Unrelenting crisis in southern Africa brings new Red Cross approach
28 May 2003

A desperate need for new forms of response to the unrelenting crisis consuming southern Africa brought an emergency appeal from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies today.
And it warned that the policy of donors, governments and humanitarian agencies will soon lag behind the region's growing challenges. The interaction of HIV/AIDS, failed health care, poverty and food insecurity has created an unprecedented disaster conventional interventions cannot contain.

The appeal for 13.6 million Swiss francs (US$ 10.3 million) will extend Red Cross national society operations in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Presenting a new strategy based on an integrated community-level response and a coalition of humanitarian forces, the Federation said that without fresh approaches, a dramatic fall in life expectancy, a decimation of the workforce and agricultural production and the destitution of whole communities, were inevitable.

"The humanitarian world is deep in uncharted territory and the map from the past will not guide it through the future," said Alasan Senghore, head of the Federation's southern Africa delegation in Harare. "Doing business as usual will not halt this disaster."

The appeal will strengthen a Red Cross safety net for 347,000 extremely vulnerable people through food security and integrated community care. Programmes will cover essential food needs, health, water and sanitation, HIV/AIDS prevention and economic self-reliance.

They will take over from the one-year southern Africa food security operation due to end in July. The appeal will allow the Federation to transform short-term emergency relief into integrated longer-term programmes with greater impact upon the root causes of a disaster that Senghore characterized as "driving the most vulnerable into a downward spiral of poverty, chronic illness, lack of options and lack of hope." It will cover the five months to January 2004 when the Federation's annual appeal for the region will incorporate the strategy.

Red Cross and Red Crescent resources are being pooled and strategic input has come from partner Red Cross national societies operating in the region including the American, Belgian, British, Danish, Finnish, German, Japanese, Netherlands and Spanish Red Cross. The operation will coordinate and cooperate with governments and other humanitarian actors to maximize the impact of its integrated programmes.

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:

For further information, or to set up interviews (ISDN line available in Geneva) please contact:

In Johannesburg
John Sparrow, Information Delegate Tel: + 27 11 236 33 60 / + 27 83 287 97 43

In Geneva
Denis McClean, Head, Media Service Tel: + 41 22 730 44 28 / + 41 79 217 33 57
Media Service Duty Phone Tel: + 41 79 416 38 81

The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.