DATE
January 10, 2021
CATEGORY
News & Press Releases
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Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and the supervision and support of Dubai Future Council on Humanitarian Aid, the 17th edition of Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition – DIHAD, the leading humanitarian gathering in the region, will be held from the 15th to the 17th of March, 2021 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Running under the theme ‘Aid and Coronavirus, a focus on Africa’, DIHAD 2021 aims to highlight the most critical and covid challenges facing people in Africa while also addressing the needs of humanitarian aid workers working in trying conditions in the ‘humanitarian continent’.
DIHAD 2021 comes at a time when the vast continent totaling an estimated 1.3 billion people in 54 countries, faces multiple humanitarian challenges including conflicts, disasters, forced migration, refugees crises, undernutrition, climate change and internal displacement, which are having profound adverse impacts on the African continent. With some predicting the continent’s population to reach 2.4 billion by 2050, DIHAD aims to specifically focus on the most important areas of concern in Africa, exchange and review past experiences, explore and identify best practices and focus on a viable approach towards sustainable development of the rich African continent.
This year, DIHAD is expected to attract over 6,000 visitors and participants from over 84 countries over the 3 days. While the conference features the presence of 50 world renowned experts in the field of humanitarian aid who will offer their insights and experiences on the most critical humanitarian challenges in Africa, the premier humanitarian gathering will witness 8 high quality sessions and 14 dedicated workshops about exploring news ways to address the needs of people in dire situations in Africa.
While commenting on the occasion, Ambassador Gerhard J.W. Putman-Cramer, Director of DIHAD and DISAB, said, “Given the number and severity of Africa’s ongoing challenges on the one hand and the continent’s wealth in terms of resources and potential on the other, the DIHAD International Scientific Advisory Board has decided to have the 17th edition of DIHAD highlight selected areas of concern in Africa and review the aid that is brought to bear in attempts to effectively address them. We have included a vast array of partners in the discussions that are to take place during the event, including donors and recipients, aid practitioners and those evaluating the impact of aid, governments, international organizations, specialized agencies, NGOs, the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement, academics and the private sector.”
He added, “While best practices will be duly identified and recognized, we are hopeful that a number of constructive recommendations will result from our exchanges and that these, once implemented, will indeed have a positive impact.”
In its 17th edition, DIHAD focuses its attention on many topics related to the theme ‘Aid and Coronavirus, a focus on Africa’ during a few sessions such as the ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises; climate change; population growth, education and employment; aid flows and economic growth; food crisis, gender and resilience ; exacerbated health challenges and, as a Special Session, the shaping of African Futures beyond Covid-19.
In addition, DIHAD will present a Pre-Conference Workshop program in collaboration with UNOCHA featuring discussions related to humanitarian aid in Africa such as ‘Overview of Humanitarian Aid in Africa; A Complex Content’, ‘Challenges Facing Humanitarian Aid in Africa’, and ‘Future of Humanitarian Aid in Africa’.