Qatar: 4,000 World Cup Huts Sent to Quake-Hit Türkiye, Syria

Workers load cabins and caravans used during the football World Cup in Qatar onto a cargo ship slated for departure from Hamad Port, on March 20, 2023, as a donation to Türkiye and Syria to house people who lost their homes in a devastating earthquake in early February. (AFP)
Workers load cabins and caravans used during the football World Cup in Qatar onto a cargo ship slated for departure from Hamad Port, on March 20, 2023, as a donation to Türkiye and Syria to house people who lost their homes in a devastating earthquake in early February. (AFP)
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Qatar: 4,000 World Cup Huts Sent to Quake-Hit Türkiye, Syria

Workers load cabins and caravans used during the football World Cup in Qatar onto a cargo ship slated for departure from Hamad Port, on March 20, 2023, as a donation to Türkiye and Syria to house people who lost their homes in a devastating earthquake in early February. (AFP)
Workers load cabins and caravans used during the football World Cup in Qatar onto a cargo ship slated for departure from Hamad Port, on March 20, 2023, as a donation to Türkiye and Syria to house people who lost their homes in a devastating earthquake in early February. (AFP)

Qatar has sent 4,000 cabins built to house fans at last year's World Cup to earthquake survivors in Türkiye and Syria, authorities said Monday.

The Associated Press watched as the latest batch of pre-fabricated cabins was loaded onto a cargo ship in the Arabian Gulf.

The Qatar Development Fund began shipping cabins last month and says it will send a total of 10,000 to house people displaced by the Feb. 6 earthquake.

Qatar says it had always planned to donate the mobile homes. They were needed to help house some of the 1.4 million fans who descended on the country during soccer’s biggest tournament late last year.

The brightly colored cabins, each with thin walls, were designed to hold one or two people with twin beds, a nightstand, a small table and chair, air conditioning, a toilet and a shower inside.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck parts of Türkiye and Syria on Feb. 6, killing more than 52,000 people — the vast majority in Türkiye. More than 200,000 buildings in Türkiye either collapsed or were severely damaged, leaving millions homeless.

Qatar and other Gulf countries have joined the global effort to send aid to the stricken region.



G7 Foreign Ministers Commend US-Ukraine Meeting in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Flag / File/Reuters
Saudi Flag / File/Reuters
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G7 Foreign Ministers Commend US-Ukraine Meeting in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Flag / File/Reuters
Saudi Flag / File/Reuters

The G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States as well as the High Representative of the European Union commended the ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine, and in particular the meeting on March 11 between the US and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia.
In a statement released after their meeting in Charlevoix, Quebec, they commended Ukraine for its commitment to an immediate ceasefire, SPA reported.

They emphasized that this is an essential step toward achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. They called on Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a ceasefire on equal terms.

The statement affirmed their support for the resumption of unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza and for a permanent ceasefire, emphasizing the imperative for the Palestinian people to have a political horizon reached through a negotiated solution to the conflict with Israel, in a manner that meets their legitimate needs and aspirations and promotes comprehensive peace, stability, and prosperity in the Middle East.
The G7 members also expressed deep concern about the escalation of tensions and hostilities in the West Bank, calling for de-escalation and affirming readiness to engage with Arab countries on their proposals for charting a way forward on the future, reconstructing Gaza, and achieving peace.