Lesvos, Greece: A good-hearted girl in need of heart surgery
By Georgia Trismpioti, IFRC
22-year-old Nour from Syria was lying under an olive tree in distress. She was nine months pregnant with her fifth child and feeling unwell. That is where I found her, and immediately called for assistance. Two nurses from the Hellenic Red Cross came to examine her health condition and give her comfort.
Nour’s family decided to flee to Turkey after their house in Syria was destroyed by a bomb. They attempted to cross the border but were turned back five times before they succeeded. She just couldn’t give up – she wanted to give her children a “better life and a brighter future.”
From Turkey, the family crossed the Aegean Sea to Greece only to find themselves in the notorious Moria camp on the island of Lesvos. A year ago, when they had settled down in Moria, Nour realized that she had to fight yet another battle.
Her 3-year-old daughter, Tabia (which means good-hearted in Arabic), was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, “a hole in the heart”, which has a mortality rate of 90 per cent before age 10.
“I have to save Tabia. She needs to be treated otherwise her life is at risk. We had an appointment at the Tzaneio hospital in Athens for a surgery, but the fires destroyed all my hopes,” said Nour.
After devastating fires destroyed Moria camp, Nour and her family were not allowed to leave the island, so they were not able to transfer Tabia to the hospital in Athens for her surgery appointment.
“My life is a daily struggle here in Lesvos. There’s dust, noise, lack of water, everything,” said Nour. “It's better than living in the street but still is so bad. I don’t want to give birth here.”
Thanks to coordinated actions with IOM and UNHCR, it was quickly decided to transfer Nour and her family to a safer and more appropriate place for her to give birth.
Upon hearing the good news, Nour held my hands tightly saying with a sparkling smile, “Thank you so much. Red Cross nurses made me feel that I am respected again because there are people who care about me.”
How Tabia’s heart condition is going to be treated is still a concern.
We make the impossible, possible
By Olivia Acosta
David Brito is studying to be a commercial engineer in Chile and in the meantime he is thinking about how to help most affected people by COVID-19 in his country. And he comes up with some good ideas. His mother was already a volunteer with the Chilean Red Cross for the extinction of forest fires, when her 23-year-old son joined the O'Higgins Regional Committee three years ago, where he works and develops his creativity in the fight against COVID-19.
Since the declaration of the pandemic, David has been thinking about how the Red Cross could help people who were feeling lonely and isolated during the months of confinement. At the same time, many of the organization's senior volunteers were also very frustrated about having to stay home from volunteering. And so, in late March, the Speak to Me project was born.
"It all started with the purchase of a SIM card that cost less than 2,000 Chilean pesos (2 euros). With that card and a phone, we were able to make ourselves available to people in confinement who were looking for an emotional distress... At first, we were surprised to find that not only elderly living alone called us, also parents or even young people who were looking to talk to someone who would listen to them and get truthful information about the virus, did it. This service is helping us a lot to fight false rumors that put people's health at risk”. First it was the phone, but such was the acceptance in the community that they quickly set up a WhatsApp line and a Facebook account so they could reach more people.
Several senior volunteers in their 70s and 80s answer the calls, while younger ones take care of Facebook and WhatsApp line.
According to David: "I thought the project was an excellent idea to offer a double service of psychosocial support: on one hand, senior volunteers who could not leave their homes due to the confinement restrictions, now can work from their homes without over-exposure themselves to the virus, and on the other hand, many people in need are receiving support during these difficult times."
The team of 7 volunteers who answer the calls have psychosocial training, and to attend most difficult cases they receive counseling from a psychologist.
"I must admit that it was not easy to start”, continues David, "because everyone thought it was very complicated to do it right, but now we have become so famous that we also get calls from other countries. I remember one day when the phone rang at four in the morning... it was an old lady from Spain, Doña Concepción, who was very lonely and needed support. We referred the case to the Spanish Red Cross so they could take care of her from there."
They also receive calls from people who have detected that a neighbor is very lonely and needs company, or food, hygiene items, or even medicine. One of the saddest cases was a call that came in about 32 migrant families from different Latin American countries who were living in confinement, crowded together in a tiny space, in terrible conditions. "It was gratifying to be able to help them, especially the children, who were really in need… the best payment is a sincere smile from someone who says thank you.”
According to David, "we adapt to any situation no matter how difficult it is, the will of the whole team made the project moving forward because we are not going to give up on our fight against coronavirus. Our motto is: we make the imposible, possible," he ends.
The Chilean Red Cross in response to the pandemic has provided more than 49,000 services in polyclinic activities, support to vaccination campaigns, delivery of humanitarian aid to migrants and vulnerable communities, distribution of PPE, food distribution, psychosocial support, etc. In addition, it has disseminated information and prevention measures and has made home visits to people with mobility difficulties and the elderly.
Guatemala: Tireless work on behalf of migrants
by Olivia Acosta
It has been more than five months since the borders were closed in Guatemala and a considerable number of people in transit have been blocked inside the country. The situation is a challenge for Guatemala since many of the migrants must resort to finding jobs or generating economic activities in the country, in order to survive. In most cases, migrants are forced to live in local villages near border points, which is also a challenge in terms of harmonious coexistence between local people and migrants.
