The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has expressed its pride of the UAE vision, which allowed the humanitarian agenda to be, for the first time, part of the programme of COP28.

OCHA said a full day was allocated to review and discuss the humanitarian agenda and OCHA was given full care and management of the Humanitarian Hub in the Green Zone.

The Hub’s objective is to showcase how climate-related disasters affect people in crisis situations and solutions and host discussions by local and international humanitarian partners, academics, private sector and governments.

Sajeda Shawa, Head of OCHA UAE Office told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of COP28, that: ”The UAE vision to support humanitarian affairs goes beyond COP28, given the fact that the UAE is one of the largest international donors for all humanitarian crises, including in Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Palestine, and anywhere around the world. We see UAE present through humanitarian institutions an
d the Emirates Red Crescent on a permanent basis and at decision-making tables in all United Nations platforms in cooperation with international organisations.”

She noted that the UAE’s host of COP28 has raised expectations.

Shawa said the Humanitarian Hub hosted 60 humanitarian partners from around the world who participated in more than 40 discussion panels. They reviewed their experiences and discussed several topics, including refugee affairs, internal displacement, food security, human rights, women and children, humanitarian financing mechanisms, and the impact of climate change and its threat to people like conflicts, disasters and wars, she added.

Source: Emirates News Agency