Europe

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Press release

Albania: Red Cross responds after deadly earthquake

Tirana/Budapest/Geneva, 27 November 2019 – Red Cross and Red Crescent teams from across Europe have arrived in Albania to help the local Red Cross with rescue and relief efforts following yesterday’s 6.4 magnitude earthquake near the capital Tirana. The earthquake has killed 31 people and injured more than 650, according to the Government. An estimated 100,000 people are affected and around 30,000 need immediate assistance, including 2,500 who are homeless. Aftershocks continue to rock the region and rescuers are still looking for people in the rubble of collapsed buildings in Thumane and Durres. The Secretary General of Albanian Red Cross, Mr. Artur Katuci, said he is touched by the solidarity shown by the Red Cross and Red Crescent family. “Our friends from across Europe have stepped up to help us in our hour of need. They have sent medical teams, relief teams, emergency aid and even rescue dogs. Their help is extremely appreciated. We will not forget this.” Mr. Katuci said Italian Red Cross has sent a team specialising in search and rescue, camp management and logistics who will help set up tents for the displaced. Turkish Red Crescent has sent two trucks with tents, blankets, hygiene kits and food. The Red Cross of North Macedonia has deployed a medical team and logistics team with a supply of blankets, sleeping bags, portable beds, food and hygiene kits. “This assistance is going directly to people who have lost their homes and are living in tents in a football field. Those affected by the earthquake are very grateful for the help of the Red Cross. Our staff and volunteers are doing an excellent job but our biggest work will be in the months ahead,” Mr Katuci said. The Swiss Red Cross has sent its highly specialised partner organisation REDOG rescue dog team with four dogs, four handlers and a doctor. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), also has a team on the ground, joining around 500 staff and volunteers from Albanian Red Cross, who are providing medical care, first aid, psychosocial support, food, water, hot drinks, blankets and hygiene items at hospitals and tent camps set up by the Government. The Red Cross has supported more than 1,000 people since the disaster. Donations to the Albanian Red Cross earthquake response can be made here https://www.gofundme.com/f/1tnwbbmco0 Photos and video are available here.

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Press release

Turkey: EU-funded programme to assist 1.7 million Syrian refugees

Geneva/Ankara, 31 October 2019 – Around 1.7 million Syrians living in Turkey will continue to receive humanitarian support through an EU-funded partnership between the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Turkish Red Crescent Society. Through €500 million in EU funding, IFRC will provide monthly assistance via debit cards to the most vulnerable refugees in Turkey under the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) programme. The ESSN is a multi-purpose cash transfer scheme that allows families to decide for themselves how to cover essential needs like rent, transport, bills, food, and medicine. Elhadj As Sy, IFRC Secretary-General, said: “Cash assistance is about dignity. Supporting people with cash gives them the freedom, dignity and independence to take control of their own lives and allows them to engage with and contribute to the communities that are hosting them. “Many refugees have limited access to the formal labour market. Cash grants offer the power of choice and give people the independence to address their families’ essential needs.” Through the ESSN programme, IFRC and the Turkish Red Crescent will provide families with approximately €18 (120TL) a month through prepaid cards. In addition, families will receive quarterly additional allowances based on family size, along with monthly payments to beneficiaries with disabilities. An estimated 300 Turkish Red Crescent staff will be involved in the programme, ensuring close engagement with communities throughout its duration. IFRC’s As Sy said: “This new partnership reflects the leading role that the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement plays in the delivery of humanitarian cash assistance.” In 2018, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was responsible for delivering about 25 per cent of all humanitarian cash assistance globally. Christos Stylianides, the European Union’s Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, said: “The Emergency Social Safety Net programme is the EU's flagship humanitarian aid programme. It has proven itself crucial in addressing one of the most important humanitarian challenges of our times. Through this new partnership, we will continue to make a real and tangible difference for refugees in Turkey.” The ESSN is the largest humanitarian programme in the history of the EU and will be the largest programme ever implemented by IFRC. Background Eight years into the conflict in Syria, an estimated 5.6 million Syrians are registered as refugees in neighbouring countries, and more than 6.2 million are internally displaced inside Syria. In Turkey, there are an estimated 4 million refugees, of whom 3.6 million are Syrian. For the past three years, the World Food Programme (WFP), in partnership with the Turkish Red Crescent Society, has been implementing the ESSN programme in Turkey. The funding has been provided by the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department under the EU’s Facility for Refugees in Turkey. IFRC will be the lead partner for the next phase of the ESSN programme. The Turkish Red Crescent will remain the operational partner of the ESSN programme; the implementation of the programme will be done in close cooperation with the Turkish Government. The first cash transfer by IFRC is scheduled for April 2020. WFP and IFRC staff are working together to ensure a seamless transition, without any gap for those who rely on it.

