HOPEFOR Initiative Calls for Enhancing Natural Disaster Management

Doha, November 27 (QNA) - Participants in the International Conference on the " HOPEFOR Initiative -Improving effectiveness and coordination of military and civil defence assets for natural disaster response" have called for the creation of a database aimed at supporting and managing large scale relief operations along with other means of enhancing international coordination in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. A number of experts taking part at a work session held in the framework of the conference, which started here today, affirmed the importance of adherence to humanitarian principles while dealing with natural disasters. HE the Assistant Foreign Minister For Follow Up Affairs Mohammed bin Abdullah Rumaihi, who moderated the session, said the State of Qatar has launched in 2010 an initiative aimed at improving the effectiveness and coordination of military and civil defence assets for natural disaster response together with the Dominican Republic and Turkey. He further stressed the need to improve the abilities and skills of the civil defense and army staff in the field of humanitarian aid, urging the international community to create a database aimed at supporting and managing large scale relief operations. For his part, Captain Khamees al Merikhi from the Search and Rescue Team under the Internal Security Force (Lekhoya) reviewed the missions, which were carried out by the Qatari team since its creation in 2004, refering to the 7.6-magnitude earthquake, which occured in Indonesia in 2009 While HE Ambassador Toni Frisch, Chair of the Consultative group on the United Nations Military and Civil Defence Assets (UN MCDA) said the HOPEFOR conference is an important platform to exchange experiences. He also underlined the importance of implementing the humanitarian principles and values while dealing with natural disasters, taking advantage of all similar initiatives and assessing the needs of victims. (QNA)