Iran has sent planes full of food to Qatar and will continue to send more each day as the blockaded nation weathers its diplomatic crisis, Iranian officials said this weekend. Tehran says it will send another 100 tons of fruit and vegetables every day to Qatar, which relies on imports from neighboring countries for much of its food supplies and is facing shortages after its powerful neighboring countries cut off economic and diplomatic ties. 

The World Food Programme last week said nearly two million people were living on the brink of famine in the remote region, which has been devastated by Boko Haram violence since 2009. Boko Haram's Islamist insurgency has killed at least 20,000 people in northeast Nigeria and forced millions of others from their homes. Lack of security, plus restrictions on travel and trade, have hit agriculture hard, led to food shortages and driven up prices. The UN says Nigeria needs $1.05 billion this year to fund vital humanitarian projects including food, clean water and sanitation. 

Switzerland has given an insight into why it was part of the negotiation that led to the release of the 82 Chibok girls abducted three years ago by the terror group, Boko Haram. According to a news report published yesterday by a UK newspaper, IBTimes UK, the Swiss government said its involvement in the negotiation with Boko Haram was a result of a request from the Nigerian government, in addition to “humanitarian concerns.”

Ireland has announced €6 million in humanitarian aid to Iraq and Yemen which are currently raged by fierce wars which has resulted in a large-scale displacement of civilians. From the fund, €2m is being given to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund in response to the needs of almost 11 million Iraqi people affected by the violence linked to Islamic State (IS), and the counter-insurgency operation launched by the Iraqi government, Irish media reported.

The Sharjah International Award for Refugee Advocacy and Support paves the way for a greater investment in supporting refugees in their hour of need and provides hope for a better future. The award, launched in January 2017 [...] aims to recognise and pay tribute to those who have made distinguished humanitarian efforts for refugees and displaced families in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

The United Arab Emirates, UAE, has pledged Dh250 million (US$68 million) to support the Syrian people [...] Moreover, the UAE has pledged to host 15,000 Syrian refugees over the next five years. It also helps Syria's neighbours hosting large numbers of refugees to through humanitarian programmes to shoulder this huge humanitarian burden and support their economies through development programmes.

Israeli emergency teams have deployed to Peru to support affected communities following floods and mudslides that have eviscerated much of the country’s infrastructure. The Peruvian government said it needed international aid to help hundreds of thousands of people displaced by flash floods and landslides. IsraAID deployed a team to support affected communities in impoverished and remote areas.