ANNUAL REPORT 2013 INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION International Disaster Management Rehabilitation Development Cooperation WWW.REDCROSS.AT
Saving lives changing minds The Austrian Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the world s largest independent humanitarian network. We work on a needs basis for, by and with the most vulnerable people in crises, complex emergencies and in the development context. Emergency response and recovery activities are carried out worldwide. Our long-term development work has a regional programmatic focus on eastern Africa, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus. Our core thematic areas are water, sanitation and hygiene combined with food security, social inclusion, and disaster risk reduction in combination with climate change adaptation. When responding to people in need in sensitive and unsecure situations, humanitarian aid workers are increasingly faced with dangers and new and more complex challenges. In this context access to the needy is the key to the provision of neutral and impartial aid. The Austrian Red Cross promotes access to those affected by conflict as well as the issue of accessibility for excluded groups, like the elderly and persons with disabilities. Their inclusion through empowerment and capacity-building is another vital part of our activities. Along with working in development cooperation and humanitarian assistance, the Austrian Red Cross intensifies its advocacy engagement to strengthen political and public support for people in need. In contrast to its international commitments as a member of the United Nations and the European Union, Austria s official development assistance is chronically underfunded. Humanitarian aid is, however, not an act of charity, but is based on rights. This is what we stand up for day by day and and all over the world. C Gerald Schöpfer President The Austrian Red Cross i ntensifies its advocacy engagement to strengthen political and public support for people in need. 2 INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Access to All Areas In 2014, it was the first time since the introduction of humanitarian crisis categories by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) that four designated level 3 emergencies the most severe and large-scale humanitarian crises took place at the same time. In South Sudan, the Central African Republic, in Syria and in Iraq the number of people affected by conflict and violence of internally displaced persons and of refugees are beyond scale. An estimated 20 million people cannot survive without humanitarian assistance. These figures do not include those affected by conflict and political turmoil in Ukraine and Palestine or by the Ebola epidemic. Many countries are no longer in the position to cope with crisis situations on their own, as state institutions are weak or non-existent, and governments unable or unwilling to provide services and security to their people. War economy and the lack of basic services dominate many people s daily struggle for survival. The international community is faced with an enormous challenge. In conflict and war zones, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) calls on all parties to the conflict to adhere to and respect international humanitarian law and allow the provision of neutral and impartial aid, whereby the responsibility to secure access to people in need lies with the conflict parties and the Red Cross is on the forefront of delivering protection and assistance. The Red Cross Movement responds to humanitarian crises around the world. The ICRC and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) assist National Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies wherever needed with relief goods, logistics, know-how, finance, and personnel. The immense scale and severity Access reaching the needy with neutral and impartial aid of the conflicts pose tremendous challenges and nearly insolvable tasks for humanitarian organisations, which cannot and should not substitute state tasks. Diplomatic solutions and political settlements are needed, yet specifically in the Middle East they seem far away. The assistance provided by the Austrian Red Cross is financed from EU institutional funds, the Neighbour in Need platform and private donors. The multilateral contributions of the Austrian Red Cross are implemented worldwide by the IFRC and the ICRC, e.g. in Syria or the Central African Republic. Bilaterally, the Austrian Red Cross supports programs in partner countries in various ways, e.g. by deploying Emergency Response Units to South Sudan, by assisting Syrian refugees in Armenia or by implementing winter assistance programs. In the context of increasing global demand