Secretary-General of QRCS, Ali bin Hassan Al Hammadi (second right), with Médecins Sans Frontières representative Antoine Bieler (third right), and other QRCS officials at the meeting.
Doha: Secretary-General of Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) Ali bin Hassan Al Hammadi met yesterday Antoine Bieler, who is Humanitarian Representative of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the Middle East and North Africa.
The meeting was attended by Abdullah Sultan Al Qatan, Executive Director of the Medical Affairs Division at QRCS, and Dr. Fawzi Oussedik, Head of International Relations and International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
They discussed the existing cooperation of the two sides in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, and many other countries, exploring the opportunities to resume their relations by launching joint humanitarian programmes.
The guest highlighted the significant role of QRCS in supporting the medical sector where both organisations operate.
“I am not new to the Movement,” said Bieler. “Formerly, I was representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the MENA region”. He called for closer communication between the two parties at the levels of headquarters and field personnel.
Al Hammadi commended MSF as a prestigious medical humanitarian organisation that serves humanity all over the world. This, he asserted, is a top priority for QRCS’s foreign operations, especially the protection of health workers.
The Secretary-General welcomed any proposals to be agreed upon during this visit, which would be followed by a series of visits in the future.
According to Dr. Oussedik, the agenda of Bieler includes meetings with QRCS’s Medical Affairs Division and Relief and International Division. He revealed mutual understanding on a framework agreement and publications on medical and IHL issues.
