Manila, 28 July 2020 - Red Cross is urging everyone in the Philippines to be even more vigilant as COVID-19 cases continue to jump by more than a thousand each day following the easing of quarantine restrictions. More than 80,000 people in the country have tested positive to COVID-19, with a record number of 2,539 cases in a single-day on 8 July. There are more than 42,000 confirmed cases this month alone, more than double the cases from January to June 30. The country has the most number of active cases compared to its neighbouring countries in South East Asia. An increasing number of hospitals are reporting full capacity and can no longer accommodate COVID-19 patients. The Department of Health reported on 14 July that the COVID-19 bed capacity in the country’s capital, Metro Manila, has reached a “danger zone” with 76 percent of COVID-19 wards occupied. A “warning zone” has been declared in four regions which have at least 30 percent of isolation beds occupied. Philippine Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon said: “The biggest threat is complacency as we are far from being out of the woods. We need to act like we already have the virus and keep wearing face masks and practising proper handwashing and physical distancing. While we all carry out our responsibility to protect ourselves and others, we in the Philippine Red Cross will continue responding and focusing our resources on key areas where we can create the most impact to help contain the disease. Together, we will prevail.” Red Cross is playing a central role, working alongside the government in tracing, testing, isolating and treating COVID-19 patients. Thousands of volunteers are helping with surveillance and contact tracing. Seven molecular laboratories across the country have tested more than 300,000 people so far, comprising 26 percent of the national test output. Seventy-one medical tents have been set up to support public and private hospitals. Red Cross volunteers are also distributing emergency food packages, providing psychosocial support, promoting healthy behaviour and improved hygiene, reaching more than 700,000 people. IFRC’s Acting Head of Philippine Country Office, Patrick Elliott said: “These times are very challenging for all of us, but some are more at risk and we have growing concerns for the elderly, people with disabilities and families with members who have contracted the disease. We need greater efforts to overcome mounting stigma and fear in the community. Volunteers are providing for basic needs to reduce the worsening social and economic impacts of this tragic pandemic.” Of the 16,000 families being assisted with cash grants, 4,500 families have members who have contracted the disease. They are also provided with food support while in quarantine. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is supporting National Societies in most at-risk countries through a global appeal. Philippines is second after Indonesia with the highest number of COVID-19 cases in South East Asia. About IFRC IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian network, comprising 192 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies working to save lives and promote dignity around the world. www.ifrc.org-Facebook-Twitter-YouTube

By Fernando Gandarillas. In Mexico, Red Cross paramedics are used to dealing with cases of violence. However, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, health workers are increasingly faced with personal attacks. "Sometimes we've had to treat people with gunshot wounds. We have to learn to manage risks in this context because these are very tense situations in which people become very aggressive. I have never had a gun pointed at me, but I have been attacked," said Alejandro, a 21-year-old paramedic from the Huixquilucan branch of the Mexican Red Cross. "The effects of the pandemic have made the job more difficult. People are desperate. The lockdown and the fact that people are becoming infected is creating a lot of unrest", he explains. A few months ago, Alejandro faced an incident while attending to a patient who was over 60 years of age and had COVID-19. "When we arrived at his home, the person was in a critical state, with severe breathing complications. His symptoms also showed other health problems that had been dragging on for weeks, making his condition worse". Because of the man's condition, Alejandro suggested that his family move him to the nearest hospital. They resisted and began to get upset, wanting him to be taken to a hospital they knew, but which was located much farther away. Finally, they agreed to have him moved to the nearest hospital. Along the way, the patient died, despite all the efforts made by the paramedics to keep him stable. Upon arrival at the hospital, family members became aware of the event and exploded into rage. They attacked Alejandro and another doctor at the hospital, claiming that he died because of them. "Attacks on medical personnel are becoming very common. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation is getting worse," explains Alejandro. Social isolation is another reality that paramedics have to deal with. Many must move away from their families. "We're handling it. However, it's hard not being able to see your loved ones and being away from your friends. The demands of work and isolation damaged my relationship," says Alejandro. The Mexican Red Cross has invested a great deal of effort to provide emotional support to people like Alejandro, who must work directly on the streets and in areas where the virus is ravaging. In addition, the National Society has worked hard to train its staff in safe access and handling of biosecurity protocols. "We are not going to stop, we are going to continue working to help, but we are going to do it in a safer way," he says. The night begins to fall, and Alejandro goes to the hostel where he is staying as a preventive measure to avoid being in physical contact with his relatives. He has finished his 24-hour shift and now has two days off, which he will use to study. He is pursuing a career in aeronautics and he spends most of his free time studying. "I like to keep busy, I don't like easy stuff," he says. He inherited his vocation as a paramedic from his parents, who have also been involved in the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement for many years. Faced with the difficult situation, he remains positive. Despite the complications, Alejandro is determined to continue doing his best to cope with the pandemic. "I do my job with love and passion. It is normal to be afraid in the current circumstances, but it is very fulfilling to do what I do. It's great to be able to help people.

