, and how to meet them, and he pledged a cash donation of $100 million on behalf of the People of Qatar. On September 18, 2005, we announced the creation of the Qatar Katrina Fund.
I have visited the Gulf Coast region several times since the announcement of the Qatar Katrina Fund. Qatar's gift is only a small part of what is needed, but I have seen what a difference the Fund has made. With help from the Qatar Katrina Fund, new houses are being constructed, sick children receive critical health care at no cost, students are receiving scholarships to return to college, and places of worship are being rebuilt. I was touched by the welcome with which these gifts were received. People who had never heard of Qatar are now brothers and sisters.
Our hope is that the Qatar Katrina Fund will remind all of us of our common humanity, and the meaning of friendship in times of need.
Nasser Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa
May 3, 2007