The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the funds are aimed at supporting initiatives designed to improve the lives of children and citizens affected by armed conflicts and the overall population in Ukraine.

Qatar announced Friday that it will provide $3m to the office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, as part of a push to support “welfare and safety” in the war-torn country.

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the funds are aimed at supporting initiatives designed to improve the lives of children and citizens affected by armed conflicts and the overall population in Ukraine.

“Furthermore, the fund will contribute to increasing legal support and improving the necessary infrastructure required to provide the support needed for families affected by conflict in Ukraine,” the ministry added.

The ministry and the commissioner’s office also reiterated “their dedication to a world where human dignity is respected, and where each individual’s rights are protected”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this week that 16 Ukrainian children who “had previously been forcibly deported” to Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine were recovering in Qatar following their release.

Zelenskyy said Wednesday that the group was freed and reunited with their families as a result to Qatari mediation efforts that have helped bring back dozens of children taken during the 27-month war.

“I am deeply grateful to Qatar and personally to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for assisting Ukraine in this vital effort,” the Ukrainian leader said in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

“We look forward to continued fruitful cooperation on this matter, as well as the return of more of our children,” he added.

Zelensky’s comments came days after the Qatari government said 20 Ukrainian and Russian families had arrived in the capital Doha to be provided healthcare and support as part of the ongoing mediation efforts to reunite families.

Ukraine believes Russia has illegally taken more than 19,000 Ukrainian children since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. Of that, fewer than 400 children have been returned.