#13 March 2014 The newsletter from IFRC Africa zone p.2 A word from the Director p.3 Strategy 2020 in action Measles outbreak in Guinea We are dying of hunger Zimbabwe flooding Assisting Chadian nationals fleeing violence in Central African Republic p.4 Precarious future looms as violence leaves hundreds of thousands homeless in east and central Africa p.5 Together for action IFRC and African Union talk tech at launch of World Disasters Report Induction of Red Cross Red Crescent governance bodies in Africa p.6 In numbers p.6 Diary p.6 Humanitarian diplomacy in action Botswana prepares for the worst p.7-8 Working together The argument for making first aid training accessible and compulsory in sub-saharan Africa p.9 All Africa All the Time p.10 Fundamental Principles www.ifrc.org Saving lives, changing minds.
2 / A word from the Director In April, Rwanda will commemorate the 20th year of the genocide which cost close to one million people their lives. The Rwanda Red Cross Society played a pivotal role following this crisis, ensuring many of the children orphaned during the violence, were cared for. Twenty years later, staff and volunteers continue to play a vital role through the Orphan and Vulnerable Children programme. It is the power of humanity, a tenet upon which the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement was founded, that has helped, and continues to help Rwanda rebuild. This basic instinct that I believe is inherent in all of us, to want to help those who are suffering. (For more information on Rwanda Red Cross, please visit www.ifrc.org/africa.) In the Central African Republic (CAR) and South Sudan, the Red Cross is trying, under very difficult and challenging circumstances, to assist those affected by the current outbreaks of conflict. But we need access to people who are hurt, to people who are displaced from their homes, and to the affected areas themselves. It is imperative that parties to both conflicts understand the neutral and independent role of the Red Cross, and grant us this safe access. We do not choose sides. Our mission is simply to alleviate the suffering of those most vulnerable. On the Cover In many other African countries, 700 people are dying needlessly on the thousands of kilometres of roads that dissect their lands every day. It is in Africa, in fact, that you have the greatest chance of dying in a car crash. It is why I am personally endorsing a call to make first aid training mandatory for all new drivers. You can find read more about that on page 7. In places like Zimbabwe, it is unexpected heavy rains and flooding that are threatening to take lives. Thousands are now heading to a transit camp, their homes washed away by the flooding. Similar flooding with landslides have also claimed lives in Burundi. We, as human beings, have the capacity to turn things around. Whether it is conflict, car crashes or disasters, together we can ensure a brighter future for everyone on this continent. It will take a concerted effort, one where we put aside our differences and celebrate our uniqueness, but it is an effort worth taking. We cannot afford not to. Contents: Families arrive in Cameroon after fleeing violence in the Central African Republic. Read more, page 4. With my best wishes Alasan Senghore
3 / Strategy 2020 in action Measles outbreak in Guinea We are dying of hunger Zimbabwe flooding Assisting Chadian nationals fleeing violence in Central African Republic Guinea has been hit hard by a measles outbreak with 143 suspected and 38 confirmed cases. Due to the growing number of cases among children in several regions, IFRC has released 120,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to support the Guinea Red Cross Society (GRCS) in stopping the epidemic. In coordination with other actors, GRCS has mobilized 825 volunteers to support a mass campaign aiming to vaccinate over 1.6 million children in the country through education and sensitization activities. Families from the Masvingo area of Zimbabwe are flocking to a transit camp after flooding drowned their homes and maize crops. It means many will miss the annual harvest in April, leaving a chronically food insecure population even more vulnerable. People at the camp say they are dying of hunger and desperately need food. The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society is responding by providing first aid and psychosocial support. With support from the IFRC s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund, teams of volunteers will also help erect temporary shelters for 4,900 people, as well as 40 latrines, while conducting educational sessions on proper hygiene. Violence in Central African Republic (CAR) has forced thousands of people to flee their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring countries. More than 31,000 Chadian nationals have left CAR, returning to their homeland. Most have been accommodated in overcrowded health and social centres, under-equipped and suffering from lack of qualified staff. IFRC has released emergency funds to provide assistance to more than 10,500 people. Activities are focusing on the provision of emergency health care, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene interventions to prevent and mitigate disease outbreaks. Read more on page 4.
