Dubai Humanitarian and ASEAN’s AHA Centre Sign Letter of Intent to Strengthen Disaster Response

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 26 May 2025: Dubai Humanitarian and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) today signed a Letter of Intent in Siem Reap, Cambodia, marking a major milestone in enhancing joint humanitarian action across Southeast Asia.

The agreement sets the foundation for strategic cooperation between the two entities to bolster emergency preparedness and response efforts across ASEAN Member States impacted by natural disasters and other humanitarian crises. The signing reflects a shared 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 a collaborative framework across key pillars:

• Humanitarian Logistics and Crisis Relief Solutions: The partnership will facilitate coordinated relief operations, explore the loan of critical relief items, and support the AHA Centre’s Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA). It also envisions joint innovation initiatives in the humanitarian supply chain to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of emergency responses.
• Knowledge Sharing and Outreach: Both organizations will collaborate to exchange best practices in sustainability, carbon reduction, and operational excellence. The agreement enables co-hosted training programs and symposiums, focusing on enhancing local response capabilities and knowledge transfer across public and private sectors. It also emphasizes of joint visibility efforts, including public awareness campaigns and participation in regional humanitarian events to promote collaboration for a Global Safety Net.

Shedding light on the signing, Giuseppe Saba, CEO and Board Member of Dubai Humanitarian, said: “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. It reflects our responsibility as a global humanitarian hub to not only deliver aid, but to co-create solutions that build local capacity, reduce vulnerability, and adapt to evolving risks. This Letter of Intent is a testament to the kind of forward-thinking cooperation the humanitarian sector needs more of.”

The AHA Centre is excited to collaborate with Dubai Humanitarian, an internationally recognised hub for humanitarian coordination and logistics. This collaboration aligns with the AHA Centre’s vision to create a well-connected and resilient ASEAN community that can respond swiftly and effectively to disasters. Through this cooperation, both organisations will work toward enhanced synergy in emergency preparedness and response, disaster information dissemination, capacity building, and innovation in the region.

Executive Director of the AHA Centre, Mr. Lee Yam Ming highlighted the importance of this collaboration for ASEAN to strengthen disaster management in the region. “This partnership with Dubai Humanitarian marks an exciting milestone for the AHA Centre, as it is our first formal collaboration with a Middle Eastern organisation in the field of disaster management. It reflects our shared commitment to building stronger regional and global humanitarian networks. 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,” he added.

_______________

About Dubai Humanitarian
Dubai Humanitarian, formerly known as the International Humanitarian City, is the largest humanitarian hub in the world. It was founded in 2003 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, to proactively support the efforts of the international humanitarian community.
As the only non-profit, independent, humanitarian free-zone Authority, Dubai Humanitarian hosts a diverse community of approximately 80 members. This community comprises international entities such as UN organizations, non-profits, non-governmental organizations, and commercial companies, collectively working to advance humanitarian and development efforts worldwide.
www.dubaihumanitarian.ae

About AHA Centre:
The AHA Centre is an intergovernmental organisation, established by the ten ASEAN Member States with the aim to facilitate cooperation and coordination of disaster management amongst ASEAN Member States. In operationalising its mandate, the AHA Centre primarily works with the National Disaster Management Organisations (NDMOs) of the ASEAN Member States. Furthermore, the AHA Centre also partners with international organisations, private sector, and civil society organisations, such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the United Nations, and the AADMER Partnership Group.
www.ahacentre.org