Most of them have economic difficulties and they take risk by leaving their countries looking for a better life. Their transit through Central America is always very complex, but now with the situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic, everything has become even more difficult and they rely on the support from organizations such as the Red Cross to solve some of their needs. This is the case of Hosni Contreras, a Nicaraguan who was trapped in Petén, Guatemala, after the borders were closed, and two months ago was hit by a vehicle. "The Guatemalan Red Cross helped me in my recovery process. Now I feel much better, I can walk without crutches," says Hosni.
As part of the response to support people like Hosni, one of the main projects implemented by the Guatemalan Red Cross since 2014 takes place at the departments of Petén, Chiquimula and San Marcos. The project is carried out in coordination with UNHCR and seeks to generate actions to strengthen capacities at institutional level related to assistance and protection for migrants; referral actions to relevant institutions for protection cases; development of communications (Restoration of Family Links, RFL); and activation of awareness and protection processes in transit communities. So far, more than 47,000 people have been assisted.
Thirty volunteers work on the project. The Guatemalan Red Cross has been carrying out permanent training activities for volunteers to respond in the context of COVID-19. “We want our volunteers to be safe, without the risk of getting infected, and to know how to work better to support migrants," says Hector.
The Guatemalan Red Cross is doing an important work to inform this population about the virus and to promote prevention measures. "We do this work in the communities, and produce didactic material to share something attractive for them to become familiar with the messages. Also, we have done an important work from communication with social networks and other channels to reach them with messages in an efficient way," says Hector.
The work that the National Society has been undertaking has focused primarily on generating sustainable processes, which has involved the active participation of communities. "It is a very intense work that we have been developing over the years. We have generated mechanisms that have changed behaviors. We have seen that the perception of the local people has been transformed, and they are even helping migrants on their own".
In this sense, the Guatemalan Red Cross works to develop sustained processes to identify the needs of migrants. "We do this in three ways: one is through direct assistance: since migrants enter Guatemala we establish communication with them. The second one is through dialogue with key actors in the communities. By spending more time in the communities, we have more time to talk with them, to generate trust, and people tell us about their concerns. And also, we are working with the government to generate a systematic record from the feedback we get from them.”
With the arrival of the pandemic, the Guatemalan Red Cross has been adapting its processes according to the evolution of different scenarios. The project has been developed during three years and will continue to be executed towards 2021. "We don't really know exactly how we will be working in two months since the situation is constantly changing, but we will continue with all our efforts to support the migrants," says Hector.
Engaging 1.7 million refugees in the face of COVID-19: Lessons from Turkey
By Lotte Ruppert
COVID-19 does not discriminate, but the pandemic has disproportionately impacted certain vulnerable communities. Migrants and refugees face particularly large risks, due to language barriers, limited access to public services and a larger reliance on informal labour. Each has diverse perceptions, fears and opinions that we, as a humanitarian community, must address if we want to see this pandemic end.
For Turkey, a country that hosts the largest refugee population in the world (over 4 million from places like Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran), this presents a unique challenge. How do you engage people with diverse languages, cultures and communication preferences, all while adhering to strict movement restrictions to curb the pandemic?
Despite the impressive efforts from governmental and humanitarian actors, our impact assessment from April 2020 showed that almost one-quarter (23 per cent) of refugee households did not feel like they were receiving enough reliable information about COVID-19.
In response, Turkish Red Crescent and IFRC have ramped up their efforts to listen and engage with refugees in Turkey during the COVID-19 outbreak. Here are three lessons we learned about how to engage with communities at a large scale through the EU-funded Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN), the largest cash programme globally.
Lesson 1: Use a wide variety of communication channels
Everyone communicates differently. In ESSN, we rely on a range of different channels to allow people to speak with us in a way that they prefer and trust, including Facebook, regular SMSs and our toll-free Call Centre, where all operators have been trained to respond to COVID-19 related concerns and to provide hygiene advice or updates related to ESSN.
But these remote communication channels are not enough.
Refugees in Turkey have expressed their preference to share more sensitive concerns and complaints during private face-to-face conversations. Our nine Service Centres, spread across Turkey, have remained fully operational in order to provide information and support to people during the COVID-19 outbreak, with robust measures to ensure the safety of both its staff and visitors. This approach has been crucial to building trust.
Lesson 2: Do not ignore rumours
“I have an ESSN card but I saw on Facebook that my monthly cash assistance will soon be ended. What is the reason for that?” asked a refugee recently via our call centre.
This “fear rumour” reflects the anxieties of refugees living in Turkey that ESSN may end.
Another refugee family shared: “We are currently receiving ESSN cash assistance, but we have seen on YouTube that Turkish Red Crescent will now also give us rent assistance due to the impact of COVID-19”.
This is a clear “wish rumour”, reflecting the hope of refugees for more support during these difficult times.
The spread of such misinformation and rumours has always been a challenge for ESSN. But we learned that during the COVID-19 pandemic – a time of increased insecurity and stress – it is even more important for us to monitor the appearance and spread of misinformation.
