You’re sick of lockdown. When will all this end? Well, maybe we have the perfect antidote.
Europe is experiencing the fastest rise in Coronavirus infections in the world and health systems in many countries in our region are approaching breaking point. Yet worryingly, we are witnessing an alarming rise in people saying they are sick and tired of being restricted.
Worrying signs abound that people are failing to take the second wave seriously. Many countries have seen protests against new lockdown restrictions, and in Turkey, a Red Crescent survey [1] found that despite high levels of awareness, some people are less inclined to follow preventive measures now compared to in the early stages of the outbreak.
This pandemic fatigue is only set to worsen as people see the end in sight due to the promising vaccine news and as they’re tempted to buck restrictions of the looming long, dark winter of lockdowns.
But there are things you can do to get through this time and make yourself feel better.
Your actions now are critical and can make a real difference. Consider where we are. With almost 16 million confirmed cases, and 350,000 deaths,[2] Europe accounts for more than half of the new cases globally.[3]
But one of the best ways you can combat pandemic fatigue is to do something that you know is making a real difference, like volunteering for your local Red Cross or Red Crescent. Many of our European Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and branches are desperate for fresh faces and more helping hands as we adapt our work to respond to this unprecedented emergency.
The Coronavirus pandemic has seen a shift from our traditional work and a move into new areas of assistance, as we respond rapidly to the second wave hitting Europe. We’re stepping in to fill gaps in hospitals and health clinics, we are alongside health authorities as they carry out mass testing, we’re supporting the most vulnerable so they don’t fall between the cracks and we’re reaching out to those who are most isolated and alone to defeat loneliness but also to take the dog for a walk or do the shopping.
Our work during the second wave includes in Slovakia where 1,500 local Red Cross personnel are supporting a programme aiming to test the entire adult population; in the Czech Republic we’re training thousands of new volunteers to work in hospitals as hundreds of health workers become sick, French Red Cross staff and volunteers are operating mobile testing units at train stations across Paris and Kyrgystan Red Crescent volunteers are providing first aid and transport for coronavirus patients around the clock.
Many of us are just tired of the relentless nature of this pandemic and are feeling there’s nothing we can do to end it. But there is a lot one person can do. You can play your part by staying the course. Practise social distancing, wear a mask, wash your hands, avoid crowds.
The sorts of thing you might be doing include working on telephone support lines, being part of a team preparing and delivering food, cash and other aid, supporting a mobile testing site or being a friendly face and a listening ear for someone who might not have any other human contact that day.
I can tell you these things are making a difference. In fact, our volunteers tell us that they get back as much as they give.
I urge you to join us. We need you, and you just might find that you need us.
[1] https://sites.google.com/view/kapturkey/home
[2] https://covid19.who.int/
[3] https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update---3-november-2020
Stepping up to help people with disabilities
COVID-19 has affected all parts of society, but it poses a particularly significant threat to the elderly and people with underlying conditions in terms of challenges in accessing the services they need and following general prevention measures, as well as a much greater risk of developing more serious symptoms if they catch the virus.
People with a disability are among those disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The outbreak is disrupting the ongoing health services and day-to-day support they rely on, and many are also battling underlying health conditions including chronic conditions and a weakened immune system, making the virus even more dangerous for them.
Prevention is also a concern, with physical distancing more difficult if not impossible for people with disabilities who rely on the support and assistance of family members, carers and support workers.
“Koyoen” disability welfare facility in Monbetsu-gun, Japan, had to confront these challenges when a resident returning from another health care facility tested positive to the virus.
“The virus started to spread through the facility, with a full-time nurse among the first five positive tests. With staff going into isolation, those remaining had to carry a heavier workload as well as dealing with the anxiety in the absence of the nurse,” explains Katsuya Kudo, the director of Koyoen.
When the director of the Kitami Red Cross Hospital, Dr Joji Arakawa, heard about this news, he decided to form a medical team in cooperation with three Red Cross hospitals in the area to support the staff of Koyoen.
The team of doctors, nurses and pharmacists were quickly at the centre, conducting tests – sometimes a difficult task when working with people with a disability – and supporting efforts to contain the virus.
Dr Arakawa explains that hospitalisation can place a lot of stress on people with disabilities, making their condition worse. Therefore, it was necessary for residents to stay at Koyoen as much as possible, even with COVID-19 situation.
“Staff in Koyoen have a good knowledge of infection and appropriate countermeasure. Since they have a trusting relationship with the residents, I believe this containment measures will work well.”
The teams stayed in turns and checked health condition of residents in order to support the staff from the medical point of view.
“Red Cross has a long history of providing health care and supporting those at risk in our communities; it’s the core of who we are and what we do,” said Gwendolyn Pang, Deputy Regional Director of IFRC in Asia Pacific.
“The Japanese Red Cross health teams have continued this proud history, providing their support and expertise at Koyoen welfare facility.”
