The
President of the International Federation has singled out Red
Cross volunteers for special praise during his visit to tsunami-hit
Sri Lanka at the weekend.
Juan Manuel Suárez del Toro inspected relief work being
carried out by the Sri Lanka Red Cross and the Federation, visiting
two relief centres in Negambo on the west coast.
He took part in the distribution of non-food relief items such
as kitchen utensils and water bags to people who had been displaced
or made homeless by the disaster.
Both these camps are supported by the Red Cross and accommodate
244 families, most of them from fishing villages. The Sri Lanka
Red Cross is also running medical camps and has also provided
the displaced with tents and water tanks.
Suárez del Toro personally thanked volunteers who have
been working tirelessly since the disaster struck two weeks
ago. Approximately 3,000 Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers have
been directly involved in relief work such as first aid, needs
assessment and distribution of relief items.
"The Movement is proud of you. It is volunteers and their
passion which makes the difference between a movement and an
organisation. Be proud of what you have done. You give hope
in sadness. You have proved to the world that Red Cross is action,"
he said, desribing them as the “heart of our intervention,
working shoulder to shoulder with those who have been affected”.
He made a plea to volunteers to remain active with the Red Cross
after the emergency phase was over to assist with the vital
rehabilitation work which lies ahead.
The Federation President also met with people affected by the
disaster, the Sri Lankan Minister for Trade and Commerce, Jeyaraj
Fernandopulle, religious leaders and Red Cross officials. Families
told the Red Cross delegation of how they had lost everything,
including their livelihoods with fishing boats and fishing gear
destroyed. They asked for help in rebuilding their lives.
Suárez del Toro also called on the Prime Minister of
Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapakse, and the Minister of Social Service,
Sumedha Jayasena. He outlined to the Sri Lankan Premier the
widespread response from the Movement, the public, the corporate
sector and governments.
He stressed the commitment of the Federation to work with the
Sri Lankan government and the Sri Lanka Red Cross.
"It is my wish that Sri Lanka will further improve its
performance and capacity and be known worldwide for its quality
service delivery to the most vulnerable. The Federation will
commit itself to building the capacity of the Sri Lanka Red
Cross," he said.
During the visit Suárez del Toro also visited the Sri
Lankan Red Cross national headquarters and met its president,
Jagath Abeysinghe, and national secretary, Nimal Kumar, as well
as holding discussions with the head of the Federation’s
delegation in Sri Lanka, Alasdair Gordon Gibson.
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Juan
Manuel Suárez del Toro met and listened to the
stories of families in Negambo left homeless by the tsunami
(p-LKA0110)
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Federation
President Suárez del Toro (right) discusses a project
with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, during
talks in Colombo (p-LKA0108)
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A
woman from the devastated fishing community of Negambo
about to receive Red Cross relief items (p-LKA0086)
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One
of the 3,000 Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers who have been
helping with the disaster response operations (p12449)
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