Dubai Humanitarian and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) have signed a Letter of Intent in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This agreement is aimed at enhancing joint humanitarian action across Southeast Asia.
The agreement lays the groundwork for strategic cooperation to strengthen emergency preparedness and response efforts across ASEAN Member States affected by natural disasters and other humanitarian crises. The signing represents a mutual commitment to building resilient, sustainable, and agile systems for disaster relief in one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions.
The Letter of Intent outlines collaboration across key areas:
Humanitarian Logistics and Crisis Relief Solutions: The partnership will support coordinated relief operations, explore the loan of critical relief items, and assist with the AHA Centre’s Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA). It also includes joint innovation initiatives in the humanitarian supply chain to improve efficiency and sustainability.
Knowledge Sharing and Outreach: Both organizations will exchange best practices in sustainability, carbon reduction, and operational excellence. The agreement includes co-hosted training programs and symposiums focused on enhancing local response capabilities. There is also an emphasis on joint visibility efforts such as public awareness campaigns and participation in regional humanitarian events.
Giuseppe Saba, CEO and Board Member of Dubai Humanitarian, stated: “What we’re witnessing across the world, and especially in regions like Southeast Asia, is a growing frequency and complexity of disasters that demand not just faster responses but smarter, more collaborative ones. This partnership with the AHA Centre is rooted in that understanding.”
The AHA Centre looks forward to working with Dubai Humanitarian. This collaboration aligns with their vision to create a well-connected ASEAN community capable of responding swiftly to disasters. Through this cooperation, both organizations aim for enhanced synergy in emergency preparedness, disaster information dissemination, capacity building, and innovation.
Mr. Lee Yam Ming, Executive Director of the AHA Centre said: “This partnership with Dubai Humanitarian marks an exciting milestone for the AHA Centre… Through this partnership, we aim to fully realise the vision of One ASEAN, One Response with a shared commitment to building a disaster-resilient ASEAN community.”