COVID-19: an opportunity to challenge our traditional way of working with communities
By Sevde Nur Söylemez
COVID-19 has challenged our approach as humanitarians – how can we still support the most vulnerable while still keeping people safe from this pandemic?
For Turkey, we’ve learned to challenge our traditional way of supporting communities and have adapted – even reinvented some of the ways we do things.
I have worked for the Turkish Red Crescent for more than 2 years now, supporting the world’s largest humanitarian cash programme, the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) with the IFRC and funding from the European Union. This programme supports 1.8 million refugees living in Turkey with monthly cash assistance to help them buy the things they need most.
One of the most critical parts of our job is engaging with the communities we help, to hear people’s perceptions, so we can respond better to their needs. One of the best ways to do this is through focus group discussions - a crucial research tool that provides richer experiences and ideas from people who are generally coming from similar backgrounds.
No matter the condition, never stop the communication
Without the same opportunity to have these face-to-face interactions, we came up with a different innovative approach - remote focus group discussions, which had never been done in the programme before.
Its key findings are fundamental to better understand the current struggles and situations refugees are facing during the pandemic all while keeping them safe from the spread of COVID-19.
Findings: The devastating impacts of COVID-19
I heard many heart-breaking stories of refugees, trying to make ends meet. In most households, the sole breadwinner lost their jobs due to the pandemic. COVID-19’s effect has also had severe mental health impacts – families are more isolated as visits between neighbours, friends and relatives are limited. In addition, the children have some challenges in accessing the online curriculum. Among the things people shared, these quotes stuck out for me:
“I used to have a grocery store, but I had to close it.”
“It affected us and our jobs. I couldn’t work for three months”
“I don’t have neighbours but I have many relatives here. My daughter was in the hospital for 12 days. No one could come because they were afraid.”
Nevertheless, when they talk about the situation, we could see the hope and expectation of a better future. Many told us how the ESSN cash assistance has been a lifeline and that it would have been even harder without it.
How did we conduct the remote focus group discussions?
The Turkish Red Crescent has a call centre, an important source of information for people we help. We utilized this to call families to confirm their participation in the discussion.
We go to the household and meet the participant, ensure written consent and hand them a mobile phone that they use to connect online to a digital focus group discussion, hosted by the Turkish Red Crescent. Field staff were on standby to help if any problem occurs with the connection or device while they were in the session.
During the discussion, if there are any issues we identify it and take or refer the case immediately to our other relevant teams.
Fewer participants, more expression
Across Turkey, we conducted 26 focus group discussions, between four to six participants attending each. Groups were also broken down between men and women. We found we could reach and include the elderly and people with disabilities without inconvenience. This gave us a greater opportunity to hear and understand their opinions and made the bond between us even stronger.
Whenever we arrive in communities, we are welcomed. Although we have physical distance between us – at least 1,5 meters – our faces hidden behind masks, we can still feel the warm smiles.
The pandemic may have changed the way we approach our work, but the connection between us and participants has never stopped, there is always a way.
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This article covers humanitarian aid activities implemented with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of the European Union, and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
Succession of typhoons leave Filipino families with life-altering decisions
Rebuilding your home, reestablishing income source, or feeding families are all the basic right of people. But those in the Philippines, devastated by typhoons Goni and Vamco are now facing incredible life changing decisions.
They have to now prioritize one basic need over the other as they start to rebuild their lives in the wake of back-to-back super typhoons.
For Jesus and Jocelyn Onsay, rebuilding their damaged home and providing a roof for their five grandchildren is a priority. However, they can’t buy any materials to start the repairs because their crops, their only source of income, were destroyed by the storms. With their crops destroyed, even providing food for the family is a challenge, and the food relief currently available is not enough.
Jesus Onsay blows air to start a fire and boil water. His grandchildren share a pack of instant noodles from the food relief for breakfast.
“It’s really difficult. We can’t do anything but rebuild our house. We can’t go to work because we need to repair our house first so the children will have roof above their heads. It pains me to see them get wet by the rain,” Jesus said.
Jocelyn checks their belongings covered by a tarpaulin that was provided by Red Cross after Typhoon Mina in 2007. Their home’s roof was completely ripped off by Typhoon Goni’s powerful winds. Typhoon Vamco compounded their suffering, dumping rains that drenched possessions and inundated their house.
Ceferino, 67, and Celeste, 65, have tried to make their destroyed house habitable again using a tarpaulin provided by the Philippine Red Cross and nails and pieces of wood salvaged from the ruins of their home.
Ceferino earns a living as a part time construction laborer but with his age, finding a job has proven not to be that easy.
“Only few people hire me because of my age. I am trying my best to repair our house to make it livable without enough materials because I have no money,” Ceferino explained.
Christopher has to make the difficult decision of cleaning and repairing his house first but that means losing his source of income.
“That’s the problem, instead of attending to our livelihood, we have to fix our house first, so we have a shelter. Our income comes from harvesting copra (dried coconut kernel) and abaca. Our abaca is already rotting (up in the mountain). This is life. We have to accept it,” Christopher said.