The best defence is to prevent rumours before they start. We share regular information updates, getting accurate, trusted information into people’s hands before rumours have a chance to emerge. When rumours and misinformation do surface, we quickly counter false stories with verified information and ensure the news stories or posts are removed online. We encourage the people we work for to participate too by sharing verified, trustworthy information within their community.
Lesson 3: Responding to incoming questions, feedback and complaints alone is not enough. Reach out proactively to the most vulnerable households
While actively reaching out to every one of the millions of refugees living in Turkey is practically impossible, Turkish Red Crescent has made thousands of outbound calls, contacting the most vulnerable households. This includes families required not to leave their homes for some weeks due to a mandatory curfew, including anyone over 65 as well as people with disabilities. This proactive approach enabled people to share all their questions and concerns with us, including sensitive issues or requests for additional support.
Depending on the specific needs and concerns raised, Turkish Red Crescent has referred some of these people to other services, such as the national COVID-19 emergency hotline, the social assistance services provided by the Turkish Government, and specialized services from other humanitarian actors, including protection actors.
Conclusion
In Turkey, now more than ever, we must continue to build more meaningful relationships with communities and act on people’s concerns and suggestions. COVID-19 has challenged the way we as a humanitarian sector work, but it has also allowed us to find more innovative solutions to listen to refugees and respond to their needs.
More about the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN)
Home to more than 4 million refugees, Turkey hosts more refugees than any other country in the world. Most of them are Syrians, fleeing a conflict that has been ongoing for nine years. With funding from the European Union, Turkish Red Crescent and IFRC are able to provide monthly cash assistance to the most vulnerable families through the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN). Over 1.7 million refugees benefit from this assistance, enabling them to cover some of their basic needs, including food, rent and utilities, every month.
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.
Celebrating the contribution of young people in the Pacific
In recognition of the invaluable contribution young people make in their communities, seven Pacific Red Cross Societies are marking International Youth Day today with a range of events and celebrations.
Globally, around half of the 14 million Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers are young people, and this is also true in the Pacific. Young people are already acting as leaders, first responders, innovators, activists, and changemakers, bringing much-needed skills and knowledge to their work in support of those who are most vulnerable.
Despite this, young people are often the least likely to have a strong voice in times of crisis, especially when it comes to formal decision-making institutions and mechanisms.
International Youth Day is held every year on 12 August (today). This year the day will highlight the ways in which young people are enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes, as well as highlight lessons that can be learned on enhancing their engagement and representation in formal institutional politics.
Kathryn Clarkson, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Suva, Fiji said: “Young people are at the heart of our Red Cross Societies, and the Pacific youth networks are an exciting forum to witness the strong voice that our Pacific youth have, tackling challenges such as climate change. It’s awe-inspiring to see the passion and dedication these young people have in building a strong and resilient Pacific Island network, while honouring their culture and heritage. The IFRC is a strong advocate of young people in the Pacific, and we support the youth-hub under the Pacific Resilience Partnership.”
Red Cross National Societies in the Pacific create strong youth networks that empower young people to have a voice, make a difference and connect with their communities. They play a powerful role inreaching young, marginalised or vulnerable groups, promoting health and care and preparing communities to respond to disasters.
Pacific Red Cross Societies, including Kiribati, Micronesia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu, are collaborating with local organisations and governments to build awareness about the role of youth in global action.
Ms Clarkson said: “The theme of International Youth Day this year is‘Youth Engagement for Global Action’. In the Pacific, this translates to a core focus onclimate change and COVID-19. The role of youth in the Red Cross, and in our communities, cannot be underestimated, and it’s great to have a day to celebrate them. Across the Pacific Island nations, a range of fun and interactive events underlined with powerful messages are taking place to do just that.”
Honduras: 500 migrants blocked in Choluteca due to movement restrictions
The situation in Choluteca, Honduras, near the border with Nicaragua, is extremely difficult for approximately 500 migrants who are blocked in the country due to movement restrictions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of them are from Cuba, Haiti and several African countries (such as Ghana, Kenya, etc.) and travel with their family for months, crossing different borders on their way to the United States. One of their main concerns is to maintain their anonymity and remain "invisible" to the institutions, agencies or governments, in order to avoid being detained and deported during their migration journey to the north.
Each stage of their path poses new challenges depending on the countries they cross. Families grow along the journey with the birth of new members who, sometimes, cannot accompany their parents on their way to the north because of nationality laws of the countries where the children are born.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, these migrants have faced new risks in their migration journey. According to Alexei Gastro, Secretary General of the Honduran Red Cross: "They risk being stranded at the borders of different countries, as is the case in Choluteca, with limited health care infrastructure. They are also exposed to human trafficking, assaults, rapes, and payments to 'coyotes' to guide them on their route".
According to Alexei Gastro, another fundamental challenge for migrants is to conserve their financial resources to complete their migratory journey: "For them it is vital to maintain the budget allocated to this migratory project, so they cannot afford long stays at any point along the route, because they could run out of resources to continue their journey to the north".
