AILYN AGONIA

DOHA MORE than 250 participants, including keynote speaker UN Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Baroness Valerie Amos and over 15 first ladies, will take part in the Fifth International Shafallah Forum to be hosted at the Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs on January 22.

The three-day forum, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza, will bring to the world’s attention concerns of 3.5 million people with disabilities in refugee camps across the globe under the theme, ‘Crisis, Conflicts and Disability: Ensuring Equality’.

“The Shafallah Center is pleased to organise the International Shafallah Forum for the fifth time.

The conference complements one of the Center’s missions to host international forums that bring together key figures who will discuss latest studies, assess current practices and share their insights on topics related to disability,” Shafallah Center Chairman Hassan Ali bin Ali said at a press conference on Tuesday.

He underlined the role of the global conference in serving as a platform for dialogue and debate on issues and challenges facing different societies, in particular, and highlighting issues facing children with special needs. He sighted a World Health Organisation report, and said people with disabilities marked one billion in 2011.

“This year we have decided to launch the forum’s official logo to represent its core aim and identity.

The logo symbolises the forum’s focus on humanity, promotes global unity and emphasises the importance of coexistence.

It is absolutely vital for us to share our experience and knowledge while providing the maximum support to people with special need,” he added.

The event will discuss and showcase the latest developments in inclusive emergency planning to ensure the protection and safety of people with special needs during armed conflicts, humanitarian crises and natural disasters.

Discussions will also focus on the marginalisation of people with special needs during the recent natural disasters in Japan, Haiti, Pakistan and the United States.

The roster of guests and speakers at the year’s forum include noted-dignitaries, policymakers, educators, people with disabilities, leaders in the field and humanitarian relief organisations. Turkey, the Netherlands, Jordan, Poland and Finland are among the participating countries at the forum.