Abaca crops – an important source of income for many families, were destroyed by typhoons Goni and Vamco.
The typhoons have also devastated fishing communities, like in Bato, Catanduanes.
Food for his two children and wife is Alvin’s priority. He is at a loss on how to recover from all the devastation brought by the massive flooding to their home and farm. He was able to save the water buffaloes, but said he will need support to replant his crops and rebuild the farm.
Typhoons Goni and Vamco have destroyed crops that are crucial for food supplies and income, including these corn fields in Amulung, Cagayan.
Elma Navarro’s house was seriously damaged by the flood brought by typhoon Vamco. With the help of relatives, they managed to repair the house, but Elma has doubts if it could withstand another major disaster. As a single mum, Elma’s focus is now to look for work and an income that can help her rebuild a safer home while supporting her three children and 97-year-old mother.
“This is the worst flood I have experienced since Typhoon Mangkhut in 2017. I wash clothes to earn money to support my family and without an additional source of income, I don’t think I will be able to rebuild our house,” Elma said.
Nearly 1.3 million people are still suffering after consecutive storms destroyed their homes.
The livelihoods of over 200,000 farmers and fishermen are affected.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has released 1.15 million Swiss francs from the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to provide immediate and urgent needs of affected communities. More support is needed to help people get back on their feet.
IFRC launched a revised Emergency Appeal for 10.8 million Swiss francs to support the Philippine Red Cross in its operations to assist families in rebuilding their homes and restarting their disrupted livelihoods.
“It means continuity of life during the winter”: Cash programme supporting basic needs for refugee families
When the Syrian war started to risk their lives in 2014, Abdülhalik Şemmo fled Al-Hasakah with his family and arrived in Turkey’s south-eastern province of Mardin, then moved to Ankara’s Beypazarı district, hoping to have more job opportunities. However, due to the seasonal employment’s being widespread in the district, Şemmo struggled to have a permanent income.
“In winter time, there are almost no jobs here,” said Abdülhalik, who is providing for his eight-member family.
Thanks to a monthly cash assistance programme Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) provided by the IFRC and the Turkish Red Crescent, his family is able to meet their survival needs when the job opportunities are scarce.
“It means the continuity of life to us in winter. We can pay our rent, utility bills and other needs,” said Abdülhalik. “It means hope for our children’s future.”
More about the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN)
Funded by the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), IFRC and Turkish Red Crescent are providing monthly cash assistance via debit cards to the most vulnerable refugees in Turkey under the ESSN programme. This is the largest humanitarian programme in the history of the EU and the largest programme ever implemented by the IFRC.
ESSN is providing cash to the most vulnerable refugee families living in Turkey. Every month, they receive 120 Turkish Lira (18 euros), enabling them to decide for themselves how to cover essential needs like rent, transport, bills, food, and medicine.
*This story was originally published on Turkish Red Crescent’s kizilaykart.org website and adapted by the IFRC.
This article covers humanitarian aid activities implemented with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of the European Union, and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
Tackling the humanitarian impacts of the climate crisis together
Imagine two neighbouring communities. One a wealthy neighbourhood next to a lake, its large houses surrounding a community hall that doubles as an evacuation centre. The other, a densely packed, low-income fishing village on the nearby harbour.
The weather has been strange lately: destructive typhoons are becoming more frequent; the winds are stronger. Dangerous floods happen more often.
Given the increasing risk, the authorities announce that they’ll take action to keep everyone safe. They decide to pay for a second evacuation centre in the wealthy suburb.
This is clearly a terrible decision. But scenarios like this are playing out every day in countries and communities most at risk from our changing climate.
Globally, 86 million people may be at risk of flooding by 2030, according to new research presented in the World Disasters Report 2020 - released today by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Asia is by far the most disaster-prone region in the world, experiencing around twice as many emergencies such as major floods and storms as the Americas or Africa.
The study shows that of the 20 countries assessed as most vulnerable to climate change, and climate and weather-related disasters, including Afghanistan and the Solomon Islands in the Pacific, not one was among the 20 highest per-person recipients of climate adaptation funding, according to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative.
Bangladesh and Myanmar are only just ahead of the 20 countries most vulnerable to climate disasters, yet both have seen gains in recent years. In Bangladesh, investment in early action ahead of floods and cyclones is not only preventing death and injury but making it a little easier to recover from more destructive and frequent monsoonal flooding.
None of the five countries that spend the most on adaptation to climate change had “very high” – or even “high” vulnerability scores. Not one was classed as “fragile”. place.
At the other end of the funding spectrum, less than 1 US dollar per person is being made available for climate adaptation funding in five out the eight “very high” vulnerability countries, and 38 out of 60 countries deemed to be of “high” vulnerability.
This is the equivalent of putting the new evacuation centre by the lake, rather than making it accessible to the fishing community that is at high risk from storms and floods.
And all over the world, people are being left at risk because the resources required for adapting to climate disasters and reducing risks are not reaching the community level, where they are needed the most.
