Qatar Red Crescent Society's (QRCS) 9th Disaster Management Camp (DMC-9) was launched today at Al-Khor Camp, under the slogan “Effective Preparedness and Better Response".
Under the patronage of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), the 10-day event is attended by 300 trainees and 40 trainers from the government, NGOs, and private sector of Qatar; National Societies of the region, and international humanitarian organizations.
DMC-9 is supported by the United Nations, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), General-Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and National Societies in the Middle East and North Africa.
During the day, the participants were admitted and registered as per relevant international procedures and standards. Then, the trainees were divided into teams and groups, and each person was given a package containing the uniform, personal and hygiene materials, and field relief tools.
After that, all participants underwent vital signs examinations at the medical clinic managed by QRCS's medical professionals, including blood sugar and pressure tests. Finally, all participants were accommodated to their fully furnished tents.
During the general meeting, Hussein Aman Al-Ali, head of DMC-9, emphasized the importance of saving lives, thanked the organizers for their great efforts, and hoped that this event would be another achievement in the name of Qatar.
In his speech, Mohamed Rashid Al-Marri, deputy head of DMC-9, welcomed the participants in Qatar. “Many people may think that this camp is in response to the Syria-Turkey earthquake. Actually, this camp has been planned for months, to be held at this time," he explained. “We pray for the injured, and may the souls of the deceased rest in peace. We are here to offer every form of help for the participants to achieve the best results, forming teams that serve their nations in case of disaster".
The event involves theoretical and practical training programs. In the morning training, the trainees are divided into six teams: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Gray, and Purple. They practice different areas of field relief: field assessment and coordination, emergency shelter, water and sanitation, food security and livelihood, health in emergencies, and emergency planning and operations room.
In the evening training, the trainees are divided into six groups, named after the Fundamental Principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, unity, and voluntary service. The groups attend training sessions on the following topics: basic humanitarian standards, media and communications in emergencies, restoring family links, safer access, psychological support, disaster management and response tools, and climate change.
By the end of the event, all teams and groups will have practiced all the topics and training areas. Also, there will be unexpected disaster simulations that engage the trainees in real-life scenarios, in which they have to apply the information and skills acquired during the training.
The list of sponsors and contributors to DMC-9 includes: the Ministry of Public Health (the official sponsor), the Civil Defense Council, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Qatar Media Corporation (the media sponsor), the Authority Public Works (Platinum Sponsor), Qatar Charity (Golden Sponsor), Dukhan Bank (Golden Sponsor), Al Meera (Silver Sponsor), Safari Hypermarket (Silver Sponsor), Katara Cultural Village (Cultural Partner), Vodafone Qatar (Communication Partner), Lekhwiya, Hamad Medical Corporation, Social and Sports Support Fund, Al Jazeera Media Network.