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Press release

IFRC and USAID to strengthen resilience of South Caucasus communities to health emergencies

Tbilisi, 30 October 2019 – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), together with USAID and the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), today announced the start of a joint programme, “Strengthening resilience of local communities of South Caucasus to health emergencies”. The newly launched programme will assist the most vulnerable communities in disaster-prone areas of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in managing health risks and effects of emergencies and disasters. Volunteers and staff of the Armenian Red Cross Society, the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society and the Georgia Red Cross Society, as well as local authorities, will also be able to enhance their knowledge on the response to health-related consequences of disasters and crises. “Local people are often the first to respond when a disaster or disease outbreak strikes. That is why helping communities and Red Cross Red Crescent Societies to learn how to act in health emergencies is extremely important,” said Olga Dzhumaeva, Head of the IFRC office for South Caucasus. Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia are particularly prone to natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, and man-made emergencies such as industrial disasters and transport accidents. “Collaboration with IFRC/Red Cross Red Crescent will help national authorities and local communities build the capacity to prevent and respond to future health emergencies, putting local health systems on stronger long-term footing,” said USAID/Georgia Deputy Mission Director David Hoffman. During the one-year project, local communities, as well as volunteers and staff from Red Cross Red Crescent societies, will be trained in pandemic preparedness, epidemic control, water hygiene and sanitation, response to mass-casualty events, first aid and psychosocial support.

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Press release

Migration: Alternative to Vucjak camp needed now, says Red Cross

Budapest/Geneva, 24 October 2019–A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding at a makeshift migrant camp on the outskirts of Bihac in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is warning today. The Vucjak camp – which has been termed “The Jungle” by people living there – has no running water, no electricity, no usable toilets, and mouldy, leaking, overcrowded tents. Currently, there are about 700 migrants living in the camp. Last week there were 2,500 people there in some days. The camp only has 80 tents, no medical assistance, and just five volunteers from Bosnia and Herzegovina Red Cross Society to help the whole camp population. Adnan Kurtagic, one of the Red Cross volunteers working at Vucjak, says the situation is heartbreaking and devastating. “They come to me to talk. They cry and cry. They say, ‘I miss my home, my mother has died, the police did this’. I hear a lot of stories. I don’t know how I don’t break – for two months now I have only been able to sleep two or three hours a night and even then, I dream about them.” He says the team from the Red Cross Bihac City is responsible for a wide range of tasks. They clean the camp, feed hundreds of people a day, and provide basic first aid and psychosocial support. The health situation at Vucjak is particularly concerning, says the Red Cross’ Kurtagic. There are people in the camp with untreated broken limbs and 70 per cent of the population has scabies. “The sanitation and hygiene situation is alarming. I don’t know how they can sleep. People should not be living here and it should be closed, but first these people need somewhere to go. We can hardly manage but I don’t want to leave these people all alone. If Red Cross leaves, there will be no food, no water, no clothes, no help - it will be awful.” IFRC’s operations manager for Bosnia and Herzegovina Indira Kulenovic agrees that Vucjak camp should be urgently closed and the people moved to a safe, secure place that meets at least the basic humanitarian standards. “These poor people are sleeping in the mud, six to one blanket, in temperatures falling to below zero at night. At least half of them require medical assistance, and the many do not even have shoes. The conditions are inhumane, and their suffering is overwhelming,” says Kulenovic. “There is no dignity for these people. Most of them are covered in scabies bites, have fevers and diarrhoea, and winter is approaching. There will be a metre of snow at Vucjak camp in a few weeks,” Kulenovic says. Since the beginning of 2019, 23,000 migrants have arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Existing migrant reception centres are full and thousands are sleeping on the streets or squatting in empty houses. The Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina has seven mobile teams who have so far assisted 41,000 people but Kulenovic says more are needed. The teams provide people at Vucjak and those on the roadside with food, water, clothes, blankets, psychosocial support and first aid. They also distribute information on active landmine fields to warn migrants of the dangers. IFRC and the Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina are appealing to their partners for 3.3 million Swiss francs to provide food, hygiene items, first aid and other assistance to 7,600 of the most vulnerable migrants along with cash grants for 1,500 host families during 2019. The appeal is about one third funded. ENDS Press photos are availablehere,B rollhereand interviewshere

