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Today marks the last day of Ms Adelina Kamal’s 5-year journey being on her post. Adelina Kamal is currently the Executive Director of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management, or being known as AHA Centre, the primary ASEAN regional coordinating agency on disaster management and emergency response. She has led the Centre since 2017, reporting directly to the Governing Board of the AHA Centre that consists of ten ASEAN countries. She is responsible in translating the ASEAN Leaders' vision for One ASEAN One Response and making ASEAN to become the global leader in disaster management.

Adelina has led the AHA Centre in facilitating ASEAN’s collective response to major disasters, including back-to-back multiple emergencies in 2018, in which the AHA Centre played a key coordinating role. In December 2018, alongside five other Asian first responders, the AHA Centre was awarded the prestigious “Asian of the Year” award from the Straits Times Singapore. In 2021, for the excellent contribution of AHA Centre to the affected people in Central Viet Nam during the historical flooding of October 2020, The Government of Viet Nam awarded AHA Centre with Prime Minister’s Diploma of Merit.

Prior to working with the AHA Centre, Adelina worked in the ASEAN Secretariat for over two decades. In this time, she took on a primary role initiating the development of AADMER in 2004 and its Work Programmes, as well as the establishment of the AHA Centre in its early stages. Adelina played a key role in the ASEAN response to 2008 Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, establishing and leading ASEAN’s first ever large-scale humanitarian response operations on the ground. She took part in disaster relief in North Viet Nam in 2017 after the flash flood and landslide striking in Son La.

During her 5-year term of ED for AHA Centre, Adelina left a strong impression of a strong woman leader, who is determining in finding the best solution and go to the end of issues, with her charming and good sense of humor.

Adelina is a good colleague, counterpart and friend to VNDMA officials. VNDMA wish her all the best for next journey and believe that she will bring great value to the organization and the cause that she serves.

Mr Lee Yam Ming, current Director at Singapore Civil Defense shall be the successor for the Adelina from September 2021.

Phạm Hồng Quyên

Department of Science, Technology and International Cooperation