New Orleans receives a big boost this week from the small Persian Gulf country of Qatar who is paying-up a large chunk of the $100 million it pledged to the city after Hurricane Katrina. After looking at what areas were being under served by relief organizations, Qatar chose education, housing and health. $17.5 million will go to Xavier University of Louisiana, a historically black Catholic university, $5 million for scholarships to students affected by the hurricane and $12.5 million to add a wing to its College of Pharmacy. That will increase enrollment but also provide construction jobs and more students from the university to work in free community clinics. Other beneficiaries are . . .
Tulane University ($10 million for scholarships), Habitat for Humanity ($22 million to build 293 homes in the three states), Louisiana State University ($3.3 million for a student relief fund), the March of Dimes ($3 million) and Children’s hospital in New Orleans, which called the $5 million grant the largest it has ever received, and will use it to establish a Qatar Cares fund and the repair and renovation of clinics. The ambassador will be visiting the city this week to determine where the remaining $40 million pledged could best be put to use. Stay tuned…
The New York Times reported the fact that Qatar was one of several Persian Gulf states to donate a lot of money, but also, more importantly that poor nations also donated to help the US victims in New Orleans: