Prince Hassan calls for empowering refugees

DUBAI — Wherever refugees are, they need education and they seek to get it, and “we have to empower them by providing the best tools and means,” HRH Prince Hassan said Tuesday.

In a keynote address at the 12th Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development (DIHAD) Conference and Exhibition, Prince Hassan said the Arab region is facing a humanitarian existential crisis which creates challenges and threats, most important of which is the increasing number of refugees.

In this regard, he called for investing in flexibility and determination, in addition to working on cooperation mechanisms to guarantee and sustain regional stability without considering the refugee crisis from a purely statistical perspective.

HRH Princess Haya inaugurated DIHAD, which will continue until Thursday, and is held under the patronage of  Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum — vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai.

Prince Hassan said it is the next generations that matter and the conference represents a good opportunity to help and empower their future.

Around 396 specialised companies representing 66 countries, in addition to regional and international relief experts are taking part in this year’s DIHAD.

Inaugurating the conference, Princess Haya highlighted the great responsibility that all share to improve the lives of humans, referring to the model the UAE presents in this field.

She said communities bear the responsibility of creating economic opportunities by giving greater attention to education, health and social services, encouraging creativity and finding proper economic mechanisms that would enhance growth rates.

There are 835 million people suffering chronic hunger, and 2 billion others suffering undernourishment and anaemia around the world, Princess Haya noted, calling for action programmes that guarantee increasing the efficiency of relief aid to create productive communities instead of aid-recipient ones.