UN humanitarian chief encourages strong partnership with Oman [EN/AR]

(Muscat/New York, 23 January 2012): Valerie Amos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, today made her first official visit to the Sultanate of Oman to further strengthen the Sultanate’s humanitarian partnership with OCHA.

“The relationship between Oman and OCHA has developed substantially in recent years, and OCHA attaches great importance to the increasing role of the Sultanate in regional and international humanitarian affairs,” Ms. Amos said.

“Oman has built a strong national capacity to respond to natural disasters and shown its commitment to disaster preparedness through a comprehensive reorganization of its disaster management and emergency response systems,” Ms. Amos said. “Oman has a wealth of experience to share with the entire international humanitarian community, and OCHA stands ready to support and facilitate any such exchange of information and knowledge.”

Examples of collaboration include a workshop in Muscat in January 2010 which established the Regional Humanitarian Information Network for the Middle East and Oman’s hosting of the UNDAC Induction Course for the Arab World in 2009, which trained disaster responders from the region in humanitarian coordination and assessment. Oman is also an active participant in the global International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) network of countries and organizations dedicated to urban search and rescue and operational field coordination.

During her one-day official visit, Ms. Amos met with senior Omani officials including H.E. General Hassan bin Salem Al-Shoraiqi, Inspector-General of Police and Customs and Chairman of the National Committee for Civil Defense; H.E. Bader Al Borsaidi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Ali Ibrahim Shenoon Al-Raisi, Executive Chairman of Oman Charitable Organization.