Urgent investment is needed, now, if countries are to introduce necessary climate adaption measures that will protect communities and prevent human and economic costs of disasters.
But how can we do this in the current economic situation? After all, looking just at the adaptation needs outlined in the nationally determined contributions of 50 developing countries, 50 billion US dollars is needed every year.
My worry is that this shortfall will continue to grow as governments and international donors concentrate on the ongoing pandemic.
But climate adaptation work can’t take a back seat while the world is preoccupied with COVID-19. The two crises have to be tackled together.
And we have the opportunity to do this. The massive stimulus packages that are being developed around the world in response to COVID-19 are an opportunity to “build back better”. We can build a green and adaptive recovery, using relevant funds to invest in making communities safer and more resilient to future disasters.
We can expect the pandemic to have a serious impact on future resources. But this underlines the importance of smart financing to reduce disaster risks and promote climate adaptation in all communities exposed to hazards.
Climate change is an even more significant threat to humanity than the COVID-19 pandemic. It affects us all. Some countries in Asia and the Pacific are currently more exposed to climate risks than others, but we will all feel the impact eventually.
So we all have to adapt. We can start by putting resources at the disposal of the people who need it most. By protecting them, we give everyone a better chance of preventing the terrible human toll from storms, floods and fires that will affect us all.
Bringing disaster risk management to the people of Nepal
Disaster risk management (DRM) and governance in Nepal is in good hands – the hands of the communities and their local authorities who are most affected by disasters and climate change.
In partnership with the Government of Nepal, Nepal Red Cross has developed the Nepal Municipal Risk Governance Assessment Tool, an easy-to-use checklist and self-assessment framework to support more risk-informed municipal regulations, policies and systems.
The shift in power from central to local governance set by Nepal’s 2015 Constitution, and the resulting DRM act of 2017, gave full responsibility for disaster risk management policy and planning to the753 newly formed municipalities. Communities and local authorities welcomed the opportunity to have greater decision-making, but many felt overwhelmed by complex portfolios, including how to ensure a functioning governance system.
As experts in community risk reduction and disaster management, Nepal Red Cross worked with communities and decision-makers to develop the governance tool, finding ways to systemise and coordinate the decentralisation and mainstreaming of climate-smart DRR at the community level.
Community leaders will use the tool to assess their existing risk governance frameworks, identify gaps and weaknesses, and pinpoint where further investment is needed, including opportunities for mainstreaming DRR and DRM across different sectors, including development and financial planning. The assessment tool will be piloted in late 2020, before nationwide roll-out.
Nepal Red Cross is a leader disaster law and policy, it has a long history working with the Government and development partners on international disaster response law, policy and governance, including the adoption of the 2017 DRRM law.
Nepal Municipal Risk Governance Assessment Tool was supported through theZurichFlood Resilience Coalition.
The pandemic is not over
By Olivia Acosta
Alexander Arauz is a 22 year old interior designer. He is also studying Business Administration in Rivas, a city in the South Pacific of Nicaragua, very close to the Costa Rican border. He began his volunteering with the Nicaraguan Red Cross as a lifeguard in the Rivas branch 7 years ago, also he participated in the emergency of Tropical Storm Nate, as well as in Zika prevention projects, and now he is part of the network of communicators in the organization.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Alexander wanted to help in the design and implementation of activities to support the population in the fight against the pandemic, such as the dissemination of prevention measures against the virus and the psychosocial support service, to help manage the stress of people with COVID, or those who have lost their loved ones due to the pandemic.
According to Alexander, "The people we talk to are having a hard time, we even practice self-relaxation exercises with them to try to reduce their stress. There are other people who want to know how they should protect themselves and receive accurate information about COVID-19. We have also set up a Facebook account to spread how to use the masks, what are the mechanisms of transmission of the virus, and how they should protect themselves to avoid infection”.
Alexander has many things to tell, but one of the experiences most impressed him is about the support offered to the hundreds of truck drivers who were blocked in the border with Costa Rica for several weeks, due to movement restrictions imposed by the pandemic. "They were truck drivers from several countries in the region (Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and Costa Rica), who could not access with their trucks across the border to Costa Rica or Panama, to deliver their goods. The situation they found themselves was deplorable, they had to live outdoors with their clothes on and sleep under their trucks, exposed to unhealthy conditions, and even to robberies...".
Nicaraguan Red Cross has been supporting them in this difficult situation and has delivered more than 1,000 food kits to the truck drivers and also reviewed their health status. According to Alexander, "many of them were afraid of getting the virus and we had to take temperatures to check for fever or other symptoms of COVID-19. I remember that, among all of them, there was only one woman. She was very worried about beeing in touch with her children and thanks to the neighbors in the area, she was able to recharge her cell phone several times to be able to talk to them".
All Nicaraguan Red Cross volunteers wear protective equipment with masks, caps and goggles to do their work. According to Alexander, "At first we were all worried about getting the virus and infect our families, especially when we transported by ambulence people who might have coronavirus. But if you follow the established protective measures, you feel safe and realize that the most important thing is the value of the work we do for others. I feel very good and satisfied, we are working to support the population in these hard times, we feel like heroes without a cape helping people we do not know, treating them as if they were our relatives.
