Under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) is planning to hold its Sixth Disaster Management Camp from March 31 to April 9, 2015, at the Al Khor Marine Scout Camp.
Involving 300 trainees from both within and outside Qatar, the camp will be held in co-ordination with several Qatari institutions in addition to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations and the General Secretariat of the Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.
Among the partners who will contribute to the event are the Permanent Committee for Emergency, Qatar Scouts and Guide Association and many other government and non-government organisations.
This recognition of the camp is a reflection of the importance attached by the State to dealing with natural disasters and international co-operation to face them and reduce their impact. Capacity-building is a national priority under Qatar National Vision 2030 and the only way to create a culture of preparedness and promote important disaster response tools in the world, according to a statement.
The next camp has been in the process of preparation since October. Many public and private sector bodies and companies were invited to participate in the event so as to attract a new genre of volunteers from those institutions to receive training on how to be prepared for dealing with disasters.
This year, trainees from over 20 Red Crescent societies will attend the camp in addition to specialised disaster management trainers and experts.
QRC secretary-general Saleh bin Ali al-Mohannadi said, “The Disaster Management Camp is an event that distinguishes QRC not only inside Qatar, but also across the region. Awaited by many local and international government and non-government organisations, it is the only Arabic-speaking specialised training of such a scale.”
Rashid bin Saad al-Mohannadi, director of the camp, urged the Qatari society to be more aware of the importance of disaster preparedness and mobilise resources to establish a family and society where the culture of preparedness is a general behaviour and not mere information.
The programme involves theoretical and hands-on training. The theoretical part introduces extensive training in disaster management to educate the trainees on international standards and concepts, such as Sphere standards, psychological support, international humanitarian law, secure access and resorting family links.
The practical part involves dividing participants into field teams, including teams for field assessment & co-ordination, healthcare, water & sanitation, food & distribution, sheltering, registration, logistics and media.
The teams will manage and run the camp throughout the training duration. On the last day, all groups will perform a disaster simulation scenario in co-ordination with relevant partners in Qatar.
QRC successfully organised five training camps in 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013 and 2014, graduating hundreds of volunteers who later played an effective role in responding with QRC to many disasters in other countries.