Kuala Lumpur/Delhi/Islamabad/Dhaka/Geneva, 16 July 2020–South Asia is fast becoming the next COVID-19 epicentre as cases soar in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. John Fleming, Asia Pacific Head of Health, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said: “COVID-19 is spreading at an alarming rate in South Asia, home to a quarter of humanity. “While the world’s attention has been focused on the unfolding crisis in the United States and South America, a concurrent human tragedy is fast emerging in South Asia. India alone is nearing 1 million infections in coming days. “We need more focus on the new COVID-19 hotspot in South Asia. Lives of people in India are no less valuable than people in other parts of the world.” Already India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have reached a combined total of more than 1.35 million cases – over 10 per cent of the world’s total. There have been more than 31,000 deaths across the three countries and the total may be much higher. According to latest projections from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers, India risks having the largest number of COVID-19 cases in the coming months. In a grim prognosis for the region, theMIT researchpredicts that by the end of the year there may be hundreds of millions of cases concentrated in a few countries estimated to have insufficient responses given perceived risks, primarily India, but also Bangladesh and Pakistan. The report, which is still to be peer reviewed, predicts that in six months from now, India will be the worst affected country in the world, with up to 287,000 cases a day. The immediate forecasts are equally dire for the region. According to figures from theJohn Hopkins Centre collated by the University of Melbourne, active cases in India are expected to rise by 36 per cent over the next 10 days and nearly double in the next 20 days. “We now need to urgently turn our attention to this region, urgently step up prevention measures and expand our resources to save thousands of lives,”said Mr Fleming. “In these unprecedented times, we know many countries, including India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, have taken extraordinary measures to help slow the spread of this disease. “Red Cross and Red Crescent health teams including thousands of volunteers have been a key part of that effort, conducting hygiene campaigns to slow the spread of the virus, providing relief to those self-isolating, and support for over-stretched healthcare systems. “We need to double this effort, sharing the challenge across all levels of society, in the communities, in organisations, nationally and globally, we need to urgently bring more resources to protect people and to contain the virus.”

By Fernando Gandarillas. Cristian is a volunteer of the Chilean Red Cross and a specialist in psychosocial support. Along with other medical and psychological volunteers, he has been providing psychosocial support since April to passengers on domestic flights. So far, nearly 1,000 people have been reached in 15 trips, thanks to a partnership with the private company in Chile. "The combination of a pandemic and air travel can be intimidating for a person. People get very nervous", Cristian said. He is in the aisle, talking to passengers and giving them psychosocial support. As he finishes his talk, another volunteer waves at him from the other side of the aisle, so that he moves closer to an older woman who is in a state of panic. Minutes earlier, the Red Cross medical volunteers were giving practical demonstrations on the use of masks and proper hand washing, when one of them noticed the woman had injuries on her hands, and was very stressed. He waited for Cristian to finish talking and called for his attention. Cristian starts talking to the woman to create trust. She says she is returning to Santiago de Chile after attending a family wake in Iquique. During the last few days, she had washed her hands with chlorine, mistakenly believing that this would stop COVID-19. She tells Cristian how petrified she is of catching COVID-19 on the plane and bringing the virus home. It's 10 pm and the flight is about to arrive in Santiago. Cristian moves away from the woman and they both take their seat to prepare for landing. It has been a long day for the volunteers. At 6 am they were already at the Arturo Merino Benitez Airport in Santiago to provide support to the crew and passengers who were travelling on the outbound flight from the capital to Iquique. "People who leave the capital for different regions usually present significant levels of anxiety. However, those who travel from small cities or towns in the country to Santiago are the ones who face higher levels of fear, because they know that the capital is where the greatest concentration of cases are. Many of these people need to travel to the capital because they have to undergo health treatment," Cristian says. Chile is one of the countries in the region most impacted by COVID-19. To respond to the pandemic, the Chilean Red Cross has been working to raise public awareness of disease prevention, providing psychosocial support, and delivering personal protection equipment to various cities throughout the country. To strengthen this work, actions have been coordinated with the private sector. The support that volunteers provide on commercial flights within Chile is part of these coordinated efforts to stop the spread of the virus. The plane lands and Cristian, together with his colleagues, waits for all the passengers to leave. "I learned a lot about prevention measures on this flight, and above all I felt support. I loved the emotional release techniques they taught us," said one of the passengers. Before getting off the plane, the Red Cross volunteers hold a small meeting to listen to the flight captain and crew's observations. "As soon as we get into the plane, they welcome us and make us feel part of their team," Cristian says. Satisfied of providing help in the fight against the pandemic, Cristian crosses the runway to go to airport control. "Personally, I think this is a way of fulfilling our humanitarian mission. And for me it's a way to thank life.”

