Red Cross Responds Disasters

8/7/2019 Red Cross Responds Disasters

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Tsunami Education Kit

The Worldwide Red Cross Red Crescent MovementThe Worldwide Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement consists of three

parts each of which has specific responsibilities.

The In ternational Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)The ICRC is based in Geneva. It works to protect and assist victims of

armed conflict. The ICRC has the important role of being the guardian ofthe Geneva Conventions (rules of war). This is unique to Red Cross. The

ICRC sends delegates to assist in war zones and to assist communities torecover from the effects of armed conflicts.

The In ternational Federation of Red Cross and Red CrescentSocieties (The Federation)The Federation as it known, is the central coordinating body for RedCross and Red Crescent Societies around the world. It is also based in

Geneva. Its main role is to coordinate the international assistance tovictims of environmental, social or man-made disasters. It also advises

and assists National Societies with disaster-preparedness and long-termdevelopment programs.

National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

There are 181 National Societies which make up the Federation. Eachsociety helps vulnerable people within their own countries as well as in

other countries. Aid workers from one National Society can be sent by the

Federation to help in disaster situations in another country.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescents response todisastersThe worldwide Red Cross Movement is a lead player in responding to

disasters wherever they occur around the globe. The Australian Red Crossplays a major role in that response.

Responding to life-threatening situations forms the basis of Red Crossemergency response work. The emergencies can be on any scale,affecting a single household or a local community, or causing disruption at

a national or even global level.

Calling for HelpThe International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement responds to a major

disaster after the National Society in the country concerned, makes a request forhelp and support. Sometimes, the Government also requests assistance from theMovement. The International Red Cross usually responds in the following way:

1. An appeal to raise funds for relief operations is launched by theInternational Federation.

2. The Australian Red Cross can choose to launch an appeal in support of the

International appeal.3. Each National Society determines what they have the capacity to do in

support of the appeal which might include:


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Tsunami Education Kita) Personnel from National Societies, such as health, logistics,

water specialists, managers and relief workers, being transported into theaffected area.

b) Relief goods, such as food, clothing, blankets, tents, tarpaulinsand medical facilities, are bought locally, or shipped in, depending on thecircumstances and availability.

c) If required, a National Society might organise extra managerial,technical and administrative help for its emergency response units.

d) Finally, capacity building programs may be established incooperation with the Federation, the local National Society and other National

Societies in bi-lateral arrangements to enable National Societies andcommunities to recover in a long term sense improve their ability to prepare

and respond to future disasters.

Providing the ResponseInitially in responding to disasters, the main aim of the Red Cross emergencyresponse is to organise and provide victims with adequate access to basic life

support needs. These needs include first aid, advanced medical assistance, safe

water and sanitation, food, and shelter. Other services may include psychologicalsupport and tracing missing family members.

To carry out its work, Red Cross co-ordinates the efforts of governmentauthorities and other aid organisations. These agencies continue to work in acoordinated way until the serious threat to life and health has decreased. Or untilappropriate coping mechanisms have been established.

The Australian Red Cross response to disasters

Emergency reliefAustralian Red Cross reacts to international emergencies by providingpersonnel, financial support and other assistance in response to requests

from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), theInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(Federation) and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, inparticular from the Asia Pacific region.

Development Programs

Australian Red Cross continues to provide assistance after the immediateemergency response by providing field personnel or other programactivities to support the Federation with its work in disaster preparedness,disaster relief and development. In addition,

Australian Red Cross supports the work of other RedCross or Red Crescent Societies within their own

countries.

above: Australian Red Cross

FACT team member DavidOverlack in Sri Lanka.

Federation/T Mayer.

Overseas Aid Workers

Australian Red Cross Aid Workers have a variety ofprofessional backgrounds and are recruited to workinternationally with the ICRC, the Federation and on

Australian Red Cross projects. Aid workers generallywork in the areas of health, logistics, water and

sanitation, project management, HIV/AIDS, disasterpreparedness/management and organisational development


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Tsunami Education Kit

These aid workers are able to respond to humanitarian needs in bothemergency and development contexts. During 2003 - 4, seventy six aid

workers were sent on eighty nine missions to twenty nine countries.

The commitment and dedication of Australian Red Cross aid workers is

well known and greatly respected, not only by those within the Red CrossMovement, but by the thousands of people around the world who benefitfrom their activities.

Before aid workers are selected for an overseas mission, they mustparticipate in a six day basic training course to prepare them for the field.

Some of the skills that an aid worker needs include:

Knowledge of Red Cross activities and commitment to Red Cross

Principles Excellent health; physically and mentally capable of working in

stressful conditions for prolonged periods of time

Ability to adapt to different cultures and awareness of gender issues

Below is a case study to illustrate an aid worker in action as part

of the Red Cross response in Sri Lanka

David OverlackDavid Overlack, a trained nurse from Queensland, has been working with

Australian Red Cross for a number of years, going on missions from

Afghanistan to Sudan.

Australian Red Cross has sent David to Sri Lanka as a health aid worker tolook at medical needs of the affected population.

David has visited and assessed areas on the Southern Seaboard of SriLanka, and reports that rains have started and the monsoon season

conditions need to be taken into account for planning, with some of theroads blocked due to rain.

He also reports that, as expected, there are many deaths and widespreaddevastation.

David has been in contact with Health Officials and hospital staff and has

visited 3 camps for internally displaced people the most commonrequest is for psychological support.

David reports that the people in camps are very afraid of another tsunamiand are reluctant to go back to any coastal areas.

The greatest need is for mobile health units as the geography of the areadictates that it is not possible to centralise assistance. Local Red Cross has

been assisting those affected from the start of the crisis, and internationalRed Cross teams are arriving to provide additional aid.


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Tsunami Education KitSri Lanka Red Cross is assisting around 40,000 people in some 66 camps,

and together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)they are providing other types of aid.

Activity:

You are a journalist stationed in Sri Lanka and have heard about the work

being done by Australian Red Cross aid workers. You have decided towrite an article to profile the work being done by David Overlack. Inwriting the article, think of some of the challenges of Davids work you

might want to cover. What might be some of the best and mostchallenging things about his job? What might some of the stories he ishearing from Tsunami survivors be? Your story might cover how

important it is to have workers from aid organizations to help in times ofDisaster.

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Red Cross Responds Disasters