According to Alexander, as it is also happening in other countries of the region, the prevention measures against the virus are quite relaxed now and some people do not even wear a mask. "Although in Nicaragua there was never a mandatory confinement, at the beginning people did not go out very much from home, respected physical distances, and almost all wore masks. There were even people who looked like astronauts walking down the street. Now we see a lot of people without protection, in crowds, and even many families are sightseeing and going all together to the beach... we have a hard job ahead of us to continue raising awareness, because the pandemic is not over," he concludes.
Nicaraguan Red Cross. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the actions of the Nicaraguan Red Cross have focused on contributing to the epidemic control of the virus at the national level through the promotion of hygiene, the use of masks and the distribution of hygiene kits to the most vulnerable populations. Likewise, since last March the Nicaraguan Red Cross has been implementing the development of a massive communication campaign focused on the prevention of COVID-19, reaching more than 1.5 million people.
Cash assistance in Turkey helps refugee families invest in language skills for a chance at a better life
Before the everlasting war in Syria, Sabit El Hacco used to grow wheat on his own farm. However, when he fled conflict in 2016 and arrived in Turkey, the conditions drastically changed for him and his family. El Hacco continued to work as a farmer but this time seasonally on other family’s lands, oftentimes struggling to make ends meet.
“We used to cultivate our own fields back at home, growing wheat. Here, when there is an opportunity, we continue to work as farmers. However, there are no jobs in winter,” said El Hacco.
Living with his family of 12 in a shanty house located in Ankara’s Beypazarı district, famous for its agriculture, El Hacco tries to do what he knows best to be able to provide for his 10 children. However, without speaking the local language, securing a stable income stands as a challenge.
“Without speaking the language, the job opportunities are very limited. For this reason, I applied to the district governorship’s Turkish language course,” said El Hacco.
El Hacco began receiving monthly cash assistance from Turkish Red Crescent through the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) programme in coordination with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) and funded by the EU. It allowed Sabit to focus on learning the local language and re-establishing his life in Turkey without worrying about his family’s day-to-day needs.
“We wouldn’t be able to afford shelter to be under or even take care of our children without Kızılaykart,” said El Hacco.
“ESSN means being free of debts, having a shelter, having a life to us,” he adds.
More about the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) programme
Funded by the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), IFRC and Turkish Red Crescent are providing monthly cash assistance via debit cards to the most vulnerable refugees in Turkey under the ESSN programme. This is the largest humanitarian programme in the history of the EU and the largest programme ever implemented by the IFRC.
ESSN is providing cash to the most vulnerable refugee families living in Turkey. Every month, they receive 120 Turkish Lira (18 euros), enabling them to decide for themselves how to cover essential needs like rent, transport, bills, food, and medicine.
*This story was originally published on Turkish Red Crescent’s kizilaykart.org website and adapted by the IFRC.
This article covers humanitarian aid activities implemented with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of the European Union, and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
I thought I could do it, so I did it
By Olivia Acosta
Mariela Bareiro is 43 years old, and she has a degree in nursing, but she stopped practicing two years ago due to a family tragedy from which she is still recovering. "When the Paraguayan Red Cross launched an appeal for volunteers to provide information about the pandemic to the population, I didn't think about it, I needed to do something, to feel useful... I thought I could do it, so I did it”.
And that's how Mariela's adventure began on June 8th at the National Call Center. This service, which receives more than a thousand calls a day, consists of a free line set up to guide and attend to citizens' questions and concerns regarding COVID-19, implemented by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare of Paraguay.
Mariela dedicates 18 hours a week to this job in the morning, along with 18 volunteers from the Paraguayan Red Cross. Her mission is to provide information on prevention and isolation measures and to schedule appointments for coronavirus testing. "Most people call us to report symptoms of COVID-19, we check them and schedule appointments so they can be tested as soon as possible and confirm if they have the virus.
But many times the calls they receive require another type of intervention: "Many people call us because they are very sad, they have lost their loved ones because of the pandemic and they need to vent. We receive training in emotional support, to be able to help them in those hard moments. According to Mariela, many people who live alone feel a lot of anxiety when they present symptom of coronavirus and call to know what to do. "That is when we have to do a good listening, reassure them and finally give precise instructions for them to follow. He remembers a 54-year-old man who had lost his wife and two children: "He had symptoms, but he said he didn't care about having the virus, because he was alone and had no one left... quite often there are some difficult calls like this one. Hopefully all this will help us to be more empathetic, more supportive and more humane".
On some occasions, they also receive calls from people who need urgent help: "I remember a dramatic case of a 43-year-old woman who fell down at home and hit her head. Her two daughters, who asked for help from the neighbors, called us because no one wanted to help… both had tested positive for COVID-19 a few days earlier. We had to refer the case to the hospital", she recalls.
