*** Address global crisis, says Shaikh Nasser | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Address global crisis, says Shaikh Nasser

ManamaThe world is undergoing a dire humanitarian crisis and concerted efforts can help put an end to the bloodshed and refugee crisis, said HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and Royal Charity Organisation (RCO) Chairman.

HH Shaikh Nasser was speaking during the opening session of the 7th annual Conference for Effective Partnerships and Information Sharing for Better Humanitarian Action. 

The event, which began yesterday at Art Rotana in Amwaj Islands, is held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the RCO Honorary President. 

The RCO is organising the event in cooperation with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Action (OCHA) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Humanitarian Funds (OICHF). The conference was also addressed by United Nations Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Dr Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani.  The meet focuses on key issues that gained exceptional emphasis during the World Humanitarian Summit and showcases regional and global initiatives. The three-day conference looks into complex emergencies where information sharing and promoting partnerships are identified as critical enabler for effective humanitarian action.

Speaking to DT News, Dr. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for International Affairs, said: “We really appreciate the wisdom of HM the King and the RCO in this regard. Education plays an important role in the empowerment of women, especially in the areas of conflict. Bahrain is the one of the first to come out with an education system at Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan.” “The conference will provide a platform for intellectual and practical interaction between the humanitarian actors from all over the region.”

The overall purpose of the conference is to strengthen information sharing and promote partnerships among humanitarian organisations from the Middle East and the international humanitarian system. 

It creates a space for dialogue and a channel for sharing information between international, regional and local humanitarian organisations.

Malak Ansholie, a 15–year-old Class 10 student at the Bahrain School Centre in Zaatari Refugee Camp, said, “We are very much happy that we can continue our studies further, in spite of our struggle. We thank the Bahraini Government for its solidarity at this crucial time.” The school is part of Bahrain’s humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees.

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OICHF Director of Services and Operations Othman Al Abdul said, “We are one of the largest Islamic societies in the world, operating around 57 countries. Our department is trying to prepare the people for disaster and give them proper training on disaster management.” 

“We believe that all human beings have the right to live in a safe community and we are committed to the highest ethics and transparency,” he added.

“The Seventh Annual Conference for Effective Partnerships and Inform-ation Sharing for Better Humanitarian Action prov-ides an opportunity for humanitarian actors in the region and their partners  from the UN system to build on the gains made in the last six years in terms of enhancing humanitarian dialogue in the Gulf sub-region. It is also for  building consensus on how to address the core challenges faced by humanitarian organisations at all levels,” Dr. Iyad Nasr, Head of External and Media Relations – OCHA.

“There should be an effort to bring in a change. The vital agenda should be a call for global action to end the human suffering. The conference is the empowerment of affected people as the driving force of any humanitarian response through adapting the core standards of human value,” he explained. 

“For me, the conference will not only make better intellectual engagement of the actors from different parts of the world, but also concentrate on how to work unitedly, addressing common issues,” he added.

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