Randa El Ozeir: Undeterred by the interruption of physical communication due to COVID-19, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has continued to support and help children with disabilities and those with special needs by using productive communication tools delivered by 60 teams responsible for distance learning and rehabilitation. Suheir Badarneh, the director of rehabilitation in the PRCS, explained that “due to the sudden closing down, this initiative didn’t require a special digital platform. We resorted to groups on WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook to exchange the information. We had to call some families on mobile phones and landing lines when they didn’t have neither internet connection nor smart devices.” Up to now, 686 children with special needs have benefited from the program that consists of special activities prepared by 187 volunteers, who have instructed the parents to implement them at home and send their feedback to the specialists and the rehabilitation workers. According to Badarneh, the activities aim to develop the children’ capabilities, relying on four main channels: a) equipping families with lessons and learning activities to be completed at home; b) providing through guidance and mental support a safe space for the children and their parents to express and release their feelings, fears, and inner thoughts; c) understanding the needs of the children and their parents and meet them as much as possible; d) and raising the awareness on virus prevention through health pamphlets created by the PRCS or other organizations.” So far, 10 PRCS Branches have participated in the program, which was geographically spread to Ariha, Anabta, Al-Khalil, Tarqumiyha, Toubas, Nablus, Bani Nai’m, Ramallah, Khan Younis, and Rafah. The PRCS has contacted 1048 families and supplied them with cognitive and kinetic activities along with instructions for self-care to train the children after the shut-down of schools and rehabilitation centres and the pending of face-to-face education. Badarneh said, “we were able to increase the number of beneficiaries to reach 70% of all targeted children. The positive involvement and the responsiveness of parents and children with the program team were crucial to the success of the initiative. At the beginning it wasn’t easy to convince the parents to commit to distance learning, as it was a new concept for them, and many believed it to be ineffective.” Given the novelty of the experience, the PRCS kept the door open for comments and suggestions from parents who wanted to improve the performance and the delivery methods of information to their children, including the deaf. The PRCS Branches created between 18 and 847 specific activities to be sent every day depending on the participation ratio and the nature of each Branch’s centre. Badarneh said, “we promoted social interaction among family members and the contribution to house chores, as well as developing language and communication capability in children, focusing on behaviour modification and boosting their fine and gross motor skills. We also completed the kindergarten program based on speech training, concept recognition, reading and writing, and sign language learning.” Asmahan Assfour, the coordinator of the sign language unit at the PRCS, said that a sign language translation has been provided to several female students to finish their digital marketing training online. And a group of female deaf students put their experience to test by producing 57 animated videos to spread awareness about COVID-19.” “This project requires an equipped team of volunteers and specialists to guide the families of children with disabilities and visit them as part of an awareness program,” suggested Sirine Abou Samaha, a psychologist with the PRCS, who also raised the alarm that, “people with special needs are one of the most marginalized and stigmatized groups in the world, even under normal circumstances. If the government and the relevant institutions didn’t act quickly to contain them in their response to the spread of COVID-19, they would be exposed to the infection risk and death. They are less immune to facing the virus, and this affects their families’ mental health and is reflected in chronic anxiety that can develop into depression. Abou Samaha warned that the psychological conditions of these children can become detrimental after being severed from their safe space in learning and rehabilitation centres. There they can socially interact and enjoy extracurricular activities, which channel their energy in the right direction, giving them a sense of self and the right to play, learn, and live like any other child. Abou Samaha suggested to coordinate health check-up campaigns for these children and encourage as many of their families as possible to be in the digital world. Om Karim, a mother of two children who attend the PRCS’ Total Communication School for teaching the deaf, welcomed the program. “The teacher, Najah Zahran, sends videos showing the letters’ and sounds’ phonetics, their signs, and their pictures to use when I teach my children. It has been a fruitful experience in many aspects for me and for my son. We have been able to fill our free time at home with learning. I, myself, even gained new skills.” There is value in looking at this distance learning program during COVID-19 and beyond. “We are weighing with the IT unit the options to best develop this technology, so we can keep working with the children with disabilities during COVID-19 or any similar situations,” concluded Badarneh. But the hard-financial position of the families remains the major obstacle to meet the necessary requirements and ensure an effective communication and participation of both children and their families.

Geneva/Panama, 1 July 2020–The continued rapid spread of COVID-19 in the Americas and its aggravating influence on disasters and other health emergencies in the region is “extremely concerning”, according to the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, IFRC President Francesco Rocca highlighted his concern about a growing apathy in some parts of the world about the virus: “We have said from the beginning that‘None of us are safe until all of us are safe’.That remains true. The first wave is not over, and we haven’t yet reached the peak of this outbreak.” While in some parts of the world COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted, the situation in many parts of the Americas is worsening. With already more than 5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 240,000 deaths, the Americas is the region most affected by the virus. Now, there is growing concern that the health emergency caused by the virus could worsen with the arrival of the southern winter, the South American flu season, and the hurricane season in the Caribbean. President Rocca said: “Disasters do not stop. Across Central America and the Caribbean, we are working intensely, together with Red Cross Societies, to prepare for the hurricane season. However, the isolation and quarantine measures that are necessary for halting the virus are making the task of preparedness even more difficult. And at the same time, our response teams are already very active in dealing with the pandemic.” The pandemic is also placing immense pressure on health care and management systems in the region and is having an impact on the ability of health systems and aid groups to respond to other outbreaks, such as dengue. Increasingly, Red Cross volunteers and staff are seeing a co-occurrence of COVID-19 and dengue in many communities, with both diseases affecting the same vulnerable groups, especially people living in overcrowded and underserviced urban areas. The impact of COVID-19 can overshadow the severity of dengue outbreaks by diverting the attention of health professionals from maintaining dengue control at the community level. COVID-19 is also having an impact on migration. Several countries in Central and South America have experienced changes in migratory flows as a consequence of restrictive measures taken in the context of COVID-19. For example, in Central America migrants are blocked in a number of transit countries due to border closures. In other countries, there is a visible trend of "voluntary returns" of migrants to countries of origin, because of a loss of income opportunities and worsening of livelihood conditions in transit and destination countries.

