UNIPATH STAFF
In November 2012, Qatar’s Deputy Premier and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmad bin Abdallah al-Mahmud announced the country’s plans to build a regional center for disaster and relief operations in Doha. The center will improve coordination between the military and civilian agencies in the event of a disaster.
A working group, led by members of Qatar’s Defense and Interior ministries, will complete the plans and get the center up and running. The project is part of the HOPEFOR Initiative — a U.N. project to improve civil–military operations. This type of coordination was essential during major disasters such as the 2010 floods in Pakistan and the earthquake in Haiti during the same year. During both crises, humanitarian agencies worked with the military to get food, water and medical supplies to people in need.
The Peninsula, Qatar’s HOPEFOR initiative