QNA DOHA THE Fifth International Shafallah Forum, organised by the Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs, will kick off in Doha on Sunday.

The forum will bring together top government officials and noted experts who will discuss ways to mitigate the sufferings of disabled during natural disasters and conflicts.

The theme of the Fifth International Shafallah Forum is “Crisis, Conflicts and Disability: Ensuring Equality”. Though the participants will discuss the challenges faced by people with special needs around the world, emphasis will be on their conditions in refugee camps in the Middle East and Africa.

The plight of people displaced during the recent natural disasters in Japan, Haiti, Pakistan and the US will also be discussed. In any conflict, disabled people are the worst hit but very little attention is paid to their suffering.

The Doha forum aims to bring together top governmental officials and noted experts to discuss and review the arrangements made for their protection during armed conflict, humanitarian crises and natural disasters.

Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs was established at the behest of HH Sheikha Moza to meet the demands of the Qatari society.