International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent call to human Matdfh due to climate change

Doha, December 05 (QNA) - Head of the delegation of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to the Climate Change Conference (COP 18) Dr Mohammed bin Ghanem al-Ali al-Maadheed who is also Vice Chairman of the Federation's Asia-Pacific region and President of Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) said matters concern IFRC Societies in this conference are not negotiations taking place in it, but rather the humanitarian price and what the humanity pays because of climate change.      Addressing a press conference held today on the sidelines of the COP 18 Conference, currently under way at Qatar National Convention Centre, Dr. Al-Maadheed referred to the Federation's big challenges and fears including the lack of agreement or commitment for funding not only in the long term but even in the short term.     He added that there is concern that this problem will last for a long time and thus exacerbate the suffering of communities that will not be able to deal with these problems when disasters occur.     He explained that the delegation came to the conference to urge and encourage the gathering leaders to take positive decisions, and to say to them let's move significantly in the field to help communities on the ground.     "We do not get adequate funding'', Al-Maadheed said explaining that emergency and development programmes are suffering from a lack of funding and "the need on the ground is exceeding our capabilities and things are not getting better but getting worse."     He pointed out that the IFRC, which comprises 187 countries and is participating in the conference with a delegation representing 13 million volunteers, is seeking through its participation to attract the attention of policy makers to the category which is most at risk from the effects of climate change, and to highlight the growing need to ensure better preparedness to withstand disasters linked to climate change such as drought, floods and extreme weather conditions