Fifth Shafallah Forum to Kick off Tomorrow

Doha, January 21 (QNA) - The Fifth International Shafallah Forum, organized by the Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs, is to kick off on Sunday. The forum will bring together global leaders and established experts to discuss the impact of natural disasters, conflicts and displacement on the disabled. The Fifth International Shafallah Forum comes under the theme of "Crisis, Conflicts and Disability: Ensuring Equality". This year s focal point in the forum will be the challenges people with special needs faced during the ongoing crises and conditions in refugee camps in the Middle East and Africa, in addition to the recent natural disasters in Japan, Haiti, Pakistan and the U.S. The forum aims to shed the light on the impact of crises and conflicts on individuals with special needs as an issue that didn't draw much of global attention in the recent years. The forum brings together 250 governmental officials, key experts and people with special needs to discuss and review the latest developments in inclusive planning for emergencies so as to guarantee the protection and safety of the disabled in cases of armed conflict, humanitarian crises and natural disasters. Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs was established at the behest of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser to meet the demands of the Qatari society to establish a centre that provides comprehensive services to children with special needs. The centre is a non-profit, private facility providing diagnosis, evaluation, training, and development services for children with all forms of disabilities aged 3 to 21. (QNA)