(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Ayeni Olusegun |
The Peninsula
Qatar will host the United Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) meeting, which will begin in Doha today and run until March 11.
During a press conference yesterday, officials also disclosed that Qatar has been selected as the leader of the INSARAG regional group of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East for 2023.
Lieutenant-Colonel Mubarak Sherida Al Kaabi, Qatar International Search and Rescue Group Leader, said that the INSARAG hybrid meeting would boost communication and exchange experiences among participating teams.
He added that the conference would be attended by about 60 participants, both in attendance and virtually. Besides, four organisations under the UN, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, will participate.
“This meeting will benefit the participants in future tasks while taking up efforts to develop global standards for the rapid response of international search and rescue teams during emergencies,” Lt. Col Al Kaabi said.
The INSARAG Urban Search and Rescue Team Leaders (TL) Meeting and Working Group (WG) Meetings will have 65 participants from 33 countries, while an accompanying event on the sidelines of the conference will allow invited companies to display the latest devices and equipment for search and rescue missions.
Al Kaabi noted that Qatar, on the directives of the Commander of Lekhwiya H E Major General Abdulaziz bin Faisal Al Thani, had submitted a request to host the conference. Qatar last hosted the event in 2014.
Al Kaabi said joint exercises would be held on the first two days as part of the meeting to exchange experiences and training in the latest methods of search and rescue missions.
Meanwhile, Winston Chang, INSARAG Global Lead and Unit Head, Emergency Response Section, stressed that Qatar's recognition as the regional leader would help facilitate cooperation and participation of many disaster-prone countries.
“Qatar has been a strong partner in preparedness for effective response. I am glad that Qatar has taken on the leadership of the INSARAG regional group of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East for 2023.' Winston Chang added, 'This is important because as the world opens up (from the COVID-19 pandemic), we are looking at more cooperation and participation of many disaster-prone countries so that they are ready to handle disasters properly.”
Chang also praised Qatar's commitment to INSARAG and its response to global disasters, citing the Beirut blast and the wildfires in Greece and Turkey.
“Qatar through the years has played an important role, especially in the region. They have responded to the explosion in Beirut. Qatar team is internationally recognised, but what is important is Qatar has an asset that can be deployed to support affected countries,” he added.
According to Chang, the INSARAG meeting in Doha hopes to ensure experts from different countries come together to share experiences.
“This edition is special because we have not met for a long time. So, this is the first in-person meeting, and we have seen that coming together face-to-face is a big difference. What is important is that we have had many experiences through the last months. All our teams have been on the frontline of COVID-19; we hope to learn from these lessons.”
INSARAG's secretariat falls within the Emergency Response Section (ERS) of the Response Support Branch (RSB) of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva.
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