The Honduran Red Cross is providing support to the migrants blocked in Choluteca to try to alleviate the basic needs of migrants who hope to be able to follow their route when the restrictions on movement imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic are lifted.
The Honduran Red Cross is providing support to the migrants blocked in Choluteca in order to meet their basic needs. Those migrants continue to hope to be able to continue their journey up north when the movement restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic are lifted. The Honduran Red Cross identified the need to set up shelters to accommodate those migrants, who often have to stay with Honduran families, or in hotels in the area. Other services being provided to migrants include health assistance to prevent coronavirus and dengue; distribution of food, hygiene kits, drinking water, and biosecurity supplies; restoration of family contacts; access to the Internet; psychosocial support, etc.
Language is an additional issue because most of the migrants barely speak Spanish or English, making it difficult for Red Cross teams to provide, for example, psychosocial support. According to Dunia Varela, Health Officer at the Honduran Red Cross: "The difficulty of language, the masks and the PPE (personal protective equipment) we have to wear during the COVID-19 outbreak, makes it even more difficult to empathize with migrants, because they cannot see our faces or expressions, although in most cases it is very gratifying when we manage to get them to open up to us and share what worries them".
The Red Cross is particularly concerned about the situation of migrants and voluntary returnees to countries of origin in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is working hard to alleviate their suffering and meet their basic needs in transit countries and at the borders.
Call centre provides refugees in Turkey with vital information and support amid COVID-19
Seren Sabancı Keser, a 27-year-old call centre operator at Turkish Red Crescent, received a call from a refugee in need who could not go and receive his Kızılaykart (a prepaid debit card)– he was in hospital after showing COVID-19 symptoms. This debit card provides them with cash assistance to help meet their basic needs.
This is just one of the many calls Seren has received over the past few months. Calls significantly increased after the COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed in Turkey.
“The numbers of call we received during the pandemic peaked in the past 3 months. Refugees have been affected socially, physically, financially, in every imaginable way, like the rest of the world. You understand the desperation of those who lost their jobs from their voice,” said Seren.
Adapting to the COVID-19 response
The Turkish Red Crescent call centre Seren works at has operators, speaking five different languages. She wears a headset microphone over her disposable face mask, offering support and information to the most vulnerable refugees in Turkey, the largest refugee-hosting country worldwide, amid strict measures taken against COVID-19. Seren responds to many calls from refugees receiving the EU-funded Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) cash assistance programme, jointly run by IFRC and Turkish Red Crescent. Shortly after the first COVID-19 case was reported in Turkey in mid-March, strict measures were introduced by the Turkish government in a bid to curb the spread of the pandemic in the country. Lockdown was introduced for those above 65 years and under 20 years old and inter-city travel restrictions and weekend curfews were imposed.
Unlike many workplaces which had to stop their operations, the call centre quickly adapted by taking the necessary precautions. The workplace was immediately arranged to provide enough space between the desks according to social distance precautions, necessary protective equipment was provided, and alternative transportation choices were offered to the staff members.
Seren underlined that the call centre played a key role in the lives of refugees when the pandemic first erupted in Turkey.“ As they can’t go out and everywhere is closed,” said Seren, adding that they never stopped receiving the calls.
Growing humanitarian needs in the wake of COVID-19
Most of the calls Seren has received from refugees relate to loss of jobs and difficulties in meeting their essential needs such as food, hygiene items, rent and bills.
“Most of the times people calling are saying they lost their jobs and if there will be additional help – if there are any food or hygiene packages that will be provided,” she said.
A rapid assessmentconducted by IFRC and Turkish Red Crescentwith those who receive support through the ESSN programme, found that COVID-19 has deeply impacted vulnerable refugees. Almost 70 per cent of refugees surveyed lost their jobs and 78 per cent faced an increase in their expenses, according to the report.
Providing two-way communication with refugee families despite COVID-19
Launched in November 2016, as a mechanism to enable two-way communication between humanitarian responders and affected communities, the call centre receives calls from refugees who benefit and want to benefit from ESSN. Apart from being the first responder to answer refugees’ questions and find solutions to refugees’ challenges, Seren and her colleagues also refer refugees to other types of assistance provided by Government Social Assistances Service and Turkish Red Crescent other units serving specific to refugees to ensure they get the support they need. Call centres also became a critical source of information on preventing and responding to COVID-19 cases. As part of steps to inform refugees about COVID-19, the call centre also replaced the call waiting tone with informative messages in five different languages, explaining hygiene rules and other kindsof preventive measures against the pandemic.
“We encourage them to use masks all the time and refer to a medical institution or call the Ministry of Health hotline if they were in touch with a COVID-19 patient,” she said.
This is not the first time Seren has worked with refugees. Thanks to her Arabic language skills and due to her calling to help others, she has been supporting refugees since the start of the Syrian refugee exodus.
Seren says her work can be tiring as her thoughts don’t stop when she goes home in the evening. The possibility of helping more people is always in the back of her mind.
“When we are having a busy day, the only thing in my mind is how I can receive more calls, help more people immediately,” Seren said. “Because there are many refugees in need of support.”
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.