for humanitarian aid, Austria s official annual commitment of 5 million euro allocated to the Foreign Disaster Relief Fund is indeed meagre. The Austrian Red Cross advocates an increase of the Foreign Disaster Relief Fund to 20 million euro as envisaged in the Austrian government program 2013-18 and calls on political decision makers to act now! C Werner Kerschbaum Secretary General Max Santner Head of International Cooperation PUBLISHING INFORMATION: Publisher, editor: Austrian Red Cross, Wiedner Hauptstraße 32, 1040 Vienna. ZVR-Zahl: 432857691. Responsible for the content: Max Santner, Andrea Winter, phone: +43 (0)1 589 00-531. E-mail: max.santner@roteskreuz.at. Chief editors: Ursula Fraisl, Heike Welz. With contributions by: Ursula Fraisl, Andrea Janousek, Thomas Marecek, Max Santner, Heike Welz. Cover photo: IFRC/Yoshi Shimizu. Photos: IFRC: Patrick Fuller, Alanah Torralba; : Nadja Meister, Jürg Christandl, Basel al-hafez; ; /German RC Ben Depp; Ethiopian Red Cross Society/Birhanu; fotolia.de/stingermko. Website: www.redcross.at www.roteskreuz.at. Production: Info-Media, Vienna, phone: +43(0)1 523 69 49, office@info-media.at. Graphic design: Natalie Dietrich. Translation: Petra Köhsl. Proofreading: Übersetzungsbüro Eisenreich. ANNUAL REPORT 2013 3
Development cooperation and humanitarian aid in a changing environment Philippines: community clean up after Typhoon Haiyan Saving lives changing minds Today s fast-changing world poses enormous challenges to people in need and to humanitarian organizations alike. The number and severity of disasters and armed conflicts has increased. More than one billion people live in areas affected by conflict and in countries with weak state institutions. One consequence Syria: assisting people in humanitarian crisis is the rising number of refugees and internally displaced persons. Entire regions are destabilized. Humanitarians are faced with deteriorating security situations and declining acceptance of the principles of neutrality and impartiality. Access to people in need becomes ever more difficult. Unforeseeable and more extreme weather events due to climate change threaten people s livelihood and safety. The interrelated consequences are human suffering, progressing environmental degradation, frequent migration and competition over vital resources like food and water. More than half of the world s population lives in urban or peri-urban settings. Population growth and unregulated urbanization often implicate changing lifestyles, heavily varying income opportunities and inequality leading to social exclusion among societies. Therefore it is important to help vulnerable people and communities around the world prepare for, withstand and recover from crisis and disasters. More and new humanitarian actors, including public-private partnerships enter the humanitarian arena, which potentially increases the challenge of coordinating humanitarian assistance and blurs the perception of neutral assistance. Due to this fast changing environment new ways of thinking and acting together need to be established in order to reduce human suffering, save lives and safeguard the respect of human rights. C 4 INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
We need to deliver assistance faster and in a more efficient way. Haiti: earthquake rehabilitation of 2,700 homes Interview with the Austrian Red Cross Secretary General Werner Kerschbaum? Mr. Secretary General, global political and social change challenges the framework of international assistance. How does the Red Cross react to these developments? Werner Kerschbaum: It is vital for us to focus on what the Red Cross can do best. In order to optimize the impact of our international activities, the Austrian Red Cross has established thematic focus areas and follows a regional programmatic approach along with partner capacity building. We reach out to the needy on the basis of our core competencies and of high standards. We also see a gradual shift in our work from explicit service delivery to increased advisory support, knowledge exchange and advocacy. Being auxiliary to the government, we work with decision makers and the public to improve the humanitarian situation of vulnerable people.? Complex disasters, the coincidence of multiple conflicts and disasters, pose nearly insolvable tasks to international humanitarian assistance. How can efficient and effective assistance be ensured? While focusing our operational engagement thematically and regionally, we build on enhanced cooperation with partners who have complementary competencies, primarily within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, but also beyond. We believe that effective cooperation is always based on mutual trust and respect. This way we can work