Dubai: The International Humanitarian City (IHC) held a photo exhibition on victims of famine, disaster and conflict at Mall of the Emirates metro station in Dubai on Saturday to mark World Humanitarian Day.
The event was held under the patronage of Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, chairperson of the IHC. and wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The exhibition was held to raise awareness about the ongoing emergencies worldwide. The exhibition held in coordination with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), was attended by UN agencies, international humanitarian groups and UAE charity organisations.
The event, held at the covered bridge that connects the metro station to the mall, displayed more than 150 photos, underscoring several messages to the visitors of the mall and the passengers of Dubai metro. The photos projected the sufferings of the people in the countries most affected by famine, epidemics, natural disasters and political conflict.
The IHC and other humanitarian organisations also displayed photos that reflected their activities designed to alleviate sufferings of the people in these countries, in addition to several posters and banners showing key statistics about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in several countries.
“We must seize this occasion to shed light on the disastrous humanitarian crises that do not get enough attention in the media and from donors today,” Princess Haya said.
“More than 20 million people in East Africa and Yemen now face famine — the largest number in more than a half century. They all desperately need our help and more assistance soon.”
This year’s theme of the World Humanitarian Day focuses on protection of civilians and aid workers. This protection campaign was initiated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) after a hospital bombing this year in Kunduz, Afghanistan. A hashtag #NotATarget was launched by MSF to commence an online campaign.
Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, visited the exhibition on Saturday and met with IHC officials.
World Humanitarian Day commemorates the deaths of 22 people killed in a bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad in 2003. Since that day, it has been held annually to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service.
