Australian ambassador to Qatar Jonathan Muir visited Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) yesterday in order to build humanitarian partnership between QRCS and the Australian Red Cross.
He was received by QRCS executive director, engineer Ibrahim Abdullah al-Maliki, and Dr Fawzi Oussedik, head of International Relations and International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The purpose of the visit was to explore potential humanitarian projects where the two National Societies can work together, as members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Muir was introduced to QRCS’s diverse portfolio of work, mainly relief interventions in disaster-stricken countries near Australia, like Papua New Guinea.
Engineer al-Maliki welcomed the opportunity to co-operate with the Australian Red Cross towards the common humanitarian goals. “We have 22 foreign missions across Asia and Africa,” he said. “They play an effective role in helping the victims of emergencies, notably the crisis of refugees from Myanmar to Bangladesh.”
Ambassador Muir stated, “Like Australia, Qatar is a major provider of humanitarian assistance globally. I was pleased to meet engineer al-Maliki and his team to gain a fuller understanding of Qatar Red Crescent’s operations, including in Australia’s region, and discuss possible areas of collaboration”.
During the meeting, the Australian Red Cross was invited to participate in the coming Disaster Management Camp (DMC).
Then, the guest took a tour of the world-class Disaster Information Management Center (DIMC). A presentation was given by Subhi Fahid Ejjeh, head of Disaster Preparedness at QRCS, on the vision, activities, and capability of the newly opened facility.
Through high-tech communications with other peers worldwide, DIMC is well-equipped to provide real-time disaster identification, collect up-to-date information, and co-ordinate closely with fellow National Societies and international humanitarian organisations.