Tribune News Network
Doha
Together with other components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the United Nations, and international humanitarian organisations, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) marked World Humanitarian Day on August 19.
Held under the theme #ActForHumanity, this year’s World Humanitarian Day coincided with the 75th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions 1949 and the 160th anniversary of the First Geneva Convention 1864.
Humanitarian action in conflict zones faces many complex challenges, amid an alarming increase of attacks against humanitarian workers, jeopardizing their lives and disrupting relief aid delivery to victims.
Hospitals and medical centres in conflict zones are subject to systematic attacks that destroy health care infrastructure and make it impossible to provide health care for wounded and sick civilians.
QRCS has reemphasised the important role played by humanitarian workers, who lend a hand at times of distress and suffering to millions of crisis-affected people. They have to be protected while doing their vital job, in accordance with the letter and spirit of international humanitarian law (IHL), which prohibits any form of violation against civilians, relief personnel, and medical facilities in conflict areas.
On this important anniversary, QRCS has called upon world leaders and decision-makers to cherish the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, through international pressure to respect and enforce IHL, awareness-raising about humanitarian protections, and promotion of humanitarian diplomacy as a vital tool to alleviate the suffering of civilians during armed conflicts.
Humanitarian diplomacy helps reach out to the most affected populations, ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, and create safer access to target areas.
Negotiation is another instrument to resolve conflicts. Real progress in addressing these challenges can be made only by pushing for negotiation, mediation, and ceasefire, ultimately putting an end to conflicts. Stronger commitment is needed from governments in this respect.
Qatar is a good example of leading humanitarian diplomatic work. It not only provides meaningful and timely humanitarian aid, but also plays an effective role in negotiation and mediation between conflicting parties, as seen in Gaza, Sudan, and many other countries.
Faisal Mohamed Al-Emadi, secretary-general of QRCS, participated in a seminar titled “Challenges to Humanitarian Aid Delivery in Areas of Armed Conflict”, co-organised by Al Jazeera Public Liberties and Human Rights Centre and Al Jazeera Mubasher in celebration of World Humanitarian Day.
Al-Emadi said, “As humanitarian organisations, we face enormous challenges, amid protracted and extremely complex armed conflicts, which result in large numbers of refugees and displaced persons and total destruction of services. These challenges cannot be addressed individually. Coordination and teamwork are required. It is a collective responsibility. We must all work together as governments, organisations, donors, media outlets, and public opinion”.
“The future of humanitarian work depends on our ability to adapt to the growing challenges, organise better, and best utilise our resources,” he added. “In this regard, it is critical to support local efforts and empower locally-led humanitarian action, to allow rapid and effective crisis response”.
In cooperation with Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa), QRCS’s Volunteering and Local Development Division participated in the World Humanitarian Day celebration program.
Hussein Aman Al-Ali, director of the Division, delivered a lecture on “Humanitarian Work as an Inherent Culture in Qatari Society”. At the end of the lecture, he announced an institutional volunteering project jointly with Kahramaa.
In the same vein, QRCS held an online workshop for its members titled “Raising Community Awareness on How to Deal with Persons with Disabilities”.