Geneva/Washington DC – The world has been planning for the future in the mistaken belief that it will resemble the past. But as COVID-19 coincides with cyclones in South Asia and the Pacific and vast locust swarms in East Africa, the need to prepare for a world of unexpected shocks has become clearer than ever. Epidemics, floods, storms, droughts, and wildfires are all expected to become more frequent and severe, affecting hundreds of millions of people each year. The COVID-19 pandemic is a global wake-up call. And as leaders of international organizations, we understand both the grave threat and the potential opportunity for change that it represents. In particular, COVID-19 and recent climate disasters have shown that we must step up investment in preparedness now, instead of waiting for the next crisis to hit. The choice is clear: delay and pay, or plan and prosper. We know that investing in disaster preparedness is worth it – both in terms of human lives saved and economic returns. Research by the Global Commission on Adaptation, for example, shows that benefit-to-cost ratios for climate-adaptation investments range from 2:1 to 10:1. To be sure, preparing for major shocks involves substantial outlays. Building resilience to climate impacts could cost $140-300 billion annually by 2030, while meeting World Health Organization minimum standards for pandemic preparedness will require up to $3.4 billion per year. But these sums are small compared to the costs of not being prepared. Natural disasters already cost hundreds of billions of dollars a year; with a 2˚C increase in temperature, according to one estimate, damages from climate change could reach $69 trillion by 2100. The human cost is high, too. An analysis by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) last year found that doing nothing could increase the number of people who need international humanitarian aid because of floods, storms, droughts and wildfires every year – currently 108 million – 50% by 2030. The total could nearly double, to 200 million people, by 2050. Moreover, the coming year represents a critical window for investing in resilience, because governments will spend trillions of dollars to restart economies after the pandemic. The danger is that financial resources, and with it the political appetite for change, will then shrink. That is why now is the time for the rich world to help poorer countries reboot their economies and boost their resilience to future threats, including climate change. One of the most important things governments can do today is invest in better collection and analysis of data on the disaster risks their countries face. Simply having 24 hours’ notice of a storm’s arrival or foreknowledge of an impending heat wave can cut the resulting losses by 30%, while spending $800 million on early-warning systems in developing countries would save $3-16 billion per year. For example, although Cyclone Amphan recently wreaked havoc on India and Bangladesh and killed dozens of people, early-warning systems saved countless more lives. Accurate forecasts, along with decades of planning and preparedness, enabled the two countries to evacuate more than three million people and keep the death toll far lower than it would have been in the past. Governments and international organizations are now working to make early-warning technology more accessible and effective through a new risk-informed early-action partnership. This initiative aims to make one billion people safer from disasters by 2025, partly by scaling up so-called forecast-based financing, which uses weather projections to give vulnerable communities the resources they need to prepare. Innovative financing schemes like these, which are supported by the German and British governments, among others, can save lives and reduce the damage when storms and heat waves hit. But none of these solutions will be effective if funding and threat information don’t reach the local level. Communities and local organizations are often the first responders in any crisis, and it is vital that they be empowered to act. Before Cyclone Amphan made landfall, for example, the IFRC sent funds to the Bangladesh Red Crescent chapter, which helped 20,000 vulnerable people receive dry food and drinking water, first aid, safety equipment, and transportation to cyclone shelters. At the same time, the chapter helped implement COVID-19 safety measures, such as disinfecting shelters, making additional space available to allow for social distancing, and providing personal protective equipment. Local communities are also often in the best position to identify effective solutions. After Typhoon Ondoy struck the Philippines in 2009, for example, people living in informal settlements worked with city officials to design resilient housing that could withstand future flooding. As countries emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic over the coming year, world leaders will face a watershed moment. By ramping up investments in disaster preparedness, they can shape their legacies and set humanity on a safer course for the next decade and beyond. By Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General and a member of the Global Commission on Adaptation, and Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute and a member of the Global Commission on Adaptation. View the opinion piece in Project Syndicate