4 / In Africa right now A look at the key issues across the continent Precarious future looms as violence leaves hundreds of thousands homeless in east and central Africa Since December 2013, the Central African Republic (CAR) and South Sudan have been rocked by internal violence and instability. Hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless within their own countries; hundreds of thousands of others have fled to the safety offered by neighbouring countries. In CAR, more than half of the estimated 838,000 internally displaced have settled in camps at the airport in the capital of Bangui, where they live in extremely precarious conditions. Close to 47,000 CAR refugees have crossed borders into Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Chad, where they are surviving thanks to the generosity of locals and the Red Cross. Volunteers clad in the familiar red vests have been mobilized to provide first-aid assistance and psychosocial support, and to register the new arrivals. Crisis in South Sudan In South Sudan, violence has also forced thousands of people from their homes in Juba and Awerial county. / "We are meeting the demand of water, despite the huge number of internally displaced persons." Jhon Labor, South Sudan Red Cross Deputy Secretary General / An estimated 130,000 have fled to neighbouring countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda where National Societies are working in coordination with other humanitarian organizations to assist the refugees. Tens of thousands of others are living in camps for the internally displaced within South Sudan. IFRC is supporting the South Sudan Red Cross to conduct health and hygiene promotion, and to manage water points at a camp in Juba. We are meeting the demand for water, at 15 litres per day per person, despite the huge number of internally displaced persons, said John Lobor, South Sudan Red Cross Deputy Secretary General. In addition to distributing water, our volunteers are carrying out hygiene promotion activities at all the water points in the camp in order to prevent the outbreak of water borne diseases. IFRC has allocated funds from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to support operations in countries in both regions affected by these crises. In South Sudan, the International Committee of the Red Cross is leading operations with the support of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. South Sudanese refugees being registered by Red Cross volunteers upon arriving at a transit camp in Uganda. Photo: Rose+Sjölander/IFRC
5 / Together for action IFRC and African Union talk tech at launch of World Disasters Report IFRC and the African Union (AU) jointly launched the World Disasters Report 2013 Focus on technology and the future of humanitarian action. This Report is an invaluable resource, said Jeanine Cooper, UN OCHA representative to the AU. We turn to it countless times a year. This year s focus is timely, as partnerships are central between humanitarian organizations, technology developers and providers. The Report explores how humanitarian actors are using technology. At the Red Cross Red Crescent, this includes the rapid mobile phone-based survey to gather information on malaria in Nigeria, Kenya and Namibia; the Trilogy Emergency Relief Application system in Sierra Leone to reduce cholera, and using phones to deliver funds to project managers in the field in Kenya. We need to do a rethink on the private sector, added Cooper. They are not the bad guys. They often want us to tell them how they can help. World Disasters Report 2013 World Disasters Report Focus on technology and the future of humanitarian action www.ifrc.org Saving lives, changing minds. 2013 Induction of Red Cross Red Crescent governance bodies in Africa Following elections at the General Assembly in Sydney, the Africa Governance Group (AGG) and Africa Governance Board (AGB) held a joint induction meeting in Nairobi in mid-january. It was an opportunity for the six new members of the AGB to dialogue with the AGG, which was formed after the 2012 Pan African Conference, on the various issues facing Africa, and its National Societies. Discussions focused on addressing how National Society leadership can strengthen their voices in the shifting contexts and environments in which they operate; and determining what new institutional and governance models will be required to transform National Societies into stronger institutions, capable of confronting various social challenges. The two-day meeting resulted in eight resolutions and commitments, including vigorously and routinely analyzing the context in which Africa National Societies operate, as well as their governance and management matters; prioritizing four National Societies per region for capacity building; and re-invigorating, consolidating and expanding existing partnerships for effective resource mobilization domestically.
