Doha: The Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) celebrated Gulf Red Crescent Day under the slogan "Gulf Red Crescent... Giving to All." In a speech during the celebration, Director of Communication and Fundraising Division at QRCS, Mohamed Ahmed Al Bishri, expressed pride in this annual occasion, which stems from the spirit of brotherhood and shared positions among the Red Crescent societies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. He emphasized that these societies share common goals and visions regarding the present and future of Gulf humanitarian work. He pointed out that this years slogan carries a significant message: Gulf humanitarian work is driven by the desire to give, do good, and provide help without seeking anything in return. It serves all members of society and extends a helping hand to anyone in need, without bias or discrimination. He stated that this has always been the approach of everyone who belongs to the Gulf Red Crescent family, which spares no effort in serving humanity wherever n eeded. He also noted that the Red Crescent societies of the GCC countries set an excellent example of coordination and harmony, whether in managing bilateral relations or addressing joint issues through organizational and specialized committees under the umbrella of the GCC General Secretariat. Among these are the Committee of Heads of GCC Red Crescent Societies, which QRCS hosted its 20th meeting in May 2024, the 12th meeting of the Media and Awareness Officials Committee in Doha in December 2023, and the Permanent Committee for Volunteering Work in GCC Red Crescent Societies. Al Bishri highlighted that, for decades, the world has not witnessed a humanitarian tragedy more horrific and brutal than what Gaza has been enduring bombings, displacement, starvation, and siege for over a year. The death toll has reached unprecedented numbers, with the wounded and nearly two million displaced residents, essentially the entire population of the Gaza Strip. He stressed that QRCS did not stand idly by in the face of th is, but has worked with all its capabilities to provide aid to the Palestinian people. QRCS has a long history of humanitarian and development work in Gaza through its representative office there, which has implemented dozens of humanitarian and development projects since its establishment in 2008, with a total cost exceeding USD 130 million. He also highlighted QRCS's contribution since Oct. 7, 2023, by delivering the load of 116 planes as part of Qatar's airlift to transport successive humanitarian aid shipments from Doha to Arish, Egypt. Additionally, QRCS provided part of the cargo on one of the Qatari aid ships, bringing the total to 4,766 tons of aid to meet the needs of Gaza's residents for food, shelter, healthcare, water, and sanitation. The number of beneficiaries from this aid is estimated at about one million Palestinians so far, with a total cost exceeding USD 13 million. Regarding Lebanon, Al Bishri mentioned that the recent escalation in military clashes has worsened the already dire economic and living conditions that refugees and the host community have been facing for years, amid ongoing waves of displacement and limited resources available to the responding agencies. He explained that QRCS, as always, was one of the first humanitarian organizations to provide food, health, and relief assistance through coordination between its representative office in Lebanon and the Lebanese Red Cross. QRCS also contributed to the ongoing daily airlift from Qatar to Lebanon and has already begun the first phase of distributing urgent assistance to displaced and affected families, including blankets, mattresses, food, personal hygiene items, and drinking water. Al Bishri also pointed out that these ongoing humanitarian efforts are not limited to emergency responses to conflicts, but also take into account the onset of winter, which poses a real ordeal for thousands of vulnerable, refugee, and displaced families. For this reason, QRCS recently launched its annual Warm Winter campaign for 2024-2025 under the sl ogan "Their Warmth Is Our Duty." In a statement to Qatar News Agency , Mohamed Ahmed Al Bishri praised the joint Gulf humanitarian work and the role of QRCS in strengthening it at both collective and bilateral levels. He noted that QRCS had recently hosted several meetings to coordinate and enhance Gulf cooperation, particularly regarding the situations in Gaza and Lebanon. He also added that QRCS launched the Warm Winter campaign, which targets more than 13 countries. Source: Qatar News Agency