On behalf of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies, I have the great pleasure and privilege
being given this opportunity to speak at this important meeting.
Each member State represented at this distinguished gathering
benefits from the programs and services of its Red Cross or
Red Crescent national society.
In addition, every one of your National Societies forms an integral
part of the international Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
I am pleased to note that this global movement is the largest
humanitarian organization in the world, with established national
societies in 181 countries worldwide. With a Secretariat in
Geneva, regional delegations strategically located across the
planet, and country delegations supporting national societies
in many states vulnerable to natural disasters, the Federation
is the umbrella body for all Red Cross and Red Crescent national
entities.
Overall, the mandate of the Federation is:
- To support a Red Cross or Red Crescent national society to
strengthen its capacity for serving its population
- To assist a national society in responding to natural disasters
- To harmonize the collective actions of Red Cross and Red Crescent
national societies by means of coordinated Appeals and subsequent
emergency and development programming.
Here in Indonesia, and in line with that mandate, the Federation
is supporting the Indonesian Red Cross in building up its own
ability to serve the people of this vast and highly-populated
country. Indonesian Red Cross - known as Palang Merah Indonesia
and referred to by its initials "PMI" - is recognized and valued
as the country's leading humanitarian organization.
Your Excellencies, for those who are familiar with the good
works of PMI and the standing that it enjoys, there is no doubt
that this reputation for its humanitarian work is well-deserved.
Indonesia is prone to natural disasters. Landslides, earthquakes,
tsunamis, volcanoes, flooding, drought - almost every imaginable
natural disaster is a constant threat across the broad territory
of this country.
The Indonesian Government has given PMI a specific mandate for
responding to natural disasters, and the organization takes
this responsibility very seriously. One of PMI's strongest,
most mature and reliable resources is the existing set-up of
'SATGANA' or Rapid Response teams that are positioned all over
the country, ready to act whenever and wherever they are needed.
These Indonesian Satgana teams are well known for their effectiveness
not only domestically in Indonesia, they also set a working
example throughout the entire international Movement for their
emergency response accomplishments.
PMI's Satgana disaster preparedness teams have been extremely
effective in responding to the country's various disaster scenarios,
not the least being the tsunami cataclysm that struck northern
Sumatra last December. PMI's well-trained and well-organized
volunteers were quick to respond under extremely difficult and
challenging circumstances.
Yet, as ready as they were, the scope and scale of the Tsunami
devastation was an extreme test of their abilities.
In Aceh, history will note that the Indonesian Red Cross was
one of the first humanitarian organizations to start up emergency
relief operations immediately after the tsunami, with support
to PMI from the Federation and the ICRC.
I am sad to say that many Satgana members, PMI volunteers, staff
and key leadership in Aceh perished in the tsunami wave. However,
regardless of these personal and institutional losses, surviving
PMI members immediately began to help the victims - which was
an extraordinary demonstration of their dedication and commitment.
As well, the solidarity shown by fellow Red Cross branches all
over Indonesia was also significant. Volunteers from these other
regions in the country traveled to Aceh to help their colleagues,
with an orderly rotation of Satgana teams working in the affected
areas. These volunteers performed admirably, and in accordance
with the mandate given to PMI by the Government.
From the outset of the calamity, and even to this day, PMI volunteers
evacuated dead bodies, transported the injured to medical attention,
provided health and medical services in collaboration with ICRC
and with Federation emergency response units, distributed relief
supplies, and provided missing person tracing services.
Today, as I speak, more than one thousand volunteers are still
operating in the area, with almost 46,000 corpses handled, and
emergency relief supplied to several hundred thousand beneficiaries
through the Red Cross distribution network. I would note that
all past and current details of these operations can be accessed
in the operational updates posted on the Federation website:
www.ifrc.org.
From beyond the borders of Indonesia, the solidarity demonstrated
by neighboring countries was significant. Within 24 hours after
the deadly wave had receded, volunteer doctors and nurses from
the Malaysian Red Crescent and Singapore Red Cross were on site
in the disaster zone, assisting in the PMI and Movement response.
The Federation, in line with its standard operating procedures
when large-scale natural disasters happen, immediately deployed
a FACT team to Aceh to assess the situation and the needs. These
FACT teams - Field Assessment and Coordination Teams- are specially-trained
groups of professionals constantly on standby to do these emergency
rapid assessments.
Members of the host national societies are always integral members
of the FACT teams when traveling in-country.
As soon as the immediate needs were identified, a number of
Emergency Response Units, sponsored by individual national societies,
were dispatched to Aceh to begin a substantive response. The
ERUs deliver high-level expertise in medical services, water
& sanitation, health, relief and logistic support, and arrive
on large cargo aircraft complete with all necessary equipment
and supplies.
The Federation coordinates all of these operations, always working
in close collaboration and with the approval of the host national
society.
These ERU teams were also complemented by personnel from national
societies in the region that arrived within a short period of
time. A medical team from the Japanese Red Cross moved into
the damaged hospital in Meuloboh, and - as mentioned previously
- relief teams from Singapore and Malaysia joined the Indonesian
Red Cross medical volunteers who set up a clinic in Banda Aceh,
and also assisted at Meulaboh.
Total number of people assisted with food and non-food items
in Aceh remains 262,940 individuals. More than 95,000 people
have received basic or preventive health care from mobile clinics
of PMI or the specialized health units.
