Tribune News Network
Doha
Kate Forbes, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), made a two-day high-profile visit to Qatar. She was here to take part in several meetings and activities, in cooperation with Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS).
At the headquarters of QRCS, she held a meeting with Yousef bin Ali Al-Khater, president, Faisal Mohamed Al-Emadi, secretary-general, and Dr. Aiham Ismail Al-Sukhni, head of international relations. The meeting was attended by Liana Ghukasyan, special advisor to IFRC president, and Yara Yassine, head of strategic partnerships and resource mobilization at IFRC – Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Al-Emadi took Forbes and the delegation accompanying her on a tour of Al-Hemailah Workers’ Health Centre, operated by QRCS in the New Industrial Area under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). She praised the quality medical services provided for up to 2,000 patients per day.
The tour was attended by Abdullah Sultan Al-Qatan, executive director of the Medical Affairs Division at QRCS, Dr. Hassan Ali Qassim, chief medical officer (CMO), Ahmed Saoud Jassim, acting emergency medical services (EMS) director, and Dr. Murhaf Al-Akshar, the centre director.
The delegation visited QRCS’s Disaster Information Management Centre (DIMC), with Dr. Mohamed Salah Ibrahim, director of Relief and International Programs Division, present.
They watched a detailed presentation on the activities and resources of DIMC, the intervention process during local and international emergencies, and the outcomes of the field training Disaster Management Camp.
In collaboration with the Centre for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS), Forbes delivered a public lecture entitled Protection of Children in Disaster, Emergency, and Crisis Situations.
It was attended by Al-Emadi, Dr. Ibrahim, Basma Tabaja, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mission in Qatar, a number of ambassadors, QRCS members, Doha Institute academics and students.
With the participation of Forbes, Al-Emadi inaugurated a two-day workshop on ‘Advancing Crisis Response in Health through QRCS and ICRC Partnership’. The ceremony was attended by Willem de Jonge, deputy head of ICRC Regional Delegation in GCC, Tabaja, Dr. Ibrahim, and Jassim.
Al-Emadi and Forbes took part in the five-day Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop on Focused MHPSS Activities for Groups, co-organized by QRCS and IFRC. Forbes visited QRCS’s section at KidZania Doha, together with Al-Emadi and Hussein Aman Al-Ali, director of Volunteering and Local Development Division.
To mark the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions 1949, an arts exhibition titled Dialogues on Humanity was inaugurated by Forbes, Al-Emadi, and Tabaja, in the presence of Sheikha Hanouf Abdulrahman Al Thani, director of International Organizations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), and many ambassadors and representatives of local/international government organizations and NGOs.
Scheduled to run until September 29, the 40-photograph exhibition is co-organized by the Embassy of Switzerland in Qatar, QRCS, ICRC, and the Lausanne-based Photo Élysée.