Opinion: COVID-19 — it’s time to take cash to the next level
By Caroline Holt
Jobs are being lost. The restrictions on movement that are keeping people safe from the coronavirus are often damaging or destroying their livelihoods and their ability to feed and care for their families. Around the world, the most vulnerable people are facing a stark and possibly deadly choice: Do they risk contracting COVID-19, or risk not feeding their families?
As humanitarians, how can we help prevent families from having to make this impossible choice?
In Turkey, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, or IFRC, and the Turkish Red Crescent surveyed some 500 Syrian refugees being supported by our programs. We found that 69% have lost their jobs, their expenses have skyrocketed, and their biggest concern is how they will feed themselves and their families. More than half of these households are borrowing money to cover their most basic needs — including food.
Right now, vulnerable communities across the world need extra support quickly, safely, and reliably. Due to the scale of this crisis, there is a very diverse range of groups and individuals being badly affected, and their needs are equally diverse. We must be able to provide flexible support that can adapt to these different needs.
Delivering cash to the people in most need and in close coordination with national social protection systems is the most appropriate way to respond to the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 around the world.
We all know and talk about the benefits of cash, especially now in these difficult times. Yet the latest estimates suggest that less than 20% of humanitarian relief is currently delivered through cash programming.
The immense impact of COVID-19 is a wake-up call for us to change this. There is no better time to tap into the power of cash as a critical link between economies and households, and it can become a lifeline for millions of people globally.
The current pandemic has shown us that without health, there is no economy. It also shows us that without access to financial support, it is harder for people to reduce health risks or recover their health once lost.
"Giving cash gives people the choice of prioritizing their own needs and contributing to their communities."
Giving cash to people facing crisis helps address a wide range of needs — from rent, food, and education to hygiene items that help prevent diseases from spreading or encourage access to health care. It allows them to prepare, prioritize, and take care of their families, based on their own preferences and decisions. By alleviating the stresses on families struggling to meet their basic needs, we can help them avoid negative coping mechanisms that could put them at further risk of COVID-19.
Cash programming allows us to respond rapidly and at scale while still protecting the people we serve, our staff, and our volunteers in communities around the world. Through the European Union-funded Emergency Social Safety Net program, Turkish Red Crescent and IFRC are providing monthly cash assistance to more than 1.7 million refugees. Transferring funds through this existing infrastructure can allow us to rapidly respond and adapt to current needs and provide additional assistance when needed at a massive scale.
In the Africa region, IFRC is supporting at least 20 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to deliver cash through popular mechanisms such as mobile money to provide immediate support to families. The cash will help people invest in and strengthen local economies — a key to their road to recovery — as well as jump-start livelihoods when the restriction on movement allows.
For cash programming to work effectively and be accountable to the people our sector serves, we must be embedded at the community level. More than ever before, the challenges faced by international organizations in deploying on the ground during the COVID-19 pandemic highlight the need for an ever-increasing localized approach. Because of their everyday work, volunteers know — with or without immediate physical access to communities — which people are most vulnerable, most at risk of falling through the gaps of existing social safety nets.
Despite the current sense of urgency, the humanitarian sector should resist the temptation to replace or duplicate national governments’ social protection systems but rather collectively invest in existing systems and help to reinforce them. We must advocate to make social protection systems more flexible, relevant, and inclusive.
Ever since the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, the importance of localization and of scaling up the use of cash, the need for change, and the necessity of innovation have been at the top of the humanitarian sector’s agenda.
Nothing about the way humanitarians are working and operating during this pandemic is business as usual. We are having to reinvent the way we respond in this crisis and set aside the traditional modes and methods of support.
More than ever, we need to work with affected populations and acknowledge that they are best placed to lead their own path toward a new normal. Giving cash gives people the choice of prioritizing their own needs and contributing to their communities.
With all these advantages available through cash programming, it is time for humanitarians to take cash to the next level.
*This opinion piece was originally published on Devex.com on June 12, 2020.
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.
Greece: “I’m halfway to reaching my dreams”
By Georgia Trismpioti, IFRC
Somaya dreams of becoming a medical doctor and bringing relief to those who are suffering. Somaya and her family had to flee war-torn Afghanistan and sought refuge in Iran. She and her family have had a difficult life, but Somaya continues to chase her dreams of making a meaningful contribution to society.
Somaya and her husband fled their home country - war-torn Afghanistan - in search of safety. "I left Afghanistan because there was always a feeling of being unsafe, anything could happen at any time," she says. ”For women in Afghanistan, there is no possibility for personal and professional growth.”
Happy when helping others
In early March 2020, Somaya and her family arrived on the Greek island of Lesvos after enduring more than 12 hours at sea in an unmanned dinghy. Two weeks later they were transferred to the Malakasa refugee camp in mainland Greece.
“It is not what you might expect when you hear the words ‘refugee camp’, but life here is a privilege compared to Lesvos. I’m halfway to reaching my dreams for a better life,” she says with a radiant smile.
Despite their uncertain situation, this optimistic and resilient woman is not one to sit idle. Somaya is volunteering as an interpreter with the Hellenic Red Cross at the Malakasa camp.
