January 11, 2023, Colombo: Qatar Charity is the primary charitable arm of the Qatar Government and was banned in Sri Lanka following allegations levelled by former Police Minister Sarath Weerasekara.
Then Sri Lankan authorities named ‘Qatar Charity’ a terrorist entity and accused the charity of funding terrorism-related activities about the prominent case of lawyer Hijaz Hizbullah.
The ban was later lifted when Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara met Qatar officials in Qatar.
“At the launch of the country office today, Qatar Charity announced humanitarian aid worth US$ 11.7 million for the year 2023. This will be allocated to identified areas as per the state’s requirements. Thank you, Qatar Charity, for stepping up to support the vulnerable,” Foreign Minister Ali Sabry tweeted after attending the Qatar Charity Office reopening ceremony in Sri Lanka today.
