UAE Foreign Aid Coordination Office Concludes Workshop on Coordination for Humanitarian Emergency Field Response
Coordination is the basis of strategic humanitarian operations
Abu Dhabi, 23 June 2009: The UAE Foreign Aid Coordination Office (FACO), in coordination with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), organized a workshop called “Coordination for Humanitarian Emergency Field Response” that was attended by representatives of UAE government and non-government donor organizations including the UAE Red Crescent, Dubai Cares, the Armed Forces, Presidential Affairs office, and other charitable organizations.
Held in Abu Dhabi at the Intercontinental Hotel, the workshop follows the directives of HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to support and coordinate UAE humanitarian activities abroad. The workshop also enjoyed the support of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the guidance of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region, President of UAE Foreign Aid Coordination Office.
The workshop highlighted the importance of coordination between local organizations in the event of humanitarian crises, specifically in the areas of transportation, warehousing of supplies and communications in the form of an on-ground media center providing UAE organizations with information from the crisis area.
Hazza Al Qahtani, Director General of FACO, said: “The consensus from today’s workshop is that coordination is essential. It is through proper coordination that organizations can work together, effectively, to eliminate duplication, thereby increasing efficiency and, ultimately, maximizing the impact of UAE humanitarian contributions and interventions around the world. ”
Mukhtar Ali Farah, Head of the Liaison Office in Dubai, Regional Office of ROMENACA said: “I am glad to work with FACO in building the capacities of UAE based NGO’s and to alleviate the gap between the relief and development.”
Abdallah Al Mahmoud, Manager of Voluntary Work and Manager of the Higher Commission of Emergency and Disaster Management, pointed out the workshop was an excellent opportunity for participants to discuss real difficulties and to lay the groundwork for local NGOs to work together to find practical solutions to facilitate their work.
Dr. Sarhan Mohammad Al Niadi, a doctor in the Armed Forces Field Hospital, added: “It is the first time we get to know our partners in the UAE humanitarian work. Workshops such as these are key in helping coordinate the efforts of the various UAE-based humanitarian organizations.”
The objective of the workshop included providing UAE-based NGOs, charitable establishments and other government departments a platform to discuss their needs to and challenges in creating an effective humanitarian response mechanism. Also, the workshop helped evaluate the existing preparedness capacities of UAE-based organizations, which will enable FACO and its partners to develop a blueprint to coordinate humanitarian interventions.
UAE FACO was established in 2008 to document both past and future UAE-based government and non-government organizations and to coordinate future global humanitarian and developmental activities originating in the UAE. FACO will also build and boost the capacity of UAE donors as well as to support the UAE’s role in setting the agenda for global humanitarian aid through its active participation in relevant local and international forums.