“I want to help people and I’m happy when I am able to make people's life easier. It is gratifying work I’m doing here every day and when I sleep at nights I’m having sweet dreams,” Somaya says with a laugh.
Liechtenstein Red Cross
“We not only heal with medication, but also with listening to them”
“Medicine has been my passion since I was in high school” says Damarys Solano on the phone, while she's preparing to go out. Today she'll be giving medical attention at a shelter in Tumbes, where many migrants are following the mandatory isolation given in Peru due to the emergency of COVID-19.
Damarys was born in Tumbes, a city in the north of Peru, next to the frontier with Ecuador, and since she was very young she realized that there were many people with limitations to access to health services, and she wanted to do something about it, that is why she decided to study medicine. She completed her university studies in Cuba, and while at university she took part of the Student Health Brigade, to help people that didn't have easy access to the health system. And that passion continues with her today.
Dr. Solano works at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) since September 2018, at the Red Cross Care Center at the Binational Border Assistance Center (CEBAF), in the border with Ecuador, placed in response to the increase in the number of migrants entering the country.
“The needs of migrants were increasing constantly, I had to think daily about what methods to use to not only alleviate their pain with medication, but also the emotional aspect, because sometimes just listening to them would take away their pain. For them, doing their journey by foot was very difficult, but they have been brave”, remark Dr. Solano, for whom helping anyone in need, regardless their nationality, race, religion, social condition or political beliefs, is one of the principles of her work, a principle she shares with IFRC and is one of the reasons why she decided to work here.
She remembers in a bittersweet way the different people she has seen through CEBAF, such as elderly patients who had made their journey on foot hoping to meet their family in Peru, or mothers who were traveling alone and that have gave birth shortly before, in one of the transit countries. “The Red Cross principle of humanity is something that you live and apply in the day-to-day work, with your patients. That makes a big difference.”, adds Damarys.
The migratory context changed over time, although migrants continued to enter trough CEBAF, the number of people who stayed in Tumbes city increased. The Care Center at CEBAF wasn't enough to meet the health needs of the vulnerable population, and this is how the Community Health Campaigns began to be implemented. Damarys remembers with great satisfaction the active participation of the population, both migrant and local, at the health campaigns which brought medical attention to more than 650 patients.
Today, in the context of COVID-19, many of the migrants who were waiting for a response at CEBAF have been transferred to shelters. That doesn't mean that Damarys rests; she, along with the rest of the team, continue to work, visiting the shelters, providing health care and treatment, ensuring that the patients are well, and monitoring their situation.
“I feel that all this experience has reinforced my feelings for medicine, since sometimes you think that you sit at a desk prescribing recipes to those in pain, and is not only that; is to relieve with the art of healing those who need us. To value life and to give them hope that not all is lost”, concludes Damarys.
5 ways that cash assistance has transformed humanitarian response to refugees in Turkey
Many people affected by humanitarian crises think their priority needs are not being met by humanitarian aid.
Cash assistance is one critical approach that is helping responders better put the needs and capacities of affected people at the heart of humanitarian action.For the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, it has become an integral part of our work.
Most recently, with funding from the European Union, the Turkish Red Crescent and IFRC are implementing a unique cash-assistance programme in Turkey. It enables more than 1.7 million most vulnerable refugees to meet their basic needs and rebuild their lives. The Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) programme provides a blueprint for how cash assistance can be better used in the future.
1. It is people-centred
According to a Ground Truth Solutions survey, almost half of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh sold in-kind assistance offered to them so that they could use the money to purchase goods and services they need.
Cash puts an end to aid being limited to the goods and services that humanitarian organizations deliver and gives people the freedom to spend the cash on what they need most.
Providing affected populations with cash means more than addressing their true needs, it also means dignity. Having an option to buy the things they need in a shop rather than waiting in a queue for goods also gives the aid recipients a sense of normality that has been lacking from their lives due to conflict.
“The cash assistance is granting us freedom of choice and returning a degree of dignity to our lives.” -A refugee receiving cash support from ESSN (WFP report from 2018).
Cash assistance also offers them the most important opportunity, having control over their own recovery. Refugees who take ESSN cash assistance are less likely to consult to negative coping strategies like reducing the quality and quantity of the food consumption, getting into debt and taking their children out of school.
2. It’s more cost-effective and can ultimately, reach more people
Delivering cash assistance often costs less than delivering in-kind assistance thus reaching more people in need. How much money is required to manage an operation? How much money is required to transport and store aid in a warehouse?
By taking advantage of digital payment systems (like debit cards and SMS) cash-based assistance can greatly reduce costs spent on logistics, transportation and human resources.
Compared to the previous humanitarian basic needs assistance provided, the ESSN resulted in significant reductions in administrative costs, leading to at least 90 per cent of all ESSN funding going into the hands of those in need and reaching as many as 1.7 million people.
3. It empowers local economies and communities
Supporting people in need with cash also means supporting the host population. As the migration deeply affects those seeking safety, it also creates a completely new situation for the hosting community.
Use of cash-based assistance can help people in need to support local markets. This can greatly reduce possible tensions, increase support for humanitarian aid from locals and spark the first steps of integration.
