International Humanitarian City (IHC) was a strategic partner of the recently concluded 3rd UAE Emergency Response Forum & Emirates Humanitarian Conference, 2011 in Abu Dhabi, along with the UAE Mobile Hospital Working Group.

The two day forum, from January 4th to 5th 2011, focused on the efforts to provide excellent medical services, as well as training activities to develop the quality of medical response and healthcare professionals in the UAE.

The opening ceremony was attended by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi & H.E. Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassim, Minister of Health. Ms. Makiya Al Hajiri, CEO of IHC, spoke at the opening ceremony. “Through our member organizations, who work every day in some of the worst affected parts of the world, IHC understands that fast and effective humanitarian & medical aid during disasters is especially critical and life-saving. We encourage all efforts towards promoting awareness campaigns & training in the humanitarian field, and were therefore happy to extend our support to this forum.”

The two days provided a useful platform to raise awareness about the work being done in the UAE and also to begin developing a cadre of professionals in the UAE who can deal with various disasters effectively. The range of issues covered, as well as promoting the use of technology and science in the field of disaster response, made the forum truly informative and effective.