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Press release

IFRC, UNICEF and USAID unite efforts to strengthen capacity for emergency preparedness and response in Central Asia

Almaty/Geneva, 4 October 2019– UNICEF’s Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) today announced the start of a joint programme, “Strengthening Local and National Capacities for Emergency Preparedness and Response in High Earthquake Risk Countries of Central Asia.” Supported by USAID and the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), the programme will assist populations at risk of a major earthquake and other disasters in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The results of the joint programme will contribute to the broader UNICEF-IFRC Initiative for Emergency Early Action and Resilience Building in Central Asia. UNICEF said that strengthening the capacities of frontline responders was a critical factor in delivering early action for children and communities during an emergency, including a major earthquake. “This partnership is particularly important when considering that earthquakes become disasters when we are not prepared,” said Philippe Cori, UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. The collaboration with IFRC/Red Crescent Societies would contribute to building the resilience of children and their families in Central Asia, the agency added. Central Asia is prone to earthquakes, floods, mudslides, avalanches, droughts and extreme temperatures, all of which can cause loss of life, displacement, family separation, trauma, disruption of education, healthcare, food insecurity, and poverty. An estimated 99.9% of children in Kyrgyzstan and 88.3% in Tajikistan live in areas of high to very high seismic risk. Major urban areas in the region are particularly vulnerable due to high population density and continuing concerns over the seismic safety of buildings and infrastructure. Having national disaster management systems not fully adapted to address children’s vulnerabilities and needs, low capacity of national systems to withstand the disasters, limited nature of cross-sectoral implementation of the disaster risk reduction and mitigation measures, limited DRR knowledge and systematic training, make children more vulnerable to shocks and stresses. Bayarmaa Luntan, Head of the IFRC office for Central Asia, said, “All communities in Central Asia are at risk from disasters that can strike at any time. Helping people to be ready and better able to tackle them is the best way to save lives and reduces losses. That is why this programme is so important.” As part of the activities planned in the project, a sub-regional training for emergency supply and logistics experts will take place in Almaty in November. Staff from National Red Crescent societies, UNICEF Country Offices, and national and local governments will be trained on clear actions, roles and accountabilities in responding to a major earthquake in Central Asia.

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Article

Refugees support new arrivals with British Red Cross Life Skills course

By Nora Peter, IFRC For people who are seeking asylum in the UK, Life Skills courses are designed and delivered by peer educators who have themselves experienced the asylum process, as well as the ups-and-downs of adjusting to life in a new country. “I’m happy to assist the newcomers because I didn’t get that kind of support when I arrived. When I came, there was no one to help me,” says Maria, a peer educator living in Cardiff. So far Maria and the team of eight peer educators have delivered the course four times, helping welcome 58 asylum seekers to Newport and supporting them to adjust to their new lives. As well as going in-depth into the asylum process, sessions also cover practical topics like healthcare and wellbeing, education, volunteering, state law and local orientation. English language classes are also available. The courses provide a safe environment for asylum seekers to ask questions, engage in group discussions and collect important information and listen to migration and asylum experts. “When planning the sessions, the Peer Educators ask each other: what information do you wish you had known when you first moved to the UK? After that, we do online research on the topic, and engage with subject matter experts such as police officers and nurses,” explains Fiona Harvey, Project Manager at the British Red Cross, “and check information with local service providers to make sure it’s accurate. The group then meet again to come up with themes and activities to embed the learning.” And this approach of drawing on advice from the real experts – people who have experienced the realities of being a refugee in the UK at first hand – seems to be paying off. “We have had positive feedback both from peer educators and from participants,” Fiona adds. Rose, a peer educator from Cardiff, understands only too well the importance of the role she and her colleagues have to play. “People leaving their home countries to come to the UK know that their lives are going to change forever,” she says. “They need us to encourage them, to give them hope and guidance, so that they can find their peace of mind and start following the processes.” The Life Skills courses are supported through the AVAIL (Amplifying the Voices of Asylum seekers and refugees for Integration and Life skills) project, part of a broader initiative involving Red Cross societies in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy and Latvia, funded by the European Union.