towards a division of labor to deliver and address humanitarian needs more timely and efficiently, and have a chance to realize positive sustainable change. New partnerships will also be a key to access new funding sources in the future.? Efficient humanitarian assistance requires access to people in need. The neutral and impartial aid of the Red Cross does create trust, but neutrality is often not respected by the conflict parties. Can access still be achieved? Yes, it can, even if it takes time. The Red Cross Movement is not a political or religious organisation. Our neutrality allows us to offer unconditional support to people in need. We engage in silent diplomacy as a principled strategy for influencing parties to armed conflict and others, states, non-state actors and members of civil society. Its purpose is purely humanitarian and it is carried out through a network of sustained bilateral, multilateral, official and informal relations. We believe that humanitarian aid is not an act of charity, but is rooted in the rights of people.? Let us look ahead: is there a likely trend for humanitarian assistance? For the last few years the Red Cross has worked with the allocation of cash and cash transfers as an efficient way of emergency aid. Prepaid cards, electronic vouchers or credit on mobile phones are some of the newly applied technologies and methods. Technical innovations revolutionise the image of humanitarian assistance as it is no longer merely about the delivery of relief items. The objective, however, remains unchanged: to assist people in need fast, efficiently and with dignity. C ANNUAL REPORT 2013 5
CORE REGION Eastern Africa Water and sanitation Eastern Africa is one of the least developed regions in the world and especially prone to disasters. The Austrian Red Cross has been engaged in Africa since 2001. Due to the long lasting civil war and the Darfur crisis we initially worked on disaster relief and rehabilitation in Sudan. Subsequently we extended our programs to other Eastern African Countries. At present the Austrian Red Cross works in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and South Sudan. The main focus of our programs is on water and sanitation, disaster risk reduction and community capacity development in close cooperation with our Red Cross National sister societies. C *AutRC: Austrian Red Cross ADA: Austrian Development Agency EDF: European Development Fund RC: Red Cross, Red Crescent DG DEVCO: Development and Cooperation Europe Aid Neighbour in Need: humanitarian fundraising platform DESCRIPTION PARTNERS DONORS BUDGET IN DURATION Immediate food assistance Ethiopian RC, Donations 103,650 2011-2015 Water and hygiene, West-Arsi Ethiopian RC, AutRC* funds, 85,000 2009-2015 ETHIOPIA Water, hygiene and resource preservation, North-Gondar Ethiopian RC, ADA*,, AutRC funds 558,600 2010-2014 Water and hygiene, Benishangul Gumuz Ethiopian RC,, Swedish RC ADA, EDF*, AutRC Upper Austria, Swedish RC, 2,534,600 2010-2016 Water and hygiene, West-Arsi Ethiopian RC, ADA, AutRC funds, enterprises, Neighbour in Need, 250,000 2013-2015 Food security seeds, irrigation, agriculture, Magarini Kenyan RC, Neighbour in Need*, 563,600 2011-2014 KENYA Food security, Mandera Kenyan RC, ADA 583,660 2011-2013 Food security, Kibwezi Kenyan RC, Neighbour in Need, 592,190 2012-2014 SUDAN AND SOUTH SUDAN Disaster prevention program: drinking water preparation and distribution, hygiene promotion in 4 federal states, Sudanese RC, South-Sudanese RC AutRC, Sudanese RC 140,000 2010-2014 SOUTH SUDAN Water, hygiene in Unity State and capacity building South Sudanese RC, South-Sudanese RC ADA, DG DEVCO*, AutRC funds, AutRC Styria,, Rover, Vöslauer 1,111,940 2011-2014 EASTERN AFRICA TOTAL 6,523,240 6 INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
CORE REGION South-Eastern and Eastern Europe Social inclusion The Austrian Red Cross long term strategic engagement in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe focuses on social inclusion and disaster risk reduction. Particularly in view of pooling strengths, generating synergies and mobilizing resources, cooperation within the RC movement and innovative partnerships with civil society organisations, local municipalities and relevant actors from the business sector are envisaged to strengthen capacity development and regional exchange of knowledge. In its social inclusion approach the Austrian Red Cross focuses on adequate health and social services and assistance for independent living provided for the elderly and people with disabilities. C *DG ECHO: Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection RedR: Humanitarian Training for NGO s and relief workers DESCRIPTION PARTNERS DONORS BUDGET IN DURATION Center for children with disability