The Ministry of Municipality is committed to carrying out many initiatives, projects, and services that support humanitarian action, whether for the public, or the ministry's staff, particularly the labourers who represent a large segment of the ministry's cadres.
This comes within the framework of the ministry's strategic objectives to promote societal engagement, raise the level of standard of living and life quality, as well as provide a healthy and safe work environment for all.
In a statement to mark the World Humanitarian Day Saturday, the ministry highlighted the initiatives and services it provides.
The ministry had inaugurated the first phase of the project of the integrated worker accommodation communities facilities in 2015 within Qatar's plan to secure a permanent accommodation for workers that offers an appropriate environment for all services -- health, social, religious and entertainment -- complying with the latest global standards and specifications. It has allocated lands to seven sites of worker accommodation.
In addition, the ministry has inaugurated a new building for worker accommodation in the Al Shamal Industrial Area which offers decent life for craftsmen and workers. The building has been designed to cover the overall health and subsistence needs of the workers.
The ministry, represented by Public Parks Department, has allocated playgrounds for persons with disabilities, the most prominent of which is Al Legtaifiya Park, where a playground has been constructed for wheelchair users, in addition to allocating comprehensive playground and sports equipment to enhance their societal integration.
Al Legtaifiya Park is a first-of-its-kind park in Qatar that offers facilities for persons with disabilities, as well as children of various age groups and abilities to play together.
The Public Parks Department, in collaboration with two private sector companies, has placed several gym and workout equipment in two areas of Corniche, including some equipment dedicated to children and persons with disabilities to encourage them to practise sports in addition to their integration with the public.
The ministry's Urban Planning Affairs Sector gives priority to persons with disabilities and their needs to fully absorb them in the plans for municipalities and various cities to make them feel that they are part and parcel of the balanced and harmonised Qatari society.
The Qatar National Development Framework (QNDF) adopts a set of strategies and policies for persons with disabilities, including the right of access to urban centres and buildings, the right of access to societal services, the right to appropriate accommodation, special right to parking slots near to the buildings' entrances and various utility sites, the right to unfettered access to wander the streets and public places, as well as their right of access and movement around public and private buildings and service facilities.
The building code accredited by the Ministry of Municipality, Qatar Society of Engineers, alongside relevant entities at the Ministry of Social Development and Family, has been prepared and includes public and private buildings' compliance with the requirements of persons with disabilities in the community, to ensure the provision of the standards concerning entrances, walkways, and entry ramps, along with internal movement, building perimeter's passages, vertical movement (elevators), standards related to toilets WC and their equipment.
This is in addition to equipping buildings with accessibility and disabled guide signs to facilitate the use of buildings, combining requirements of disabled people in phone booths, mailboxes, water coolers, ATMs, etc.
The Ministry of Municipality is also keen to protect all workers in various sectors, departments, and municipalities. The General Cleanliness Department provided hand push cleaning carts with shades at the end of 2019 with appropriate designs and high technical specifications to protect workers from the sun during summer and rainy seasons.
Al Wakrah Municipality has carried out an initiative to distribute sun-blocking umbrellas to the municipality's workers at construction sites during summer to maintain their safety and protect them from risks of heat stroke and heat stress.
The municipality also distributes protection tools to workers during their fieldwork, delivers awareness lectures and holds workshops in collaboration with health institutions, charities, and voluntary associations.
