UK delivers Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief symposium and industry showcase
A symposium and industry showcase on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) will take place in Guatemala City from 5 to 6 March.
The event is a joint collaboration between the UK Ministry of Defence, the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) and their Defence and Security Organisation and the British Embassy in Guatemala City.
The symposium entitled “Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief - shared experiences” delivered through conferences and workshops on improving cooperation in planning strategies and responses to the fragile and unpredictable situations that Guatemala faces.
Keynote speakers include Andy Hill, Civil-Military Humanitarian Adviser from the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID), Lieutenant Colonel Gareth Walker RE and Captain Tom Booth RE from the Royal Army on the UK’s focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Discussions will focus on sharing best practice with the Guatemalan government representatives and non-governmental organizations involved in humanitarian aid and emergency response.
The industry showcase will allow Guatemala and regional partners involved in humanitarian and disaster relief to identify a range of solutions that the UK industry has to offer and to seek future business opportunities. Amongst the UK companies present were, Leonardo Company, and AMBIPAR - the UK’s company association specializing in this sector.
The workshops will enable participants to share their experiences from the Fuego Volcano eruption to establish lessons identified on the coordination of foreign aid, planning, resilience and contingency plans.
The British Ambassador to Guatemala, Carolyn Davidson, said:
The UK is recognized internationally for its leading role and its response to humanitarian issues. This is why we want to share with Guatemala our best expertise so there is an established coherent action before the challenges presented by natural disasters.
