2008 year Press Release
Various NGOs and the NGO Affairs Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were invited to participate in the 2008 Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition (DIHAD) on April 8-10, 2008. They were led by Executive Director Yang Che-ming of TaiwanIHA (Taiwan International Health Action) and included the Tzu Chi Foundation, Red Cross Society of the Republic of China, Field Relief Agency of Taiwan and Compassion International Taiwan.TaiwanIHA in the DIHAD 2008
DIHAD is the largest international humanitarian aid event in the world. Its goal is to provide groups engaged in international humanitarian assistance and development with a platform for exchange. Over the years, it has become one of the most important events for international humanitarian assistance organizations. First held in 2004, the Exhibition has entered its fifth year, with more than 300 international assistance organizations and concerned enterprises participating. The United Nations and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are the major sponsors of the event. UN specialized agencies, such as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and leaders of other major international assistance organizations also attend this event.
The theme for DIHAD 2008 was Humanitarian Challenges of the Future. Organizers invited UN Deputy Secretary General John Holmes, who is in charge of the UN’s humanitarian affairs, and other distinguished guests to address the audience. The exhibition hosted over 60 booths and attracted more than 500 participants. Topics for discussion included traditional humanitarian assistance and disease prevention, testing and control from the perspectives of academic and business communities.
This visit allowed TaiwanIHA to demonstrate its efforts in international humanitarian assistance. In addition, in order to promote exchange between Taiwan’s humanitarian assistance groups and those of other countries, the Tzu Chi Foundation, Red Cross Society of the Republic of China, Field Relief Agency of Taiwan and Compassion International Taiwan were invited to attend this event. The oldest of them, Tzu Chi Foundation, was established 42 years ago. Over the years, more than one million people have been assisted by it. With members from the business community increasingly partaking in international humanitarian assistance, remarkable achievements have been seen. As a result, Mr. Ho Jih-sheng was invited to speak on the topic “Today’s hot spots, tomorrow’s crises and the role of prevention and preparedness.” The exhibition also displayed portable dentist facilities created by the Foundation.
Since its inception two years ago, TaiwanIHA has sent nine teams overseas to such countries as Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, Peru and Ecuador to provide emergency humanitarian assistance. Its success has encouraged Taiwan’s youth to volunteer for such activities as well. In the future, it will continue to urge NGOs at home and abroad to increase Taiwan’s foreign aid resource to make contributions to international health assistance.
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