Although there is room for development, the ESSN has the potential to influence social cohesion between refugees and host communities, according to a WFP study. About half of the refugees who attended focus group discussions said that they had established good relations with their Turkish neighbours.
4. It is easy to deliver
Conflicts, natural disasters or health emergencies - each bring with them difficult conditions to work in, including challenges in access. If markets are not too weak or supply is sufficient, cash enables assistance to vulnerable people in extraordinary times.
Operating under the current conditions of COVID-19 poses many challenges, particularly with restricted or forbidden movement of goods and resources. Sending cash to refugees digitally limits the risk of infection to those we serve as well as host communities and our frontline workers.
5. It enables a more effective, efficient, and transparent humanitarian sector
Cash assistance ensures humanitarian organizations are more accountable to both donors and affected people. It increases the transparency of operations by showing how much aid actually reaches the target population. It also addresses people’s true needs as it gives them the ability to decide what they require.
In April, Turkish Red Crescent’s ESSN hotline answered 1.2 million calls, sent more than 1.3 million SMSs and reached out to more than 85,000 refugees thorough its multilingual Facebook page. ESSN monitoring data indicates that the awareness amongst refugees of the ESSN and its application procedures is very high and only a small proportion of refugees lack information on the ESSN at any point in time.
The use of easily verifiable demographic criteria satisfies the donors need for transparency and accountability, while also ensuring that refugees themselves have full information on why they are (not) included in the ESSN program.
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As ESSN’s unique approach and scale shows cash is people-centric, makes the most out of limited budgets, increases the speed and flexibility of the humanitarian response, improves local economies, reaches the most vulnerable even in insecure environments and enables us all to be more accountable to the people we serve.
Cash doesn’t replace all humanitarian services. However, under the right circumstances, cash offers a massive opportunity for us to put communities’ at the centre of our response.
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.
Pacific National Societies respond to Cyclone Harold in the time of COVID-19
Following the recent battering of several Pacific nations by Tropical Cyclone (TC) Harold, vulnerable communities are still recovering in an increasing complex disaster environment. The storm hit the Solomon Islands on 3 April, before passing through Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga, causing significant damage to buildings and communities, destruction of crops, roads and contaminated water supplies. Some areas, such as Luganville, Vanuatu’s second largest city, reported almost 90% destruction.
In the days following the Cyclone, more than 1,000 Red Cross volunteers mobilised across Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga and the Solomon Islands to offer physical and emotional support, including delivering essential items.
Daniell Cowley, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) COVID-19 Pacific Operations Manager, says: “the challenge in several areas is compounded by the risk of Coronavirus [COVID-19] and the potential impacts on already vulnerable, and often geographically isolated, communities.”
“The aim is to help Pacific communities and individuals best prepare, and ultimate reduce their risk of infection,” Mr Cowley says. “We are focused on all Pacific Islanders, but in particular the most at risk and vulnerable groups, including the elderly, people with existing medical conditions or disabilities and other vulnerable groups. There are many challenges, and we are also very aware of the broader social and economic impacts of COVID-19 outbreak.”
Pacific Red Cross Societies have been working underneath their Ministry of Health COVID19 incident management structures since March. Their role includes Red Cross volunteers visiting communities across the islands, offering advice and handouts about reducing the risk of infection, promoting correct handwashing practices and giving advice on physical distancing.
IFRC is also working closely in partnership with other lead agencies supporting Pacific ministries of health, including WHO, UNICEF and Pacific regional organisations.
“Getting simple and accurate information to communities is crucial to prevent rumour mills, and ultimately provide the information that might help save lives,” Mr Cowley says. “We already have Red Cross active networks and trained responders through the National Societies in many islands, who can mobilise quickly to support communities to take early actions prior to the onset of a disaster and to take life-saving actions after an event, like TC Harold.”
The distances between islands can mean it can take longer to reach all the communities that need provisions and support. Travel between islands is restricted and any sea freight takes longer to reach the Islands and is required to be fumigated and disinfected and often quarantined for many days.
Red Cross staff and volunteers are having to overcome new challenges to access to the people that need them most. For example, where once, five people in one car with kits would have sufficed. Now, because of social distancing, multiple cars are required with fewer people per car, and each car needs to be disinfected before use.
“Our strong community volunteer network across Vanuatu is well trained to provide COVID-19 information,” Suzanna Gislapno,Logistics Officer for the Vanuatu Red Cross, says.
“We have integrated community awareness on prevention options into the distribution of hygiene and household kits in response to TC Harold to the most affected communities.
“Because of COVID-19, the Vanuatu Red Cross has had to apply a new approach, as restrictions have meant fewer support staff being able to get to the Islands. Therefore, we have used the capacity and ground resources we have on the Islands – in a sense applying true localisation, while using technical remote support from other Islands, New Zealand and Australia.”
Some aid items are taking longer to arrive because of COVID19 restrictions.
“It’s been uplifting to see how communities are finding their own solutions,” Ms Gislapno says. “Although there has also been positive feedback from people about the good work that Vanuatu Red Cross is doing in the community, as we were the first organisation on the ground to offer support and assistance to the affected population by mobilising the community through our volunteer networks.”