Budapest,26 June 2020– As a resurgence in COVID-19 cases is reported in many parts of Europe and total deaths on the continent near 200,000, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) calls on communities to continue practising safety measures to prevent a deadly further spread of the virus. “None of us is safe until all of us are safe,” said Dr. Davron Mukhamadiev, IFRC’s regional health and care coordinator. “Despite the easing of restrictions and summer weather, it is critical that we all continue to adhere to health and safety measures to avoid a ‘second wave’ across Europe.” “Without effective and sustained community-based epidemic control measures, the pandemic will remain in communities and further peaks can be expected until the virus is eradicated.” According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 20,000 new COVID-19 cases are recorded in Europe every day and more than 25 countries have seen an increase in new cases in the past two weeks. The top ten countries with the most significant increases are Croatia (2,680%), Iceland (+900%), Slovakia (+311%), Kyrgyzstan (241%), Bulgaria, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Israel and Luxembourg. In recent weeks, many European countries have begun easing public movement restrictions or ending ‘lockdowns’. Combined with warm and sunny weather across many parts of the region, there is fear that people forget to practise the safety measures that are of critical importance to preventing a deadly resurgence. “There are simple, yet effective precautions all of us should continue to take so that we keep ourselves and our loved ones safe,” said Mukhamadiev. “Hand washing, physical distancing by remaining two metres apart from other people, proper use of face coverings and avoidance of large crowds are the most effective ways to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.” Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers across Europe have been working around the clock to provide critical and accurate information on COVID-19 and its prevention. Teams continue to do so as restrictions are eased to help keep communities stay healthy and safe, and prevent further resurgence of cases. Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies in 54 European countries are also providing health care and ambulance services, distributing personal protective equipment, disinfectants and water to health care services, delivering food, medicine and hygiene items, supporting in temperature checks at ports of arrival, running telephone hotlines and providing mental health and psychosocial support to those in distress. Key health and safety measures everyone should practise include: Frequently wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with soap and water. Use an alcohol-based sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and immediately throw away the tissue. Cough into your elbow if a tissue is not available. Maintain at least a one metre distance between yourself and others, and avoid crowded places. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Anyone with fever, cough or difficulty breathing should seek medical care according to their national recommendations and stay at home and self-isolate. Follow your local Ministry of Health’s guidance on the use of masks and face coverings.

By Anette Selmer-Andresen, IFRC Challenging situations can also mean a fresh start. For 28-year-old Genghis Khan from Kyrgyzstan the COVID-19 pandemic changed his whole life. “The crisis forced me out of my comfort zone and gave me a chance to change. I am grateful for such an opportunity, because my life will never be the same,” says Genghis Khan, now an avid Red Crescent volunteer. Living a Groundhog Day “Before the pandemic, each day of my life was like the other. You could say that I lived a Groundhog Day for the last five years,” he explains. Genghis was working as a banker, but was not happy with his life. “Many times, I promised myself that I would change my life. I thought that I would only work for another year, and then look for a new job. But time flew by and before I knew it, I had been a bank employee for five years.” Discovering volunteering Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Kyrgyzstan declared a state of emergency at the end of March. All office workers needed to work remotely and Genghis was isolated at home. “Honestly, in the beginning I was lost,” he says. “What should I do with all this free time?” One day, while browsing the internet, he came across an ad by the Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan. They were looking for volunteers to help with COVID-19 preventive activities. “I’d never done anything like that before and I didn't understand why volunteering was necessary.” Still, Genghis decided to give it a try. As soon as he began volunteering, Genghis was impressed by the atmosphere of solidarity among the volunteers. “It felt almost like we were a family. I was impressed by the courage of the volunteers. They gave their time and put their health in danger to help those in need.” A life-changing experience Volunteering for the Red Crescent has been an eye-opener for Genghis. He realized that there are vulnerable people in his community who need help. “To be honest, being able to help old and lonely people or single mothers with many children, brought tears to my eyes,” he admits. Through volunteering, Genghis has learned some important life lessons and feels that he has changed as a person. “My life will not be the same again. Before I was in some way selfish and cared only about myself. Now everything is different, I realized how important it is to help others. I love this organization with all my heart.”

Kuala Lumpur/Bangkok, 23 June 2020:Nearly a million masks are being provided to migrant workers, village health volunteers and other frontline workers as part of a new initiative to protect people at risk from COVID-19 in Thailand. An estimated 80 million migrant workers in Asia are particularly vulnerable amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with many missing out on support because they are undocumented and therefore largely invisible to authorities and humanitarian organisations. Thailand is a significant regional migration hub in South-East Asia and currently hosts an estimated four million migrant workers. Most of these migrant workers come from neighbouring countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Migrants work in a range of sectors including construction, fisheries, agriculture, hospitality, and domestic work. Thai Red Cross Society will be supporting 400,000 people by providing protective equipment to migrant workers, including reusable cloth face masks, alcohol gel and information materials. Migrant workers under quarantine will also receive relief kits including food and personal hygiene items. Mr. Pichit Siriwan, M.D., Deputy Director of the Relief and Community Health Bureau, Thai Red Cross Society, as Chairman of the project said:“This project isencouraging people to wear masks to protect themselves from the COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand. Cloth face masks can prevent wearers from transmitting or being in contact with COVID-19. Theobjectives are to protect and help migrants and their families in accordance with humanitarian principles and to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in Thailand." Mr Christopher Rassi, Head of Delegation, Bangkok, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said: “Migrants, especially those who are undocumented, face daily challenges which are further exacerbated by the health and socio-economic impacts of this pandemic. Red Cross is supporting migrant workers, who are some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and it’s vital that everyone can be safe from COVID-19.” Through this initiative the Thai Red Cross Society is working with IFRC, the Internatioanl Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), UNICEF, and the Migrant Working Group, Thailand. This major collaboration is being launched in Samut Sakhon province, where many migrants live and work south west of Bangkok. IFRC is supporting Thai Red Cross to assist migrant workers and other COVID-19 initiatives through its Global Emergency Appeal.