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Article

Marmara earthquake: 20 years on

On Saturday 17 August, Turkey marks the anniversary of the 7.4-magnitude quake that hit Izmit—around 100 kilometres east of Istanbul— killing 17,479 people, including 1,000 in Istanbul, the economic capital of the country. The quake hit at 3:02 am on 17 August 1999, killing thousands as they slept. In Istanbul, several hundred people were killed when buildings collapsed. Since then, fears remain high with constant warnings from scientists that Istanbul, Turkey’s most populated city and economic hub, will be at the epicenter of the next "big one". Turkey is among the world's most seismically active countries as it is situated on a number of active fault lines. Every day, there are approximately 100 minor earthquakes and aftershocks. In the last big earthquake in October 2011, more than 600 people died in the eastern province of Van after 7.2 magnitude quake. 20 years after the Marmara disaster, Turkey has seen an overhaul in measures to prevent damage from earthquakes, such as compulsory earthquake insurance and campaigns to raise awareness and inform the public about earthquake preparedness. The Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay) has played a pioneering role by reconstructing the disaster management model from top to bottom. A more effective, sustainable, applicable disaster management model was developed. Disaster preparedness, response, recovery and reconstruction activities were redesigned. Today, Kızılay has the capacity to meet the urgent housing needs of 271,485 people in a possible disaster with its ten regional and 23 local Disaster Management Centers. Türk Kızılay is also stepping up its efforts to build a resilient society through a community-based disaster management model and to make disaster preparedness a lifestyle for every citizen. The Safe Living Culture which is being developed in tandem with the Ministry of National Education aims to raise awareness, provide knowledge and skills and ensure active participation in disaster response processes.

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Article

Children listening to the world with their eyes

By Ece Ceren Dogar, IFRC “The world is beautiful!” says Muhsine to Abdullah, her friend from Syria whom she calls her little brother. The two are deep in concentration, covering their paper with green and blue paint. Later, they have more fun painting ceramics, showing off their drama skills and taking part in a music lesson with a difference – listening to the rhythms not with their ears, but with their eyes. Muhsine, who is Turkish, and Abdullah, who is Syrian, are both hearing impaired. They are just two of 10 children who had the opportunity to attend a four-week “We listen to the world with our eyes” workshop. Organised by Turkish Red Crescent’s EU-funded Şanlıurfa Community Centre and Şanlıurfa School of the Deaf, the workshop aimed to contribute to the personal and social development of the children and to ensure social cohesion by providing an environment that brings different cultures together. Community Centre Cohesion and Activity Officer Gülşen Gürgerli Şimşek says the change in Abdullah, who arrived from Syria two years ago, is remarkable. “We encountered Abdullah, who is both a migrant and hearing impaired, in one of our field visits. He lives in a crowded house of 25 people and had no opportunity to improve his personal and social development." “The first week he was timid but after that, he was just running to and fro and smiling all the time. This was a priceless outcome for us,” smiles Mrs Simsek. There are more than 3.6 million Syrians in Turkey who are under temporary protection, of whom more than 1.7 million are children. An unknown percentage of these children suffer from hearing loss, which can exacerbate challenges adjusting to their host country. Mrs Simsek says activities such as this workshop, and other social cohesion initiatives involving both migrants and host communities help to provide an environment which is supportive for overcoming difficulties. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtGLihv5muU&feature=youtu.be[/embed] Turkish Red Crescent Community Centres Since 2015, Turkish Red Crescent Community Centres have been offering various services such as psychosocial support, protection, livelihoods support and social cohesion for migrants and host communities, with the aim of enabling a safer, more dignified and hopeful life. By the beginning of July 2019, the Community Centres had helped almost 800,000 people. For more information, please visit http://www.kizilaytoplummerkezleri.org/en