6 / Humanitarian diplomacy in action Diary 25-27 March Regional consultation on the food and nutritional situation in the Sahel and West Africa Bamako, Mali 5 11 April World urban forum on disaster risk reduction in urban settings Medellin, Colombia 11 12 April DRR working group meeting with the African Union Abuja, Nigeria 5 8 May Africa DRR platform for National Societies and IFRC regional and zone DM Abuja, Nigeria 8 May Red Cross Red Crescent Day Botswana prepares for the worst Hanna Butler and Ida Marstein, IFRC Picture this a large scale disaster hits a country. Hundreds of thousands of people are affected and in need of immediate assistance. Hundreds of well-intentioned international organizations descend on the country to help. How do international agencies send relief items and rescue teams in a timely and coordinated manner? Are international staff waiting for visas to enter the country? Are critically needed emergency supplies such as food, water and tents waiting at ports for customs clearance? Is the aid even appropriate for the local context? These questions were recently discussed when the Botswana Red Cross Society, supported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), launched a report on the legal preparedness in Botswana for facilitating and regulating international disaster assistance. The report looks at existing laws and procedures relevant to issues of international disaster relief assistance in Botswana, finding that the gaps and fragmented nature of regulation in Botswana could lead to difficulties in cooperation in the event of a large scale disaster. We are beginning to see droughts, storms and floods of greater intensity occurring in new areas and affecting more communities. With the growing number of disasters comes a greater variety of international humanitarian actors, which makes it much more difficult for the affected state to coordinate assistance and to monitor the type and quality of relief offered to its population, said Titus Makosha, deputy secretary general, Botswana Red Cross Society. The report was presented to local stakeholders from across the country to develop a shared understanding of potential legal challenges. Stakeholders from Air Botswana to the Botswana Blood Transfusion Service discussed the implications of a large scale disaster on their services and how they could better facilitate international assistance. While the focus of this exercise is to gauge how the current legislative frameworks in Botswana can best facilitate disaster relief assistance into the country, we must also consider the reverse whether Botswana, as a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the international community, has sufficient legal frameworks to facilitate the provision of relief assistance to its neighbours and to the international community at large, said Dr Kennedy Masamvu, a member of SADC. The discussion did not end with the closing of the workshop. The Botswana Red Cross Society will continue engaging with the government and other stakeholders to strengthen existing legal systems and develop new legal instruments. 12.2 m Swiss francs amount of a grant agreement between IFRC and the Global Fund for tuberculosis treatment in Niger 25,000 number of people in Central African Republic assisted by the Red Cross since the start of hostilities 6,055 number of people who now have access to safe water in areas of Cameroon, recently affected by floods
7 / Working together The argument for making first aid training accessible and compulsory in sub-saharan Africa Alasan Senghore, IFRC Africa zone director Africa currently has the worst death rate for road accidents in the world. Road accidents are predicted to become one of the biggest killers of children between the ages of five and 15 in sub-saharan Africa by 2015. We can shift this worrying trend and reduce the impact of road traffic accidents in developing countries in several ways. First aid One of the key aspects of reversing this is simple, but ambitious first aid training for everyone, everywhere. First aid is a crucial part of saving lives, in all stages of life and in every section of society. If we are to decrease the loss of human life, as well as the devastating social, psychological and economic impact road traffic injury has on society in general, access to first aid training must be given equal attention and scale of resources, and should be an integral part of a wider developmental approach. We need to open the debate around making first aid training obligatory for all new drivers in Africa, when applying for a driving licence. compulsory first aid only takes a few hours and could save their life, the life of a loved one, or the life of a complete stranger. In Uganda, voluntary first aid is taught to 2,000 drivers, schoolchildren and workers annually, and first aid posts are positioned in notorious danger zones throughout the country. In Ghana, more than 85,000 drivers have been trained since 2011. Governments, businesses and civil societies have long been working together to help prevent traffic accidents from occurring, notably through the IFRC-hosted Global Road Safety Partnership. We must now work together to ensure first aid is widely integrated into a developmental approach that tackles the root causes of road accidents as well as mitigating their impact. First aid awareness is lacking in many vulnerable communities, where even a basic understanding of how to treat an injury or keep someone alive would have a profoundly positive impact. First aid saves lives and should be available to everyone, everywhere. Stronger laws In Ghana, around 16,000 people are killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents every year. In response to this, the Ghana Red Cross has used its position, as auxiliary to the government and within the