Sandra couldn't sleep. It was the night of May 31st, the rain was falling in buckets from the sky and the wind was raging round the walls of the house. The storm Amanda was hitting the community La Anona in San Luis La Herradura in El Salvador. That same night the Comapa River had overflowed its banks and surrounding villages were flooded with water and mud. Among the houses affected was that of Sandra and her family. "That same night we had to go out in search of a place to stay," she said. " The water came into our house. It was completely flooded." The next day, like thousands of families across the country, she moved to a nearby school that was being used as a temporary shelter. At the moment, there are 152 hostels opened by the National Government with about 5,400 beds. Sandra finally returned to her homeland, but her home and livelihood are affected, and she is now facing a complex health situation. The current conditions make her more vulnerable amidst the context of COVID-19. "Before the floods, the situation was already very complicated with the pandemic. Many people in the community who live from street vending could not go out to sell," she said, while waiting her turn to receive food kits delivered by the Salvadorean Red Cross in her community. "We could no longer work the farmland and everything we had there was lost. Crops were lost, animals were lost, and now we have no income." Since the beginning of the floods, the Red Cross has been involved in rescue work and delivery of humanitarian aid. At present, volunteers work directly with 30 hostels in the country and 5 reception shelters where they deliver hygiene and sanitation kits, as well as mattresses and blankets. They also work in communities highly affected by the floods. More than 1,000 volunteers have participated in these activities, and have been deployed to 10 departments in the country from the headquarters and different branches of the Salvadorean Red Cross. However, the closure of roads due to landslides has complicated the movement of Red Cross staff inland. At the moment the rains have diminished in intensity, but the worst is yet to come. Thousands of families have lost their homes. Others are returning home; yet they are exposed to risks, such as landslides and unsafe conditions. "Many people in the community have the flu and the fever, and need to go to health centers to get tested for Covid-19." Sandra said. "Mosquitoes are everywhere and we are afraid that we will get dengue fever", she added. As the waters recede, the risk of disease outbreaks begins to increase and those affected need food, psychosocial support, and access to water and sanitation. The Salvadorean Red Cross is developing a project to provide support in these areas. "Through this project, we will support three communities in the department of La Libertad", said Alex Valle, Director of Risk Management at the Salvadorean Red Cross. The storm claimed thirty lives. Yet, it is only the first phase of the emergency. Recovery work involves a major effort to support populations that have been affected by the floods and COVID-19. "This is the first time we have to face an emergency of this kind, but we will be there to do everything we can to provide support to affected people", Valle said.

Randa El Ozeir: A group of people on the street flinched showing signs of apprehension and repulsion. They are Yemenis living in a remote area where volunteers, from the Yemen Red Crescent Society (YRCS) in their protective masks, put informative posters as part of a comprehensive awareness campaign about COVID-19. The group of people was scared to contract the “disease” from these masked individuals. Little by little, the group of people bombarded the volunteers with questions, and their eyes brightened with an “aha moment!” when they learned the answers. Once again, it becomes clear how local actors and volunteers play an invaluable role in communities they know like the back of their hands. They speak the language, are familiar with the traditions, and recognize the prevailing mindset. Zamzam Saleh Saed Jaeem, the Deputy Communications manager in YRC’s Dhamar Branch, said, “There were rumors that made some people flinch when they saw us wearing masks, as if we were sick and contagious! But we stood our ground and persevered in identifying for them the wrong practices and correcting their misinformation, so they ended up helping us to put up the posters!”. In Yemen, a country affected by war for over five years, the YRCS has been one of the few humanitarian organizations to freely continue executing its activities and missions all over the country doing what they most excel at: humanitarian support for communities affected by conflict and natural disasters, medical services especially for women and children, nutrition aids, prevention campaigns to tackle the risks of diseases as cholera and malaria, and lately, societal awareness through field campaigns around the country’s 22 governorates to stave off the dangers of COVID-19. These campaigns are implemented by the Heads of Communications in the YRC’s Branches, accompanied by the ambulance drivers and 44 volunteers, through posters and by playing recorded messages with preventive measures. Nisrine Ahmed, the YRC’s Media Officer, said, “Before setting out to implement an activity, a coordination with all authorities in the country has to be done to commence a field awareness campaign directly with the people as to bridge the gap in all rugged locations. The geographical nature, ranging from mountains to deserts, coasts, and frontiers, has been aggravated by the poor phone and internet coverage and the unreliable electricity and made these places unattainable. Ultimately, the coordination to carry out the activity becomes centralized with the local authority at the governorate level”. In an innovative way revealing a deep understanding of the local environment, the YRCS worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross to produce audio flashes containing simplified awareness messages people can incorporate into their daily lives to smoothly change their behaviours. Some of these messages promote “using hand sanitizers”, “protecting your own food during COVID-19”, “how to keep yourself and your family safe”, “how to protect yourself and others”, “what to do when you start having symptoms”, and “when to wear a mask”. Nisrine Ahmed explained how the messages are being delivered via portable loudspeakers on ambulances that roam the districts and neighbourhoods of secluded areas within each governorate. “We are distributing in 10 communities the flyers and posters consisting of crucial info about COVID-19, its transmission, and the ways to prevent it”. The YRC focuses on 440 areas across Yemen but does not go door-to-door. The awareness messages are broadcasted on loudspeakers and disseminated by posters. Only when faced with specific inquires, the Heads of Communications in the YRC’s Branches explain the content about COVID-19 face-to-face. “Those volunteers train yearly on communication skills, community activities, and media on the ground to perform their communication duties within the Branches, but also they have been trained by health staff on COVID prevention and on frequently asked questions. They are competent enough to spread awareness, achieve media documentation, and do live interviews. We carry these awareness campaigns in coordination with the Danish Red Cross (DRC), the German Red Cross (GRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRD), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)”. “While they need the bare necessities for a normal life, it’s hard to ask people to stay home and stick to the recommended safety measures to prevent COVID-19”, said Jaeem adding, “people don’t have money to buy a mask or gloves to use when they go outside. We encountered a tuned-out society when we first started. We were met with obstacles to persuade the population and change their ideas about the virus. We raised the level of awareness among people and helped them. And we consider this to be an accomplishment in and of itself”. “As usual, we see the YRCS present and giving the most important info that helped us to correct some of the misconceptions about COVID-19. Our situation is dire, and we need protective equipment that we cannot buy. We don’t have water, and when we have it, it can barely suffice for drinking, so how should we can be careful to wash our hands regularly?”, asked Ahmed, a resident of a remote area, and called on everyone to provide the required aids along with spreading awareness about the virus. General Background: The Yemen Red Crescent Society (YRCS) is an independent voluntary relief organization. It was founded half a century ago, in 1968, for humanitarian purposes. YRCS works as an aid organization in the domains of humanitarian services across the country, and practices its activities according to the Yemeni Constitution, Geneva Conventions, and the basic principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement that YRCS performs its activities as part of them.