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Article

Iraqi teen dreams of becoming a doctor

By Katarina Zoric, IFRC The smiling face of 17-year-old Mxabn from Iraq masks the hardships of the last year and a half. She is hundreds of kilometres from home, has lived in a migrant centre for eight months, and still hasn’t reached her hoped-for final destination – Germany. Together with her family, the teenager left Iraq fearing for her life and started down a path full of uncertainty. “The situation in Iraq wasn’t and still isn’t good. Because of the conflicts and constant explosions we were scared for our lives. My father couldn’t earn enough money for a normal life. We all wanted a better life and that's why we’ve decided to leave our country,” says Mxabn. Mxabn is currently living in the temporary migrant reception centre Sedra, in Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has found new friends there; she’s learning new languages and in her spare time, she likes to draw. "I've been in Sedra for eight months now and I like it here. My whole family likes it here.But we still want to go to Germany. We would like to start our new life as soon as possible," says Mxabn. She also likes to spend time with the Red Cross volunteers. "I like talking to them, and we often laugh together. It means a lot to me to have these nice people in my life. I think of them as my friends," she says. Mxabn’s journey from Iraq to Bosnia and Herzegovina was arduous. She walked hundreds of kilometres and stayed in many camps throughout Turkey, Greece and Macedonia. There wasn’t always enough food for her and her family and they struggled with heat and cold, but Mxabn tries not to focus on the difficult situations she experienced. Instead, she looks toward the future. "I hope we’ll soon get to Germany. I want a normal life with my family. I would like to become a doctor, but I know I have to learn German language first,” Mxabn says. Despite all the obstacles she has faced and the uncertain future, Mxabn remains optimistic and truly believes that one day all her dreams will come true.

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Press release

Migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina dying while seeking safety

Budapest/Geneva, 30 May 2019 - Thousands of people trapped in Bosnia and Herzegovina desperately need humanitarian assistance and some are dying while trying to find shelter, says the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Since the beginning of 2019 the country’s security agencies estimate around 6,000 people, including women and children, have entered Bosnia and Herzegovina, but current transit centres holding around 3,500 people are full and thousands are sleeping rough. Indira Kulenovic, operations manager for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said: “People are sleeping in parks, in carparks, on the footpath, and in dangerous buildings." “A few weeks ago three migrants sheltering in an abandoned building burned to death when a candle they were using caused a fire. Soon after, another fell from the top floor of a building he was sheltering in. Psychological stress among migrants is high – just last week one man set himself on fire in desperation. The situation is dire,” Kulenovic said. The Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina has six mobile teams providing people on the move with food, water, clothes, blankets, psychosocial support and first aid. The mobile teams are also distributing information on active landmine fields to warn migrants of the dangers of unexploded ordinances. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the most landmine-contaminated countries in Europe. Red Cross volunteers are working in five migrant centres across the country, preparing meals for 3,000 people a day, with food supplies provided by IOM. They are also providing clothing, bedding, tents, hygiene items and first aid. The Secretary General of the Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr Rajko Lazic said that, despite the best efforts of aid agencies to provide food and shelter, living conditions for many people remain inadequate in the centres, and worse for the people outside. “Our teams are doing what they can but they are stretched to the limit and the situation has reached a critical point. This is a humanitarian crisis,” Mr Lazic said. As a result of the crowded conditions in the centres, there has been an alarming increase in some communicable diseases. The Minister of Health Dr. Nermina Cemalovic said on 15 May there were 800 cases of scabies in Bihac transit centres. Health officials are also trying to prevent a measles outbreak, tracing all known contacts of at least two humanitarian workers who have been hospitalised with the disease. Officials have also urged all humanitarian agencies to ensure their staff are fully vaccinated. “We are extremely concerned for people on the move in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are arriving in poor condition, and many, including children, have walked for weeks. They are hungry, exhausted, sick and cold and traumatised by their journeys. The recent wet weather has just made their misery worse,” Kulenovic said. Spring has brought more arrivals and put even more pressure on the Una-Sana Canton area in the north west of the country near the Croatian border. Last year 25,000 migrants entered Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ms Kulenovic said the local population is suffering as well, from the pressure that extra numbers has put on services, security, land and property. The IFRC will also be assisting local communities with cash grants. IFRC and the Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina are appealing to their partners for 3.3 million Swiss francs to provide food, hygiene items, first aid and other assistance to 7,600 of the most vulnerable migrants along with cash grants for 1,500 host families during 2019. The appeal is less than one third funded. Press photos are available here.

