DIHAD 2008 commences on April 8

DIHAD is sponsored by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Est., and is officially supported by the UAE Red Crescent Society, the United Nations.

More than 450 companies, UN aid agencies and non-governmental Charity organisations will feature their products and services.

A UN OCHA Workshop will precede DIHAD 2008 main conference on 7th April 2008, and Free Side Events on WatSan (Water and Sanitation), Telecommunications and the Environment. Index Conferences and Exhibitions Organisation Est., organisers of the DIHAD today confirmed that there would be a special UN OCHA Pre-Conference Workshop, followed by three free side events taking place during the course of DIHAD 2008, focusing on Water & Sanitation (WatSan), Telecommunications, and Environmental Emergencies.

At the opening of the DIHAD 2008 event itself - on Tuesday next week - Sir John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs & Emergency Relief Coordinator, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Affairs (OCHA) will make the keynote address.

The special UN OCHA Pre-Conference Workshop on Monday 7th April (World Health Day) - 'Introduction to the Humanitarian Response System' - will cover coordination of international humanitarian assistance, emphasising the roles of OCHA, the RC, HC and cluster coordination, plus the role of humanitarian organisations, international response mechanisms to natural disasters, humanitarian law, humanitarian financing and donor coordination.

The three special side events subsequently taking place during the course of DIHAD 2008 will all be held in the Workshop Area in Exhibition Hall No.5, Dubai International Exhibition Centre:


• 'Water and Sanitation: New Dimensions of Potential Crises and Opportunities'
Led by Professor Paul Sherlock, UNICEF, IASC WASH Cluster Lead
(17:00 to 18:45, Tuesday, 8th April 2008)


• 'Telecommunication Innovations and Their Humanitarian Impacts'
Led by Mr. Cherif Ghaly, UN OCHA, Switzerland
(13:00 to 14:15, Wednesday, 9th April 2008)


• 'Humanitarian Aid and Environmental Emergencies'
Led by Dr. Vladimir B. Sakharov, UN OCHA, Environment Unit, Switzerland
(13:00 to 14:15, Thursday, 10th April 2008)
There will also be another special side event - again taking place in the Workshop Area in Exhibition Hall Number 5 - during the morning break (11:30-12:00) on Wednesday 9th April 2008, for the launch of UNICEF's Humanitarian Action Report.

The overarching theme of the three day conference 'Humanitarian Challenges of the Future' focuses on the most pressing international humanitarian aid and development issues, discussing the dynamics and dimensions of humanitarian threats by 2020 - climate change, resource scarcity, pandemics, nuclear incidents and even asteroids - incorporating regional perspectives and the role of prevention and preparedness.

It will examine persistent operational problems, new dimensions of potential crises and opportunities in key areas such as Water & Sanitation, Telecommunications, and Humanitarian Aid and Environmental Emergencies, with dedicated side events for these areas.

Mr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, President INDEX Holding said: 'DIHAD has successfully established itself as the largest humanitarian event in the Middle East and is fast gaining international recognition. It has maintained steady growth since 2004 in the number of participants in both the conference and exhibition.

'In addition, the First Humanitarian Youth Forum will be organised in conjunction with DIHAD 2008, designed to allow participating humanitarian organisations to identify potential volunteers to support their programmes. More importantly, it will give students the chance to learn more about these organisations and the potential of conducting their community service hours with them.'