Sheikha Hessa Al Thani calls for protection of refugees in Arab Region

HE Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Thani, the Special Envoy of the Arab League Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs has praised the great efforts made by the State of Qatar on official, national and civil levels in the field of humanitarian and charity activity as well as assistance to refugees.

Addressing a press conference today, HE Sheikha Hessa described conditions of Arab refugees and displaced persons within their countries in the shadow of the painful Arab reality as "a badge of shame of the forehead of humanity", calling on all to support them and alleviate their suffering.

She stressed that she will benefit from her previous experiences specially when she occupied the post of the special rapporteur of the United Nations for disability affairs to support and champion refugees and affected people, noting that the most important means of such championing are field visits, documentation of events and conveying the image to all those who could have influence on changing this reality. In this respect, Sheikha Hessa referred to the visits she paid to syrian refugees in Syria's neighbouring countries and Yemeni refugees in Djibouti in addition to her visits to North Darfur and South Kordufan in Sudan.

She added that the many visits which she had planned to pay to refugees in the Arab region have postponed due to political complications and reasons beyond reach.
The UN official called for the innovation of new protection mechanisms as one of the means to support refugees that would be at a high level of legal criteria in order to provide protection at camps and ensure a decent and safe living to refugees, in addition to innovation of national protection by host states and governments as well as the concerned agencies including international organization and the refugees themselves.
Sheikha Hessa reviewed the missions she was entrusted to carry out since her appointment as the Special Envoy of the Arab League Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs in March 2013, explaining that her duties include field visits, preparation of studies and researches, filing of reports and the establishment of relations with humanitarian activities organizations especially in the Arab world, stressing that support should be on multi-party level rather than on the bilateral level and through cooperation to attract support and participation. She also pointed out that there are working programmes and a strategy for each year based on such missions and international humanitarian charters.

She underlined the importance of the work of all Arab humanitarian, charity and voluntary organization under one umbrella, confirming her readiness to shoulder the responsibility of realizing the required coordination in this field.

HE Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Thani also reviewed the future plan of action, noting that the humanitarian activity is not linked to frameworks or a post, saying that she will work to be present in this field even voluntarily. She called for serious thinking about regional humanitarian organizations working for the protection, development, support and championing of refugees everywhere in an official and non-offficial way, adding that Qatari, Gulf and Arab humanitarian organizations should work in a better and broader coordination with the Arab League Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs through such innovative mechanisms and to coordinate data in order to maintain the dignity of Arab citizens and refugees everywhere.

Responding to a question on the need for taking preventive measures to avert and minimize influx of refugees and displacement in the Arab region, HE Sheikha Hessa said it is the role of political leaders to exert effort to provide protection, stressing anew on the importance of championing and protecting refugees in the Arab region at present and in the future. She explained that she submitted those aspects at many international conference in the United Nations, Geneva and other conferences.

Sheikha Hessa also referred to the importance of mustering the capabilities of Syrian refugees through projects that can serve and benefit them, explaining the importance of partnerships in the regard in order to finance and turn such reports into a reality, in addition to the psychological and social rehabilitation of refugees. She noted that Qatari charitable and humanitarian societies are working to achieve such projects.

The Arab League envoy revealed that she will pay a visit to Germany to get briefed on the conditions of Syrian refugees there, pointing out that the visit will focus on the issue of education and its support at present and in the future.

At the outset of the press conference, a documentary film on the visit of the Arab League Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs to Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries and the Yemeni refugees in Djibouti was displayed.

Source: QNA