Abu Dhabi, 10 Jan 2010: (WAM) - The UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (OCFA) is holding a three-day training workshop, "An Introduction to Sphere: Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response", from January 10-12 at Al Raha Beach Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Rulers Representative in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi and President of OCFA, the workshop aims at building the capacities of local humanitarian personnel to better deliver aid and emergency relief programmes worldwide.

It is open to senior managers, managers and operational senior staff of UAE-based humanitarian organizations and is conducted in Arabic.

The workshop is lead by trainers certified by the Sphere Project, a unique voluntary initiative reflecting the collective will and shared experience of a broad array of humanitarian actors that is dedicated to improving the quality of assistance to people affected by disaster and improving the accountability of states and humanitarian agencies to their constituents, donors and the affected populations. The project is based on International Humanitarian, Human Rights, and Refugee Law; The Code of Conduct: Principles of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement; and NGOs in Disaster Response Programmes.

"One of OCFAs key mandates is to facilitate knowledge transfers between the international aid community and key humanitarian players and donor organizations from the UAE. The three-day training workshop aims at building the response capacities of local aid organizations and streamlining procedures related to disaster management and relief operations in emergency situations," said Sultan Al Shamsi, Executive Director of OCFA. "By facilitating the Sphere training, we are offering local relief personnel valuable insight into the skills and resources needed to effectively respond in emergency situations."The training is conducted by Moustafa Osman and Khaled Khalifa, both Sphere certified trainers. Osman, a lecturer of Disaster Management at Birmingham University, a humanitarian relief and development professional with extensive experience in needs and resources assessment, security, situation analyses, monitoring and evaluation of relief and development programmes. He is also a trainer and an independent consultant to the UN and other major humanitarian agencies, with a focus on the Middle East.

Khalifa currently heads the United Nation's IRIN News Bureau that covers Asia and the Middle East. A professional aid worker for more than 12 years, Khalifa has experience in complex emergencies and response to natural disasters. His key areas of expertise include project management, design of environmental programs, humanitarian relief and disaster reduction. Khalifa is an accredited, qualified Sphere trainer in both Arabic and English.

OCFA was set up by UAE Cabinet decree no. 36 for the year 2008 and has been operational since early 2009 to help UAE foreign aid donors improve delivery of humanitarian and development programmes worldwide. With HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Rulers Representative in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, presiding as the offices President, OCFA is assessing foreign aid donor needs; providing appropriate training programmes and knowledge transfers; and, building and strengthening ties between the UAE foreign aid sector and the international aid community by providing multiple platforms that bring international and local aid organizations together.

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2010.