Grodno, Belarus RC AutRC funds,, Medicor foundation 265,000 2011-2014 BELARUS Support for the participation of the elderly in decision making processes, Swiss RC, Belarus RC ADA, DG DEVCO, AutRC funds, Swiss RC 400,000 2013-2015 EUROPE SUPRA- REGIONAL Prepare to Respond II training program developing humanitarian capacity in SEE Europe Active aging in Macedonia and Montenegro, RedR RC of FRYR of Macedonia, RC of Montenegro, DG ECHO*, RedR*, Swiss RC, training fees AutRC funds, Erste Bank foundation 600,000 2013-2014 27,000 2013-2014 MACEDONIA Development of home care RC of FRYR of Macedonia, ADA, AutRC funds 200,000 2011-2013 Community-based home care RC of FRYR of Macedonia AutRC funds 17,250 2013-2015 MONTE- NEGRO Community-based home care RC of Montenegro, AutRC funds, Porr 145,000 2012-2015 SEE EUROPE SUPRA-RE- GIONAL TOTAL 1,654,250 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 7
CORE REGION South Caucasus Disaster preparedness The Austrian Red Cross facilitates regional exchange and cross-border cooperation in the South Caucasus. RC National Societies (NS) are supported to strengthen their capacities in the areas of disaster preparedness, adaptation to climate change, health and social services. These activities aim at establishing RC NS as sustainable community-based service providers and potentially strengthen the capacity of disaster management systems. Measures to promote social inclusion, gender equality and diversity management are part of our programmatic approach. A special target group are young volunteers who in the future will significantly contribute to peace building in the region. C DESCRIPTION PARTNERS DONORS BUDGET IN DURATION ARMENIA Psychosocial support for refugees Armenian RC, AutRC funds, Medicor foundation, 150,000 2012-2014 GEORGIA Acting together: set-up of community-based social services Georgian RC ADA, AutRC funds 250,000 2012-2014 SOUTH CAUCASUS SUPRA- REGIONAL Resilient communities: community-based disaster risk reduction South Caucasus Climate Forum East: crossregional network for climate change adaptation Armenian RC, Azerbaijan RC, Georgian RC Armenian RC, Azerbaijan RC, Georgian RC, Austrian RC, Belarus RC, WWF, Umweltbundesamt ADA, Swiss RC ADA, DG DEVCO, AutRC funds 1,200,000 2012-2015 1,100,000 2013-2014 SOUTH CAUCASUS TOTAL 2,700,000 International disaster management Whether the crisis is caused by conflict, natural or man-made disasters, aid provided by the Austrian Red Cross does not differentiate between nationality, religion, social status or political beliefs and assists affected populations worldwide in a needs-based, fast and efficient way. This includes financial support, the deployment of experts, relief goods and the application of new technology like cash transfers and beneficiary communication. We help to meet people s basic needs in the aftermath of a disaster and work with communities to build on and develop their capacities, skills and resources so that they will become less vulnerable and better able to meet future crises. C 8 INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
INTERNATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT DESCRIPTION PARTNERS DONORS BUDGET IN DURATION ARMENIA Clothes, medication, hygiene parcels, assistance to Syrian refugees Food and hygiene parcels after hail storms Armenian RC, ADA, 365,410 2013-2014 Donations 5,010 2013 GEORGIA Relief items, food after floods Georgian RC, Donations 5,000 2013 HAITI International RC assistance after hurricane Sandy FACT* deployment, cholera prevention and sanitation IFRC ADA 400,000 2012-2013 IFRC 27,300 2012-2013 ERU* deployment cholera prevention and sanitation British RC, German RC, IFRC, French RC AutRC Upper Austria, 150,000 2012-2013 INDIA Aid after Typhoon Phailin IFRC Donations 10,000 2013-2014 JORDAN Cash transfers to refugees in Jordan IFRC, Jordan RC,, Swiss RC AutRC Upper Austria, Tyrol; Madion Vienna, Neighbour in Need 360,500 2012-2014 LEBANON Food and winter assistance for refugees in Lebanon IFRC, Lebanese RC, ADA, AutRC Vorarlberg, Austrian Youth RC, 840,740 2013-2014 EAST AFRICA SU- PRA-REGIONAL Distribution of seeds and kitchen sets IFRC, ICRC, Federal Ministry Republic of Austria Europe, Integration, Foreign Affairs, Madion Vienna, Austrian Youth RC, 381,500 2011-2013 PAKISTAN ERU deployment and capacity building of the Pakistan RC Donations 56,600 2010-2013 ERU deployment, German RC, IFRC, Swedish RC Donations, Neighbour in Need 337,000 2013-2015 PHILIPPINES Relief items after Typhoon Haiyan: food, hygiene parcels, kitchen sets International RC assistance after Typhoon Haiyan IFRC, ICRC AutRC Carinthia, Vorarlberg, Styria, Salzburg; 1,500,750 2013-2015 IFRC ADA, 506,430 2013-2015 Rehabilitation Leyte, German RC Swiss RC, 64,980 2013-2015 SLOVENIA Food parcels for flood victims Slovenian RC AutRC funds, AutRC Upper Austria, Styria 18,000 2012-2013 SOUTH SUDAN Well drillings, training and capacity building, Swedish RC, Swiss RC, South Sudanese RC AutRC funds, Swedish RC, Swiss RC 165,000 2013-2014 SYRIA International RC assistance, Lebanese RC, IFRC Donations, Neighbour in Need, ADA 1,187,340 2012-2014 DISASTER RELIEF TOTAL 6,381,560 *FACT: Field Assessment Coordination Team ERU: Emergency Response Unit Madion Vienna: City of Vienna Chief Executive Office IFRC: International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies ICRC: International Committee of the Red Cross ANNUAL REPORT 2013 9