Mariela started as a volunteer 8 years ago at the Red Cross branch in Ñemby, one of the cities in the Central Department of Paraguay, in the youth Area. She has 4 children who are also volunteers for the organization, the youngest is 13 years old, she tells us. "What I do fills me up and makes me passionate, I feel useful and I give the best of myself," she concludes with a smile.
The Paraguayan Red Cross is implementing health, water and sanitation activities to respond to the pandemic. 120 mobile washing stations have been installed in strategic locations and more than 5,000 family hygiene kits have been distributed. The Paraguayan Red Cross is also monitoring health status of vulnerable populations at risk of beeing infected by the virus and works in shelters to support the population returning to the country and having to carry out quarantine. In addition, The Paraguayan Red Cross supports several hospitals in the country in the transfer of COVID-19 patients.
Bahraini Red Crescent Society and Calmmess support Beirut with art and donations
Beirut/Al-Manama, 11 September 2020: The Bahraini group dedicated to painting and fine art lovers, Calmmess, has extended its exhibition “Let us Gather with Art and Love for Beirut” that is taking place at the gate number 4 of City Center-Bahrain Mall in Al-Manama until Monday, the 14th of September on the account of its popularity. This initiative was launched jointly with the Bahraini Red Crescent Society (BRCS) on the 6th of this month in solidarity with the Lebanese people after the explosion in Port of Beirut on the 4th of August, which killed over hundred, injured thousands, and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless.
“Let us Gather with Art and Love for Beirut” came as a virtual event by Calmmess that brought together 20 painting lovers of all ages. They cooperated to disseminate a love and hope message and support those who got affected by the catastrophe of Beirut. Ameena Ahmed Majed and Danah Naser Al Sayed, the founders of Calmmess, said: “The number of participants reflects the talents and capabilities in spreading peace and togetherness for a humanitarian cause. It also sheds light on the promising Bahraini talents. This is the first art exhibition curated by our Group, and we trust the chances of being in even bigger exhibitions in the future.”
A host of artists and amateurs took part in the exhibition, assigning the sale of their works proceeds to the BRCS, which will send these donations to the Lebanese Red Cross Society (LRCS). Moubarak Al-Hadi, the acting Secretary General and the General Director of the BRCS, stressed on the importance of efficient coordination with the LRCS, describing it as a trusted partner to deliver the necessary aids to the affected people in Beirut.
Ali Kahdem Madan, the Head of the Public Relations Committee in BRCS, said that the Society intensified its efforts by adding an art booth, “Ya Beirut”, at City Center-Bahrain. “[the booth] Is characterized by the enthusiastic commitment of our volunteers, who alternate to manage it from 10 in the morning until 10 at night. This initiative, that aims to mobilize the Bahraini society to contribute in the BRCS’ effort and back up our Lebanese brothers during their ordeal, saw a considerable interaction by the famous Social Media names in Bahrain.”
The BRCS valued the response of the Mall’s visitors and their financial contributions as well as the donations of the Lebanese Community to assist the affected families by the explosion. At the time of Beirut Port’s blast, the BRCS hurried to offer aids and assistance, and lend a helping hand with the available resources. The BRCS continues to work closely with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the LRCS, and the partners in the International Movement to assess the humanitarian situation in Beirut and provide ongoing support.
Majed and Al Sayed find that volunteering and fundraising for public issues are stronghold in Bahrain. “We believe the Bahraini society and youth are forerunners of philanthropy and humanitarian volunteering at all levels. And such activities aren’t strange to the BRCS that reacts for the good and for the benefit of the humanitarian causes.” Majed clarifies how “the art is my breathing space and a room for relaxation, beauty, and calmness.” While Al Sayed considers it “a mirror of the charm of life and nature shaped in paintings.”
This isn’t the first time the BRCS engages in the humanitarian aspect of arts. Madan explained how the Society collected donations for the families in need inside and outside Bahrain through “Let’s Stop Their Hunger” campaign in “The Avenues” Mall in Al-Manama during the past Holy month and Fitr Celebration. The Mall’s goers worked on decorating and ornamenting empty plates to ultimately buy them and donate the money to the families in need. The initiative attracted a number of renowned Bahraini artists, who transformed the white plates into art pieces displayed on the donation campaign’s booth walls.
Peru: “Being a nurse allows me to share, talk and get to know the needs of migrants”
By Melissa Monzon
Andres Yares has been a volunteer for the Peruvian Red Cross over seventeen years, and since 2019 he has been supporting as a nurse in health activities directed at migrants. “In 2019 I started working in this project, helping in the community health days. We visited many districts on the outskirts of Lima, where there were not only migrants, but also local people in great need, and we gave medical attention to everyone”, says Andres. “For me it is important to work with migrants because they are people who, in addition to not being in their country, have many unmet needs. Many of them do not have access to health care or have had to stop their treatments because a medical appointment was too expensive for them.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Peru has kept his borders closed from March 16 to date. Hundreds of migrants who were on transit have been unable to leave the country. Also, many of them who are already established in the country have run out of sources of income, so they cannot cover expenses such as rent. A large percentage of these migrants don’t have access to the Peruvian health system, and in a context such as COVID-19, they are left unprotected, increasing their health risks.
