Earlier
this month, The Bird made its final flight. This giant Hercules
cargo plane, which became the much-loved flagship of the Red
Cross Red Crescent relief effort in Indonesia, delivered essential
humanitarian aid to the worst-hit province, Aceh.
The Bird, generously donated by a corporate partner, has now
flown away from the Red Cross Red Crescent logistics base on
Battam Island to undertake other tasks. Her departure has a
symbolic resonance for the Red Cross and Red Crescent aid workers
in Indonesia, for while emergency relief will continue to be
delivered to the people of Aceh, thoughts are now turning to
their longer-term needs.
This is not just the case in Indonesia, but all the countries
engulfed by the deadly Boxing Day waves. The coordinated Red
Cross and Red Crescent recovery plans for all tsunami-hit areas
will be the subject of a major forum to be held in Hong Kong
from 3 to 5 March.
The gathering will bring together some 50 national Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the
Red Cross, the International Federation, which are coordinating
the Movement’s response, as well as senior figures from
the United Nations and other humanitarian partners. The meeting
is significant because, outside the UN system, the Red Cross
and Red Crescent Movement is the largest humanitarian actor
in the affected countries.
The meeting is an opportunity to hear testimonies from those
who were “on the frontline” when the tsunami struck
and to pay homage to those who died, including our own volunteers
who perished attempting to assist their neighbours. But most
of all it is a chance for all components of our Movement to
come together to take stock of what has been accomplished to
date and to agree on a coordinated strategy to get these devastated
communities back on their feet and help them to better protect
themselves against future disasters.
Uppermost in our minds will be the high expectations and confidence
placed in our Movement not only by the tsunami survivors but
also those around the globe who have donated so generously.
Indeed drawing up a framework to ensure accountability will
be high on our agenda. Fortunately, the International Federation
is recognised as being one of the most transparent humanitarian
organisations in the world, with systems in place to track the
receipt and use of donations.
The Movement’s emergency response to the tsunami was fast
and unprecedented, with local volunteers among the first on
the scene. They, and the international staff who have come to
support them, have earned the respect of the affected communities.
Our excellent work during the initial emergency phase of the
operation has created a high degree of expectation that we will
see the job through. To paraphrase my friend Mar’ie Mohammad,
Chairman of the Indonesia Red Cross, the greatest asset we have
is the trust that people have in us. That applies as much to
the housewife in Baltimore, factory worker in Beijing or teacher
in Bahrain who donated to our appeal as to the tsunami-hit families
whose communities – from homes to water systems and health
clinics - we will help to rebuild.
But the physical reconstruction must be allied to a more holistic
view. Alongside the bricks and mortar, we must build a culture
of disaster preparedness and risk reduction. A central plank
of our long-term strategy in the tsunami-hit countries will
be utilising our community-based volunteers to promote disaster
reduction measures. As we told last month’s World
Conference on Disaster Reduction in the Japanese city of
Kobe, early-warning systems and international solidarity are
important, but will count for little if at-risk populations
are not well prepared for what nature will inevitably hurl at
them in future.
We will be doing these ravaged communities an immense disservice
if we do not use a significant proportion of the money donated
to give them and others like them the means to protect themselves
against future catastrophes.
It is important to emphasise that for every disaster that generates
air-time or column inches in the international media, there
are ten more that go unreported, but where the local Red Cross
or Red Crescent is nonetheless saving lives and providing relief.
In Hong Kong we will be stressing that there are many other
disaster-prone places in the world that would also benefit from
investment in disaster reduction projects. They must not be
overlooked in the rush to help the tsunami victims.
Our experience shows that disasters can be prepared for, their
humanitarian consequences can be mitigated and risks can be
reduced – for a fraction of the cost of international
disaster response. The International Federation believes passionately
that the answer to reducing the impact of disasters lies within
the communities themselves. Our unique network of community-based
volunteers offers the best way to pass on to vulnerable communities
the knowledge and skills they need to mitigate the impact of
catastrophes.
They are there before disaster strikes; in the immediate aftermath
before international teams arrive; and long after they have
left.
Thanks to the tremendous generosity and compassion of the public
worldwide we can now do much more than simply assist the victims
of what is an extremely rare occurrence. We can take a broader
and more long-term perspective which will safeguard the lives
and livelihoods of millions of vulnerable people. We have the
funds to achieve this. We are now counting on the political
will from key decision makers. People living in vulnerable communities
deserve nothing less.
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Fed
911, or 'the Bird' as it was affectionately known by relief
workers, allowed the Federation to ensure a consistent,
effective supply of relief goods to Aceh (p12615).
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