Key Figures Expenditure Total expenditure in 2013 was 14 million euros. This expenditure can be broken down into three main categories: disaster relief (37.7%), development cooperation (35%) and rehabilitation (19.8%). 2.8 4.7 37.7 Disaster relief 5,282,358 Development cooperation 4,902,726 In percent 19.8 35.0 Rehabilitation 2,772,732 Program support and advocacy 657,772 Administration costs 391,566 Total 14,007,154 In Euro Revenue The main funding sources of the Austrian Red Cross international cooperation are public institutional donors like the European Union, the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and External Affairs. The largest private institutional donor is the platform Neighbour in Need. Red Cross funding sources include Red Cross membership fees and financial contributions from the regional Red Cross branches and the Austrian Youth Red Cross. Individual donors and private companies support the Austrian Red Cross with cash, in-kind and know-how. 37.3 Public institutional funding 5.226.492 Private institutional funding 3.464.176 16.6 Red Cross funding 2.993.538 Donations, other private funding 2.322.948 21.4 24.7 Total 14.007.154 In Euro In percent 10 INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
In 2013 a total of 49 Austrian Red Cross delegates worked as field staff in 14 countries. 13.2 % 24.0 % 21.0% Africa 3,364,180 Americas 2,942,029 Asia 4,127,591 12.3 % 29.5 % Europe 1,850,437 Supra-regional 1,722,917 Total 14,007,154 In Euro Core Areas In 2013 the Austrian Red Cross continued to provide assistance to people affected by the conflict in Syria and the neighboring countries. Programs were also set up in the Philippines following the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, killing thousands and displacing millions. The Haiti rehabilitation was the biggest program in 2013, where the Red Cross finalized its operations begun after the 2010 earthquake. In Eastern Africa we continued to provide large-scale programs focusing on water, sanitation and hygiene, and disaster risk reduction. In South-Eastern & Eastern Europe and in the South Caucasus we pursued a regional approach focusing on disaster prevention, capacity building and social inclusion. Activities which do not belong to regional programs are summarized under supra-regional (12.3%). Africa total 3,364,180 26.7% Ethiopia ( 896,176) 26.9% Kenya ( 905,549) 9.0% Sudan ( 302,833) 15.6% South Sudan ( 525,899) 3.4% Eastern Africa supra-regional ( 113,920) 18.4% Africa/rest ( 619,803) Asia total 4,127,591 1.3% Jordan ( 52,209) 3.1% Lebanon ( 125,690) 40.8% Syria ( 1,684,347) 1.5% Japan ( 63,828) 0.2% India ( 10,000) 3.2% Nepal ( 130,486) 0.9% Pakistan ( 38,370) 6.8% Laos ( 281,128) 3.1% Myanmar ( 125,720) 3.6% East Timor ( 150,439) 32.5% Philippines ( 1,339,891) 3.0% Asia/rest ( 125,483) Europa total 1.850.437 5.8% Belarus ( 106,776) 2.7% Armenia ( 50,131) 5.0% Georgia ( 92,718) 30.1% South Caucasus ( 558,355) 0.3% Bulgaria ( 5,000) 5.4% Macedonia ( 99,006) 3.3% Montenegro ( 61,578) 35.9% South Eastern Europe supra-regional ( 663,497) 11.5% Europe/rest ( 213,376) Americas total 2,942,029 100% Haiti ( 2,942,029) ANNUAL REPORT 2013 11
Macedonia Haiti Belgium Lebanon South Eastern and Eastern Europe Eastern Africa Nepal, Myanmar, East Timor, Laos Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia Montenegro, Macedonia, Belarus Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan Mali South Caucasus Niger Worldwide CORE REGIONS Montenegro International Cooperation of the Austrian Red Cross 2013 LEGEND International Disaster Management Rehabilitation Development Cooperation Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Food Security Disaster Preparedness Social Inclusion Delegates Slovenia Belarus Georgia Armenia Azerbaijan Syria Jordan Somalia Ethiopia Kenya Sudan South Sudan India Pakistan Nepal Syria Haiti Assistance after Typhoon Haiyan Assistance in Syria, Armenia, Jordan and Lebanon Earthquake rehabilitation INTERNATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT FOCUS 2013 Philippines Myanmar www.redcross.at Laos Philippines East Timor