For this reason, since April 03, the Red Cross has been providing health care in different shelters in various districts of Lima, the capital of Peru, which is home to approximately 80% Venezuelan migrants who are in the country.
Since March, the community health days had to take a turn, since the country was quarantined for more than three months. So, Andres, together with the project team, began visiting different shelters where migrants and refuge applicants of nationalities stayed.
“Something that stands out a lot of my work, beyond the medical care, is be able to share, talk with them, about their needs, concerns, and to understand the way how they see things and their customs. In my work I talk to many people and that has left a mark on me. In the shelters we have given medical attention to people from different countries such as Venezuela, Haiti, Nigeria. It’s incredible to see how, if you want, you can communicate with everyone, and get to know them. We communicated with people who didn’t speak Spanish by signs, or with a translation app from the cell phone. That way you could make them feel love and affection and they were very grateful”, says Andres who today works giving information about COVID-19 through the WhatsApp Line that the Red Cross has implemented in Peru.
From April to date, the Red Cross, with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has provided more than 500 health services in shelters located in six districts of Lima, Peru, as well as health information, with emphasis on preventive measures against COVID-19.
A volunteer on wheels in the fight against the pandemic
By Olivia Acosta.
Gina Mejia is 27 years old, an architect by profession, and has been a volunteer with the Mexican Red Cross for three years in Mexico City, the country's capital, a city with a population of nearly nine million.
According to Gina, she has always felt the impulse to support those who need it most: "I have always had the spark to help and on many occasions, when I was working as an architect on construction sites, I thought: if I have an accident, I really wouldn't know how to act to help the injured person". And that is how she decided to join the Red Cross and started first aid training. She has even given courses in her company and always makes her colleagues and friends aware of the importance of first aid. Later, she joined "Volunteers on Wheels", a solidarity programme that she carries out together with other 20 volunteer colleagues, travelling all over the city by motorbike. "I have my own bike and the programme consists of going around different areas of the city, together with other volunteers, to support the people who need it most. For example, we distribute bread and coffee in the hospitals and slums, or we distribute toys to children from poor families.
With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, everything changed, including the "Volunteers on Wheels" programme in which Gina participates: "At the Red Cross, we quickly identified the need to provide information and protective measures to the population, especially to people with few resources who spend a lot of time on the street, such as street food vendors". And so she and her colleagues began to ride their motorcycles around the city, this time to take the temperature in the markets, distribute masks (or "mouth covers" as they say in Mexico) and hydroalcoholic gels, as well as offer truthful information and advice on how to protect themselves against the virus.
Initially, many people didn't wear masks because they didn't really know how important it was to protect themselves against the pandemic. According to Gina: "We realized that a lot of awareness raising was needed to explain to people the importance of protecting themselves against COVID-19 and to offer protective measures. The Mexican Red Cross is a reference organization in the country and we noticed that if we were the ones who advised them to wear a mask or respect distances, they would listen to us," she says proudly.
The volunteers of the Mexican Red Cross protect themselves with all the protective measures they need to carry out their work safely. And they know where to go to help those who need it most. In addition to crowded areas such as hospitals and markets, one of the points on her route is the "Glorieta de Insurgentes". There are palapas that offer access to wifi and it is an area where many people with few resources gather, which means a high risk of contagion. Many of these people live on the streets. According to Gina: "It's very nice to see how homeless people come to us to ask for masks and ask us about how to protect themselves against the pandemic. Many of them ask us for more than one, because at the beginning there was a shortage and also they cannot buy them, and they are very grateful when we give them the masks and they can put them on".
"For me, being able to help at this time, even if it seems like a small thing, is very important, and now I know that the work of Red Cross volunteers is crucial in a situation like this," concludes Gina. Now more than ever, she says, it is clear to her that she will stay with the Red Cross forever.
Syria: Dying from hunger, conflict or COVID-19
They were perhaps two thousand stranded Syria returnees. Women, children and men sheltering from the unbearable heat and sun, on hill tops, under the scattered olive trees offering no shadow, carrying half empty jerrycans with water and waving at cars asking for help.
This is not a scene from a Hollywood movie.
This is at the No-Man’s-Land zone between the Syrian Lebanese borders; a stretch of a few kilometresin which people are stuck in the COVID-19 politics or the legal meanders of return. As if the 9 years of an unrelenting conflict, homelessness, and agony in all forms were not enough. Regardless of root causes as to what got people here, it encapsulates the cruelty of war and the pandemic.
A few days ago, I traveledto Syria from Lebanon by land, crossing a border closed for citizens but open for humanitarian organizations including the Red Cross and Red Crescent personnel. I saw the same people in the same place under the scorching sun several days later on my way back after visiting Damascus. Some have had their legal entry sorted out. Others are still out there sleeping under the open sky. As I write, my colleagues in Syria are looking for ways to assist those that may still be stranded.