Kuala Lumpur/Geneva/Cox’s Bazar, 22 June 2020--Two new isolation field hospitals are opening to treat an alarming and growing number of COVID-19 patients in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh camps and adjacent host communities. The isolation and treatment centres help address a growing gap in critical medical care needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and mass deaths in the world’s biggest camps for displaced people from Rakhine state of Myanmar. More than 1500 cases of COVID-19 in the Cox’s Bazar region, including 37 confirmed cases and three deaths in the crowded camps, are putting immense pressure on existing government hospitals and health facilities established by international relief agencies. Syed Ali Nasim Khaliluzzaman, Head of Population Movement Operation, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society in Cox’s Bazar, said that the true extent of the outbreak may not be fully apparent yet due to limited testing and health facilities available in the camp. “Extremely overcrowded living conditions, the existence of chronic diseases, basic sanitation and hygiene facilities and limited access to healthcare make the displaced communities in Cox’s Bazar extremely vulnerable to the virus,” he said There are an estimated 1.24 million people in the Cox’s Bazar area, including more than 900,000 people living in the camps, with the existing healthcare system stretched to the limit even before the COVID-19 outbreak. As part of a coordinated humanitarian effort, Red Cross Red Crescent has already established 12 healthcare facilities in the camp and meeting the health needs remains a huge challenge for all aid organisations in Cox’s Bazar. “The two new field hospitals are a step to closing the gap in crucial medical care, but it is important to remember that COVID-19 is not the only health emergency for the people living in these camps,”saidSanjeev Kumar Kafley, Head of IFRC’s sub-office in Cox’s Bazar. “Whilst the virus is emerging as a massive threat to people living in the camp, there remain high levels of deadly diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections and clusters of measles, all placing ongoing demands on the healthcare system in and around the camps. “These communities now need even more support than ever, which can only be provided through a unified effort between national agencies, humanitarian organisations and the international community.” Photosavailable here

Kuala Lumpur/Cox’s Bazar, 22 June 2020:Two new isolation field hospitals are opening to treat an alarming and growing number of COVID-19 patients in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh camps and adjacent host communities. The isolation and treatment centres help address a growing gap in critical medical care needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and mass deaths in the world’s biggest camps for displaced people from Rakhine state of Myanmar. More than 1500 cases of COVID-19 in the Cox’s Bazar region, including 37 confirmed cases and three deaths in the crowded camps, are putting immense pressure on existing government hospitals and health facilities established by international relief agencies. Syed Ali Nasim Khaliluzzaman, Head of Population Movement Operation, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society in Cox’s Bazar, said that the true extent of the outbreak may not be fully apparent yet due to limited testing and health facilities available in the camp. “Extremely overcrowded living conditions, the existence of chronic diseases, basic sanitation and hygiene facilities and limited access to healthcare make the displaced communities in Cox’s Bazar extremely vulnerable to the virus,”he said There are an estimated 1.24 million people in the Cox’s Bazar area, including more than 900,000 people living in the camps, with the existing healthcare system stretched to the limit even before the COVID-19 outbreak. As part of a coordinated humanitarian effort, Red Cross Red Crescent has already established 12 healthcare facilities in the camp and meeting the health needs remains a huge challenge for all aid organisations in Cox’s Bazar. “The two new field hospitals are a step to closing the gap in crucial medical care, but it is important to remember that COVID-19 is not the only health emergency for the people living in these camps,”saidSanjeev Kumar Kafley, Head of IFRC’s sub-office in Cox’s Bazar. “Whilst the virus is emerging as a massive threat to people living in the camp, there remain high levels of deadly diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections and clusters of measles, all placing ongoing demands on the healthcare system in and around the camps. “These communities now need even more support than ever, which can only be provided through a unified effort between national agencies, humanitarian organisations and the international community.” Available for interviews: Dr Mohsin Ahmed, medical doctor heading field hospitals in the camps. Azmat Ulla, Head of Bangladesh Country Office, IFRC

