Doha, September 26 (QNA) - The Health Humanitarian Diplomacy workshop, co-organized by Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) and the Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies at the University of Geneva, has been concluded in Doha.
Held under the title "Reconstructing health systems after war in the Arab World", the five-day event consolidated the concepts of traditional diplomacy and post-conflict recovery, with a special focus on the key themes of reconstruction, localization, and community empowerment/self-reliance.
The closing ceremony was attended by Acting Secretary-General of QRCS, Abdullah Sultan Al Qattan HE Ambassador of Switzerland to the State of Qatar, Florence Tinguely Mattli and Director of the Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, Prof. Karl Blanchet.
Moderated by Prof. Sultan Barakat, an academic fellow at the Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, the sessions brought together participants from QRCS, the University of Geneva, Turkiye's IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS). Several keynote speakers and experts gave in-person and virtual presentations.
As part of the workshop's agenda, the participants visited QRCS's Disaster Information Management Center (DIMC) and were introduced to the mechanisms of disaster response, field relief interventions, and Movement-wide coordination.
HE Ambassador Mattli said that humanitarian diplomacy is at the core of the cooperation between Qatar and Switzerland, pointing that the joint program represents the beginning of a long collaboration that can really build a strong alliance for the good of people in need.
For his part, Dr. Sultan Barakat, an academic fellow at the Geneva Centre for Humanitarian Studies, commended the partnership with the Qatar Red Crescent, highlighting its pioneering role and growing regional and international influence. He noted that delivering aid to the most challenging areas, particularly the Gaza Strip and Syria, requires intensive diplomatic efforts to ensure that support reaches those entitled to it.
Barakat also warned of the mounting challenges and pressures facing international humanitarian work. Foremost among these are the widening gap between actual needs and available funding, declining political support for humanitarian organizations, and the erosion of principles and application of double standards, manifested in the targeting of aid workers and the widespread destruction of infrastructure. (QNA)