Volunteers participating in the disaster management camp at Al Khor.
DOHA: About 150 volunteers are taking part in the fourth edition of a training camp on disaster management, organised by Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) in Al Khor.
They will earn certificates from the International Committee of the Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and QRC.
The volunteers, at the 10-day camp which started on Monday, are divided into groups.
Each group will be trained on the following: Field assessment, registration, shelter, logistics, water and sanitation, media and communications, health, nutrition and distribution.
Experts taking part in the camp, such as Subhi Al Ijja from Red Crescent Jordan, explained what preparation is, what it comprises, its surrounding elements and other topics, with a broader focus on the concept of preparing in the field of humanitarian relief.
Al Ijja explained to volunteers the criteria used in the selection of needs with surrounding details of the items that should be distributed as relief.
He also addressed the transfer process from the outside, the transport management process on the inside and the methods of storage management and follow-up of relief products.
The standards of the International Federation which comprise five priorities for specific relief materials — the appropriate access, appropriate place, appropriate timing, type and number — were also explained to the participants.
He added that logistics involve intervention teams carrying out the assessment and survey process and helping programme managers through providing them with information about products and logistics tools.
A Social and Humanitarian Tent has been set up on the sidelines of the camp to host lectures, like that of Mohammed bin Ghanem Al Ali Al Maadheed, Chairman of QRC Board of Directors and vice president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The expert talked about The Impact of Arab Spring on Humanitarian Work.
“We meet today at an historical stage that is crucial to this nation, region, and possibly the whole world”, he said.
He also spoke about the hope they bring along and the need to extend support to the crises affected communities during difficult times and the need for the Arab nations to have confidence in its longstanding civilisation.
“There is no doubt that this nation has problems in terms of physical strength, but our true strength is our cultural heritage and belief that we are a civilised nation that refuses to live on the sidelines of history. This belief is held by every member of this nation, young or old, rich or poor”, he stated.
The Peninsula
