By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Negros Occidental provincial government set up Qatar assistance desk at the Provincial Capitol in response to the ongoing diplomatic crisis surrounding the Middle Eastern nation.
Provincial Administrator Lucille Gelvolea said the provincial government, through the special projects and concerns division, will extend assistance to relatives and friends of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Qatar.
Based on reports from international news agencies, the Arab nations of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Qatar.
The crisis stemmed from accusations the Qatari Government was supporting various terror groups, including the Islamic State (IS) and Palestinian terror group Hamas.
Qatar was also accused of meddling in internal affairs of the neighboring Gulf states and aligning themselves with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s primary rival in the Middle East./WDJ