National Road Safety Association, to persuade the government to act. New drivers are now obliged to undergo a first aid course before they can receive their driving licence. However, these laws have not gone far enough, as there are no provisions in place for those who refuse the training. This is where we need a wider alliance of partners to put pressure on the government to strengthen enforcement. The Uganda Red Cross is also using its influence within the executive decision-making process, as part of the government s National Roads and Safety Council, to help create laws that could save some of the 3,000 people killed on the country s roads every year. Enforcement alone will not suffice for people to abide by these laws. We must encourage people to believe that Practicing first aid in South Sudan Photo: Juozas Cernius/IFRC 658 number of people receiving regular meals from the Red Cross soup kitchen in Ohangwena region, Namibia 130,000 number of refugees who have fled South Sudan since the crisis began in December 2013 20,000 number of people left homeless in Zimbabwe after unexpected heavy rains caused flooding
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9 / All Africa All the Time Welcome to the new IFRC Africa webpage. IFRC has launched a new web page, focusing solely on Africa. In English and French, it is at www.ifrc.org/africa and www.ifrc.org/afrique that you will find information related to Red Cross and Red Crescent programming in 49 countries across sub-saharan Africa. Over the past 26 months, Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers responded to 122 emergencies across sub-saharan Africa, ranging from floods to drought, disease outbreaks, cyclones and fires. Through these operations, we improved the lives of those most vulnerable by ensuring increased access to water and sanitation, health care, distribution of both food and non-food items, psychosocial support, and improved livelihoods, always with an underlying theme of working with communities to reduce their vulnerability the next time disaster strikes. It is at www.ifrc.org/africa and www.ifrc.org/afrique that you will find news, photos and video related to both emergency response and development operations; profiles of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies across sub-saharan Africa; photo galleries; blogs from staff and volunteers; information on how we are engaging opinion leaders and governments to improve disaster laws within their own countries. From villagers in the hot desert sands of Mauritania, to refugees fleeing violence in the Central African Republic and South Sudan, to farmers coping with drought in Zimbabwe, we will introduce you to many of the people with whom we are working. With a volunteer base of 1.6 million people across Africa, close to one million of whom are youth, the Red Cross and Red Crescent is well placed to reach even the smallest and most remote communities. You will meet some of these volunteers at www.ifrc.org/africa and www.ifrc.org/ Afrique. You can also follow the IFRC Africa team on Twitter @IFRCAfrica. The IFRC Africa web page will continue to showcase global operations, providing readers with programming, issues, events and advocacy-related activities they have come to expect when visiting the www.ifrc.org website. Screen shot of www.ifrc.org/africa
10 / Living the Fundamental Principles in Rwanda 41 year old Francine Kampire is a married mother of two who has been a volunteer with the Rwanda Red Cross Society since 1990. She was inspired to join the Red Cross by her schoolmates who were already volunteers, caring for tuberculosis patients, who were often stigmatized by their families and communities. These volunteers devoted their free time to visit these patients and carried out their household chores when they were too weak to do so themselves. voluntary service Having been sensitized on the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and its Fundamental Principles, Francine decided to join as a volunteer. I like to help others and it is heartbreaking for me to see someone suffering, said Francine. That's why I enjoy being a mother and a Red Cross volunteer at the same time. Both require total commitment. Francine has been able to unleash her potential thanks to the training she has received from the Red Cross. I looked after my cousin, who was suffering from HIV and AIDS, after she was abandoned by her entire family. I nursed her back to health and she has since completed her undergraduate studies and is now working for a bank, said Francine with a smile. I feel proud of the person she has become. Through the Rwanda Red Cross, Francine has been able to develop some income generating projects such as farming potatoes, wheat and peas. She uses the funds earned to pay for school fees which allow her children to continue receiving an education. She has also been able to provide work for some families in her community. Credit: Rwanda Red Cross Francine still receives training in managing income generation projects, first aid, presentation skills, climate change adaptation, environmental protection and communication for behavior change. Francine is currently the volunteer responsible for communication at the Rwanda Red Cross branch in Karongi District, Western Province. She wants to be involved in Red Cross activities in various programmes and aspires to be a member of the Governing Board. Being a member of the Rwanda Red Cross and helping the vulnerable is rewarding. 900500 E 05/2011 All photos: IFRC unless otherwise stated For more information, or to suggest an item for a future issue, please contact: IFRC Africa communications manager www.ifrc.org Saving lives, changing minds. Katherine Mueller IFRC Communications Manager, Africa Tel: +251 Edition 930 2, February 03 3413 2011 Email: katherine.mueller@ifrc.org