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Article

Beekeeping boosts Ukraine veterans’ income and spirits

By Nora Peter, IFRC Evgenii Novikov gently sweeps snow from the base of one of his colourful beehives and starts to tell a story about how a tiny insect gave him back his life. When the former soldier returned to his hometown of Pavlograd from the conflict zone in Ukraine’s east, he found that everything had changed. There were no jobs, and his family, friends and neighbours did not understand what he had been through. “When servicemen return from the conflict zone, they bring a different mindset that is difficult for others to understand. This can result in mental health issues and a distance between them and their loved ones,” Evgenii explains. Evgenii, 56, was thrown a lifeline when the Red Cross told him about its livelihoods scheme. With five other former soldiers, he used a grant of 6,000 Swiss francs to buy 50 beehives and build up a business. “When you work on an apiary and devote yourself to beekeeping, you’ll start feeling better because you see a creature who works and does good. You can approach them only with love and they repay it in kind. “Bees work together as a family and make you understand that life never stops. If you adopt the same attitude and devote yourself to the work, your problems and sorrows eventually disappear.” Luckily, two members of the group had experience with bees. Evgenii became the manager of the company and handles administrative tasks, while the others do the manual work. He says there is a good demand for the honey from factories and local markets, and they plan to increase the number of beehives to 1,000 in a few years. But the bees provide more than just an income. “All the guys feel emotionally uplifted as a result. It improves their relationships with their families and their communities.” “We can become a good example for other people,” he concludes. Since the start of the conflict five years ago, more than 25,000 people in Ukraine has received support through the joint livelihoods scheme of the IFRC and the Ukrainian Red Cross in the form of food vouchers, small business grants or multipurpose cash grants.

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Press release

Red Cross Red Crescent Mediterranean National Societies to tackle cross-cutting migration issues

Sarajevo/Geneva, 2 April 2019 – More than 150 Red Cross Red Crescent delegates from 23 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea are meeting in Sarajevo this week to discuss approaches to aiding vulnerable migrants and the communities receiving them. Hosted by the Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Centre for the Cooperation in the Mediterranean (CCM), the meeting’s theme is “Standing for Humanity”. The focus on will be on the safety and protection of migrants, improving social inclusion, preventing trafficking and exploitation, mobilizing more volunteer assistance and the National Societies’ role in implementing the recently adopted Global Compacts on refugees and migration. “While our main focus is assistance for migrants, the Red Cross also assists the host communities,” said Rajko Lazic, Secretary General of the Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “It was not long ago that our people experienced what it means to be a refugee, and some are still displaced in their own country and in dire need. We seek to balance assistance for both populations.” Maria Alcázar Castilla, spokesperson for the Centre for Cooperation in the Mediterranean (CCM) said the humanitarian issues faced by the Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies in the region are interlinked, so common analysis and approaches are needed. “The Mediterranean region is facing multiple humanitarian challenges - due to unrest and violence, the ongoing flow of vulnerable migrants, economic crises and climate change impacts. The conference intends to reaffirm the urgency of principled humanitarian action, promote humanitarian access and reinforce the absolute necessity of placing the safety and needs of people at the heart of our action,” she said. The President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Francesco Rocca will also address the conference. “Every human being, especially people fleeing conflict and insecurity, should have unhindered access to aid and also to information, at all phases of their journeys. Every human being has the right to protection, health care, education and social services” said President Rocca. “Human dignity should be respected and protected, regardless of their legal status.” Migrant arrivals in the Mediterranean region and other areas of Europe usually rise during spring and summer months.

