(Abu Dhabi, 26-3-2011):Dr. Younis Al Khatib, PRCS President, chaired the Society’s delegation to the 7th IFRC MENA Conference held in Abu Dhabi from 24 to 26 March 2011. The delegation also comprised Dr. Khaled Joudeh, PRCS Gaza General Director and member of PRCS’ Executive Committee and Dr. Wa’el Ka’adan, Head of PRCS’ Planning and Development Department.
Attended by delegations from 17 states as well as from International Federation of Red CrossRed Crescent Societies, the Conference discussed several vital regional and international issues relating to humanitarian work, including enhancing partnerships, increasing efficiency to improve living conditions and safeguard human dignity, supporting humanitarian action in line with IFRC 2020Strategy, means to enhance humanitarian standards and to broaden services provided by the International Red Cross/Crescent Movement to victims of disasters and crisis, enhancing voluntary action among young people, developing comprehensive humanitarian and voluntary action strategies and supporting National Societies’ capacities in all these vital areas.
Participants also discussed means to tackle the humanitarian situation in Libya and neighboring States, as well as strengthening the IM’s response to the humanitarian consequences of the dramatic events in Libya.
Dr. Al Khatib took the floor at the Conference to present PRCS’ experience in the field of humanitarian relief. He spoke in detail about the MoU signed between PRCS and Magen David Adom (MDA) in 2005 of which many articles are not respected by MDA, especially the ones on the freedom of movement of PRCS ambulances and medical crews. He also touched on MDA’s illegal operation in the occupied Palestinian Territory and in settlements built on occupied land.
Dr. Wael Ka’adan also made a brief presentation on the experience accumulated by PRCS during the past 42 years in the field of assisting war victims and providing relief aid not only in Palestine and neighboring areas but also in various regions of the world were disasters have struck.
On the sidelines of the Conference, Dr. Al Khatib and his accompanying delegation met with Red Cross representatives from France, Spain, the Netherlands and Norway, briefing them on conditions in Palestine and PRCS’ humanitarian action in the oPT and the Diaspora as well as oppressive measures by occupation authorities against PRCS teams, vehicles and facilities.
The Conference adopted a number of recommendations known as the “Abu Dhabi commitments” in which participants called for the opening of safe passages to convey assistance to those affected by events in several countries in the region, namely Libya.
The recommendations also included enhancing National Societies’ capacities to effectively handle rapid regional developments, increasing focus on disaster management and readiness, enhancing the role played by volunteers, developing partnerships with humanitarian action stakeholders and developing humanitarian diplomacy to support the work of National Societies. In a letter addressed to participants, Tadateru Konoé, IFRC President, lauded efforts made by volunteers from National societies who have played a leading humanitarian role to relief displaced populations in refugee camps on the Libyan-Egyptian and Libyan-Tunisian borders, mainly Red Crescent Societies from Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and the UAE.
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