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Encik Kamaruddin Deraman selaku Ketua Biro Tarbiyah HALUAN Kelantan

Encik Kamaruddin Deraman selaku Ketua Biro Tarbiyah HALUAN Kelantan

Encik Kamaruddin Deraman selaku Ketua Biro Tarbiyah HALUAN Kelantan

KUALA LUMPUR, 1 Dec 2014 – “Why are you here?” “Who’s with you?” “What is this logo?” “What is this? A bomb?”

Those were amongst the questions that caught us off-guard the very first moment we entered the course. Three well-built disguised Australian army, another North Korean looking, stopped us in our tracks with fire-arms aimed straight at our heads. Inconsistent answers and nervous faces were our natural response.

The dates 24-29 November 2014 marked an important step for HALUAN’s Humanitarian Mission Bureau as it was able to send two representatives to the Essentials of Humanitarian Practice & Personal Safety & Communications Course held at the Drainage and Irrigation Department, Ampang. Mr Mohd. Jamil Muda of the bureau and Mr Irwan Affendi Md Naim represented HALUAN in the 6-day course. The course, organised by the Association of Registered Engineering Services for Disaster Relief Malaysia (RedR Malaysia) in collaboration with RedR Australia and RedR India was aimed at preparing humanitarian activists with proper knowledge and skills before being deployed to disaster-inflicted areas.

Participants were exposed to real-life simulations, much of them akin to scenarios that will most likely be encountered in humanitarian missions. Vehicle checkpoints in Malaysia for example, are a breeze compared to those in disaster-affected areas. In missions abroad, humanitarian workers must be able to identify on-sight whether the military checkpoint ahead are those of the official military or militias seeking to wrest power. Both of course, require distinct negotiation skills, respect and planning. Participants were also exposed to the unlikely events of car-jacking, hostage scenario and land-mine detection, all to equip them with the necessary plan-of-action on the ground. Identifying crowds and mobs (and escaping from one), avoiding sexual assault and civil-military interaction were also interesting modules that were implemented.

All the actions aside, participants were trained to think as mission managers while upholding the four principles of a humanitarian personnel – humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. We had to go through Needs Assessment and Communications Protocol training while toeing the line when it comes to International Humanitarian, Human Rights and Refugee Law. We were taught the necessary measures to maintain positive Image and Acceptance while understanding Culture and Issues of Gender.

All in all, a humanitarian worker must step into the field with sufficient knowledge of the codes and minimum standards of humanitarian aid, as set in the SPHERE book. A minimum of 7.5 to 15 liters of water per day and 1 toilet for 20 refugees were among the magic numbers engraved in our minds when it comes to WASH – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. We cracked our heads and synergised as an emergency response team to plan and construct a refugee camp housing 20,000 souls in less than an hour with all the minimum standards met accurately.

To sum up, HALUAN has benefited immensely by joining this course considering the crucial need of proper training for its activists before being deployed to areas affected by natural disasters or complex emergencies. To date, HALUAN has deployed its members for local and international humanitarian duties to Somalia, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, China, Pakistan and other countries in times of need. As a progressive bureau within the organisation, the Humanitarian Mission Bureau hopes to emulate such training for the good of its members. Hopefully a comprehensive training module lined with HALUAN’s core aim of serving the ummah can be produced for future in-house training events. We would be glad to share this with other NGOs once completed.

Report by Irwan Affendi Md Naim, HALUAN Humanitarian Mission Bureau