Syrians are now hit by another wave of suffering: economic collapse, sanctions, hyperinflation, rising unemployment, businesses that barely survived the conflict are now shutting down, more hunger with families skipping meals, and shortages of medicine.
The devaluation of the local currency, the constraints and the blockage of international transfer of money are driving Syrians to extreme poverty. Syrian sons and daughters living abroad are experiencing serious challenges to send the 100 or 200 dollars, to parents who are still living in Syria. The impact is catastrophic.
Concretely, what does this mean?
It means, your 70-year-old mother, will no longer have a decent meal because she can’t afford it. It means, your 80-year-old father is no longer able to buy the asthma medication he needs for his survival. It means that daughters and sons, naturally tending to their elderly parents needs as part of a safety net that functioned well for centuries, are no longer able to meet their deeply rooted duties. It means that even emotionally and psychologically, Syrians are affected to the very core of their identity and dignity.
My message is not a political one, it is purely humanitarian. We at the Red Cross and Red Crescent have a neutral stance about the sanctions. We work as humanitarians to make sure that people are not suffering and dying because of lack of basic needs such as medicines, food or water. Innocent people in Syria are paying the price of failed diplomacy, and unnecessarily suffer daily.
During my visit, I heard a common and sad “joke.” Many Syrians told me: Either we die of hunger, of war, or we die of COVID-19. It doesn’t matter.”
In between the conversations, people asked: Can you send us coffee? Can you send us Tabascosauce? These things don’t make it to Syria anymore. One might think these items are luxuries. Well, we believe that preserving human dignity matters.
In Damascus, I met the dedicated leadership of the Syria Arab Red Crescent (SARC) the volunteers and the staff who joined SARC to help their people. COVID-19 didn’t stop them. The message “Stay Home” does not mean much to them because their job is to be with their communities, in the streets, in the ambulances, in the camps for refugees and the internally displaced.
I also visited the SARC Damascus branch; A nine-story building where each floor has a specific function. I started with the Emergency Response Teams on the ninth floor. I met young women team leaders and their volunteer teams who run the emergency calls and the ambulance dispatch. I asked them what was their number one concern? They said the lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). They must rationalize the PPEs and reuse them between the different teams. They send the PPEs to sterilization in between missions and sometimes, as a new emergency call kicks in, the PPEs are not sterilized yet. So, some take the risk of wearing utilized PPEs. Some can’t take the risk as they have children and families at home. With some 11,000 SARC volunteers at work across the country our current PPE supplies and resources are being exhausted at high speed.
I visited the physical rehabilitation and prostheses center. I saw young children, young woman and men trying to make prosthesis fit. They have been disabled by the war and trying to bounce back. Some smiled to me, some didn’t, and some cried in silence.
I visited another floor that hosts the dialyses unit. I met with the young doctors who are running between the fully packed beds with dialysis patients. They talked about the lack of spare parts, lack of filters for the dialysis machine, the maintenance needed, the inability of the patients to access the facility because of the conflict. I was left wondering how many have died lacking access to such lifesaving units?
Another floor was being converted to provide ICU capacity as the anticipated COVID-19 waves begin to hit.
I salute SARC, its dedicated volunteers, its managers, its doctors, its nurses, and its leaders who are doing their very best to deliver humanitarian aid in one of the most complex crisis that I have ever experienced in my 32 years of humanitarian work.
I walked out of the SARC headquarters and paused at the main doors next to a wall displaying the names of the 62 staff and volunteers who lost their lives in line of duty to save others. Thank you! I also managed to meet Syrian officials to discuss and agree on increased access, with UN and ICRC colleagues to better coordinate and expand the work.
Serious international diplomacy efforts are needed to halt the suffering and address the challenges that Syrians face every single day including but not limited to COVID-19. Increased humanitarian funding and ceasefires will allow us more access, save more lives, and simply offer more protection to people.
We, as humanitarians we will continue doing our part to alleviate the suffering; It will not be enough.
An urgent, just, and durable political solution is needed.
Financial channel opens for Iran Red Crescent to receive international humanitarian contributions
The President of the Iranian Red Crescent Society Karim Hemmati announced yesterday the opening of a financial channel for receiving international humanitarian contributions.
In an interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency, Hemmati said: “According to negotiations and correspondence conducted by the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as well as the follow-up of our colleagues in the Iranian Red Crescent, the United States Department of the Treasury will not oppose the opening of a financial channel for the transfer of humanitarian aids to the Iranian Red Crescent, provided that the Americans are not one of the parties to the aid provided by individuals and legal entities.”
“According to the agreement, in the past few days, part of the aids, which was reserved for the Iranian Red Crescent and could not be transferred for several years, has been transferred to the country,” added Hemmati.
The transferred contributions will be used in purchasing medicine, food parcels and other relief items that the Iran Red Crescent might need for its humanitarian response.