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Press release

New interactive classroom tool and game teaches kids about Syrian refugee crisis

Budapest/Geneva, 13 March —As the devastating conflict in Syria enters its 9th year, a Red Cross Red Crescent partnership is launching a powerful interactive classroom tool to help European students understand and empathise with the dangers and difficult choices faced by young Syrian refugees and their families. “Brothers Across Borders” is a web-based interactive game and movie, accompanied by an in-depth teaching and discussion guide in eight languages. It was developed by the Danish Red Cross, in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and 14 other National Societies that aid Syrian refugees. In the game, students and other players become Ismael, a young Syrian refugee from Aleppo, who crosses into Turkey in search of his missing brother. The player uses Ismael’s mobile phone and his brother’s Instagram account to receive clues and follow his brother’s trail. He meets many interesting characters on his journey who offer help. As the search goes on, the player, as Ismael, is forced to make tough choices and manage their consequences, impacting the action of the movie and Ismael’s life. All the while, Ismael communicates by text with his mother, who remains with the rest of the family in an area of Aleppo under bombardment. Klaus Nørskov, Head of Communications with the Danish Red Cross, said: “We decided to use gaming techniques that young people are familiar with to captivate and engage them in the stories of Syrian refugees. By making the game lifelike, students and other players outside of classroom settings experience the characters’ fears, uncertainties and dilemmas as if they are living through it themselves.” The teaching materials include a range of discussion topics and exercises on the Syria conflict, regional geography, culture, family life and language and on themes such as displacement, refugees and asylum. Simon Missiri, Director of IFRC’s Europe region said: “Young people today are exposed to heated public debate about migration, but few understand the desperation and difficult choices refugees and migrants face before, during and after taking flight. “We hope teachers in Europe and beyond will use this innovative classroom tool to spur learning and discussion about the Syrian conflict. We also hope it will give students insight into the impact of war and displacement on ordinary people, including Syrian children they may now share a classroom with.” The characters in the movie are played by Syrian refugees, people from Turkish communities who host them and staff of the Turkish Red Crescent. Brothers Across Borders is funded by the European Union Regional Trust Fund as part of a larger programme, Madad, which assists displaced Syrians and host communities in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.

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Press release

Ukraine: Red Cross deployed to help contain largest measles outbreak in Europe in four years

Budapest, 5 March 2019 – Ukrainian Red Cross Society volunteers are being deployed to help contain a measles outbreak that has affected more than 75,000 people, making it the largest outbreak in Europe since 2015. This includes 54,000 measles cases reported in 2018, and more than 21,000 cases registered thus far in 2019. Poor immunization coverage has contributed to the measles outbreak in Ukraine. In 2018, the measles vaccination rate for newborn babies was only 54 per cent, which is amongst the lowest in the world. This is well below the target of 95 per cent recommended by the World Health Organization. A rate of 95 per cent would protect even those members of the community who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. Professor Mykola Polishchuk, Acting President of Ukrainian Red Cross Society, said: “Ukraine has one of the lowest vaccination rates against measles in the world and this is a very worrying trend. We are deploying 100 Red Cross volunteers to raise awareness about vaccination and conduct education campaigns to stop the spread of this disease.” The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has released 109,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to help the Ukrainian Red Cross Society tackle the outbreak. Officials say the low coverage rate and widespread transmission of the virus is due to many factors, including transport costs for those in rural areas, a high number of people with weakened immune systems, such people living with HIV and tuberculosis - and vaccine refusal. The funds will allow Ukrainian Red Cross Society to assist 90,000 people, including the most at-risk – children under six years of age, people with weakened immune systems, and people who have never been vaccinated against the disease. The emergency funds will also allow volunteers to help health authorities raise awareness about vaccination, to conduct education campaigns in kindergartens, schools, hospitals and aged care facilities, and to provide protective equipment for Red Cross volunteers. IFRC Europe Regional Director, Simon Missiri, said vaccine refusal is an increasingly worrying trend worldwide. “It is hard to believe that children are dying of measles in Europe in 2019,” he said. “This disease is almost completely preventable. Red Cross workers have an important role in helping communities understand the importance of vaccines, and in answering concerns that are increasingly prevalent in many countries.” The measles operation will run for four months in five regions across the country. Recent global declines in vaccination rates resulted in more than 110,000 measles deaths worldwide in 2017. The Ukraine outbreak coincides with other measles outbreaks across Europe and in the Philippines where measles cases are up more than 547 per cent in 2018 compared to 2017.

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Press release

IFRC President statement on Sea-Watch 3 vessel

Geneva, 28 January 2019 – The following can be attributed to Francesco Rocca, the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies:“Even during war – when hate and division are part of the daily fabric of political discourse – castaways are protected, thanks to the Geneva Conventions. There is no war today in the Mediterranean Sea: the European Union is at peace. And yet no one is protecting the lives of people escaping torture and rape in Libya.“How is it possible that 47 people can pose such a threat to the entire European Union? Saving lives must be the priority of all governments. We call on European governments to find a durable solution that prevents further deaths in the Mediterranean. We call on the Italian government to let the Sea-Watch vessel dock, and to allow the people on board to disembark and access the help they need. They are human beings, not numbers.”

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