“Knowing the local context is vital in the fight against COVID19,” Mr Cowley adds. “We are here to support the national authority by reaching communities and preventing the spread of COVID-19, for as long as it is needed.”
IFRC’s COVID-19 appeal in the Pacific is being supported by the Japanese Government, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, United States Agency for International Development, Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Red Cross and New Zealand Red Cross.
How a local response can halt this global crisis
Geneva, 4 March 2020 -Borders are closed. International travel is restricted or forbidden. And the clock is ticking to contain the spread of the coronavirus. How are we to touch – and save – the lives of people most affected when we in the humanitarian sector face countless barriers in no-touch zones?
In living memory, there has not been such a truly global crisis.
Humanitarian organisations are rushing to support the most vulnerable people: the elderly, communities in overcrowded urban slums, people living in fragile states and poverty, marginalised groups, and people on the move.
Our traditional methods of support have had to be either reinventedor tossed out the window altogether.
Despite these changes, we’re relying on our strongest advantages as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). We know the key to stopping this crisis lies in a fully localised response.
This means adapting our model of global solidarity, where resources, equipment, and personnel have been quickly moved into position to support a Red Cross or Red Crescent Society that is responding to a major disaster or crisis.
We have been striving for a model that is “as local as possible and as global as necessary” in line with our localisation commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016. And the value of strong local and national humanitarian response – backed by global resources where they are needed – has never been more evident than it is today.
Fortunately, the IFRC didn’t have to start from scratch: the Red Cross and Red Crescent has always been a collection of hyper-local units and branches.
This community presence means that our experts in health and care, disaster response and risk reduction, and humanitarian logistics were already on the ground when the pandemic took hold months ago. Our network of humanitarian workers in 192 countries will stand alongside their communities for as long as the pandemic continues, and they will still be there long after the crisis has passed.
This is how we’ve always worked: at community level. The IFRC was founded in 1919, just one year after the deadly influenza pandemic that killed an estimated 50 million people and infected at least 500 million worldwide. The Red Cross Societies of France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States created our federation so that the medical expertise gained during the 1918 pandemic, and the World War that had preceded it, could be shared across the world.
For now, our priority lies in health and care services. This includes pre-hospital and medical services, community health and care, risk communication, and community engagement.
We are also providing the mental health and psychosocial support that will continue to be desperately needed as individuals and communities come to terms with the threat to the people they love, and the frightening changes to the world they have always known.
While responding to immediate needs, we cannot lose sight of the ongoing challenges that COVID-19 will cause in communities large and small across the world.
People are losing their jobs, incomes are vanishing overnight, and people are scared – not only for their health, but for their ability to care for and provide for their families. In many urban slums, there is growing fear that the restrictions placed on people’s lives during lockdown, together with loss of income and associated fears of not being able to afford food and rent, could lead to mental health crises or even civil unrest in some settings.
Further, natural disasters, climate-related extreme weather events and other health crises – such as malaria, tuberculosis, measles, and cholera – will not stop while the COVID-19 pandemic has the world’s full attention. Our everyday work to reduce the risks of these events, and to help prepare for and recover from them, must continue.
Disease outbreaks begin and end inside local communities. Today, 14 million Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and 165,000 local branches across the world are already supporting theirs. Every volunteer plays an important role connecting directly with their communities. This ongoing commitment will be key to slowing – and eventually halting – this pandemic.
To help make all of this possible, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – IFRC, the ICRC, and the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies – have appealed for funding for community-level healthcare, critical health supplies, the mobilisation of local volunteers, emergency cash grants for families, and the mitigation of the pandemic’s social and economic impacts.
Individually and collectively, our volunteers represent hope. Let’s work to ensure that they have the global support they need to work safely and effectively at the local level, where lives will be saved and communities will be protected.
This crisis has already made history. Our actions now will shape the future.
By Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General
View the opinion piece in the New Humanitarian
IFRC network mourns the loss of former President Astrid Heiberg
The international Red Cross and Red Crescent family is in mourning following news of the death of Dr Astrid Nøklebye Heiberg, who served as President of the Norwegian Red Cross and also of the IFRC.
The death of the influential humanitarian, at the age of 83, was announced on Thursday 2 April by her Norwegian Red Cross colleagues.
IFRC President Francesco Rocca said: “On this sad day, the whole IFRC stands with our sisters and brothers in the Norwegian Red Cross. Astrid always led by example. Her vision and her compassion will be greatly missed, but she will continue to inspire us.”
As well as having a long and distinguished career with her National Society, Dr Heiberg was the first - and to date only - woman to be elected as President of the IFRC, serving from 1997 to 2001.
In 2011, she was awarded the Henry Dunant Medal, the highest honour given by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, for “her integrity, professionalism and unwavering commitment, [and] steadfast determination in her efforts to achieve agreed humanitarian goals.”
Mr Jagan Chapagain, IFRC’s Secretary General, said: “Astrid blazed a trail as the first woman to serve as President of IFRC, and she was a principled defender of equality, anti-discrimination and human dignity in all areas of her life. We will miss her very much.”