Many National Societies from all over the world have since communicated
their sympathy and solidarity to the Indonesian people through
the Indonesian Red Cross. Their support is being expressed through
funding and human resources for the emergency phase of the operation,
as well as by longer-term commitments to PMI's recovery and
reconstruction plans.
This assistance is being provided either through the Federation
or directly through bilateral support to the Indonesian Red
Cross. Details of those plans, programs and funding can be found
in the Federation's revised Appeal which has just been published
on www.ifrc.org.
The Federation's role, as specified by the Government of Indonesia,
is to coordinate both multi-lateral and bilateral support in
its ongoing collaboration with and support of the Indonesian
Red Cross. All programs and budgets are aligned with the Government's
own Master Plan and in accordance with PMI's needs and with
its strategic intent.
By definition of how we work all over the world, the host national
society, PMI, is in the driver's seat.
As the extent of the Tsunami catastrophe became clear, it became
evident that the Movement's assistance to PMI for the affected
areas would span many years. And in line with the government's
official plans, PMI indicated an involvement for at least 5
to 7 years.
The PMI tsunami response plan, with financial and human resource
support from the Federation and its member national societies,
is divided into three phases: emergency, recovery & rehabilitation,
and reconstruction phases.
To realize such a comprehensive plan, PMI working with the Federation
and ICRC has established a Movement Framework by which all Red
Cross and Red Crescent national societies active in the tsunami
operation in Aceh have agreed to work within this coordinating
structure, which is lead by the Indonesian Red Cross and coordinated
by the Federation. Several of the participating national societies
have sent their representatives to Indonesia to participate
actively in this arrangement.
I also want to take this opportunity to highlight the assistance
provided to Indonesia and to the vulnerable people in Aceh and
North Sumatra by other Asian Red Cross and Red Crescent national
societies who are have been supporting the operation from the
outset.
I have already mentioned the Malaysian Red Crescent, who arrived
in Aceh shortly after the tsunami hit the region, and has been
supporting the Indonesian Red Cross and the victims in various
ways, including psychological support, relief supplies and funding
for reconstruction.
Assistance from the Singapore Red Cross is not new to Indonesia.
This National Society has for many years been assisting PMI
programs in Sumatra. Emergency relief and medical support, as
well as reconstruction funding are areas of focus for the Singapore
Red Cross.
The Japanese Red Cross has also been supporting Federation programs
in Indonesia for many years. Building up Satgana teams has been
one of the biggest Japanese Red Cross support programs.
And as mentioned, a Japanese medical emergency team arrived
in Meuloboh on the devastated west coast of Sumatra within days
after 26 December, and they are still operating in the area.
Japanese Red Cross will be supporting Indonesian Red Cross in
health rehabilitation and in reconstruction.
The Australian Red Cross has a long and venerable history in
supporting the Indonesian Red Cross, through the Federation
and bilaterally.
After the tsunami, the Australian Red Cross rapidly established
emergency communications with the Indonesian Red Cross and with
the Federation, collaborating in the identification of needs
and the areas where they could support the victims of the tsunami.
Their help is going to ambulance services, blood services, water
and sanitation, health rehabilitation and reconstruction.
To credit some of the support provided by other Asian Societies:
- Chinese Red Cross: funding and construction of friendship
villages Hong Kong Red Cross Branch: health rehabilitation and
reconstruction
- Vietnam Red Cross: funding and in-kind support
- Korean Red Cross: reconstruction funding
- East Timor Red Cross: Water and Sanitation expertise.
The continuing and strong support from the Asian Red Cross and
Red Crescent societies has been most notable, and without this
support, the potential for our emergency operation and the long
term recovery and reconstruction phases would not be as prodigious
as they are.
And as their countries are members of APEC, we also note the
sizable level of funding and expertise forthcoming from the
American and the Canadian Red Cross.
These are but a few examples of the huge support coming from
all over the world, from governments, as well as from national
societies in Asia, Africa, America and Europe.
In addition to the direct support to Indonesian Red Cross, more
than 45 National Societies are directing their support through
the Federation Appeals for tsunami-affected countries.
We are very much aware of the fact that this solidarity we are
experiencing in Indonesia following the tsunami has been a generous
reality in all of the countries affected by this appalling disaster,
and for that we are thankful.
In conclusion, the role of the Federation in the years to come
will continue to be this coordination of our global Movement's
support to Indonesia, as well as our ongoing support of the
capacity-building of the Indonesian Red Cross.
And after the tsunami, several large earthquakes have since
occurred, as well as the resurgence of active volcanoes on Sumatra
and other islands of Indonesia. We are aware that new calamities
are likely to occur in this vulnerable country, and the Indonesian
Red Cross will remain an important actor in the emergency response
to these disasters large and small.
With such good neighbors in the Asian & Pacific region, we know
that PMI is not alone. In today's inter-connected world, we
are confident that we can rely on this support.
The Red Cross Red Crescent Movement is by its nature a grass-roots
organization. Again and again, we have seen the benefit of having
a community-based volunteer organization in the affected areas.
We have witnessed this following the tsunami disaster, as well
as in hundreds of natural and man-made upheavals to which we
respond all around the world.
Red Cross Red Crescent will always be ready to act when and
where disaster strikes. This is the message heard by our beneficiaries
all over the world. Our neutral, impartial, transparent and
accountable grass-roots organization is always ready and prepared
to help the most vulnerable, wherever they may be.
On behalf of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies, I am honored to be in this position here
and now to extend our thanks and appreciation to you all, and
to your governments, for the great support that you and your
respective national societies have given to the tsunami-affected
countries.
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