Beirut, 19 June 2020– Ahead of World Refugee Day on 20 June, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is increasingly concerned that migrants, refugees and internally displaced people are falling through the cracks. All people, regardless of their status, should be provided humanitarian assistance. “We know that migrants, refugees and internally displaced people are amongst the most vulnerable people in the region, and amongst that group especially women and children,” said Dr. Hossam Elsharkawi, head of the IFRC for the Middle East North Africa region. “They are particularly at risk for health complications and violence, their temporary accommodation can be crowded, often with inadequate sanitation and shelter or little access to medical care and good nutrition”. Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies across the region are working directly with authorities and international agencies to ensure that refugees, migrants and internally displaced people are included as part of all COVID-19 response operations. “Our Red Cross and Red Crescent teams on the ground are also seeing an increase in stigmatization towards displaced people,”said Elsharkawi. “We know that stigma as well as misinformation could prevent potentially infected people from seeking care – and this needs to be taken just as seriously as the virus itself.” Discrimination, language barriers and legal status can prevent people from accessing life-saving prevention and health information, and Red Cross and Red Crescent teams across the region are ensuring that people on the move can access information to keep themselves and their families safe – no matter their reading ability, dialect or country of origin. In Libya, the Libyan Red Crescent has done awareness campaigns targeting internally displaced people and migrants outside detention centres. They have also recently set up humanitarian service points to provide basic information to migrants and internally displaced people, distribute food and other basic necessities, as well support restoring family links activities. In Egypt, more than 200 migrant volunteers have been engaged in the response to provide support in local languages. In Iraq, the Iraqi Red Crescent Society has reached more than 50,000 people on the move and more than 6,000 Syrian refugees with health awareness sessions across 50 camps. In Jordan, the Jordan Red Crescent Society is targeting host communities as well as Syrian refugees with critical prevention messaging as well as distributing food baskets. In Tunisia, the Tunisian Red Crescent has been sharing COVID-19 health and hygiene information in migrant centres. “We know that many displaced people depend on humanitarian assistance for survival, and during this crisis we must continue to look for alternate and innovative ways to deliver assistance, in conditions that protect the health of both displaced people as well as staff and volunteers involved,”said Elsharkawi. “They must not be forgotten.” IFRC calls on all actors to ensure that migrants, internally displaced people and refugees are actively involved and considered in all response activities. They must have access to information about COVID-19 in a language they can understand as well as prevention measures and access to medical treatment in case of infection. The specific needs of women and children, the elderly and chronically ill, as well as those with disabilities among the displaced must also be addressed. World Refugee Day is marked on 20 June each year to celebrate the courage and resilience of the tens of millions of people forced to flee their homes due to war or persecution.

CAIRO, 15 June 2020- Vulnerable groups, particularly women, displaced people, migrants, older persons and people with disabilities, may experience the most harmful impacts of COVID-19. This is due to many factors including discrimination and stigma, their exclusion from effective surveillance and early-warning systems as well as their limited access to primary healthcare services. Their particular needs must be addressed in our response to the pandemic. No one is safe from the virus unless all of us are safe from it. The new guidelines“COVID-19: How Can Risk Communication and Community Engagement Include Marginalized and Vulnerable People in the Eastern Mediterranean Region”have been issued by the Eastern Mediterranean RCCE Working Group, an inter-agency coordination platform established to provide technical support to COVID-19 preparedness and response in the region. The practical guidelines explain the vulnerability of marginalized groups to the pandemic and how national and local efforts can address them so that no one is left behind. Since its outbreak in the Eastern Mediterranean region, COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on its public health and economies. But its repercussions have not been felt evenly across societies. Marginalized and vulnerable groups, particularly those living conflict-affected countries, are among the hardest hit by the health and socio-economic impact of the pandemic. Risk communication and community engagement is an essential tool for governments and development partners to ensure that people are aware of the dangers posed by COVID-19 to themselves and their families, and are accounted for in national and local efforts to stop the spread of the virus. In order for RCCE efforts to be effective, they need to be gender-responsive and include all segments of societies, particularly the most of vulnerable and marginalized social groups. The RCCE Working Group consists of a wide range of organizations including UN Women, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Population Fund, the International Organization for Migration, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and EMPHNET. Thedocumentis a contextualized version of the original guidelines developed by RCCE partners in the Asia and Pacific region. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT : UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States Diego De La Rosa, Regional Communications Specialist E-mail:[email protected] Mobile: +66995037177 WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Inas Hamam, Communications Officer E-mail:[email protected] Mobile: +201000157385 UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Office Juliette S. TOUMA, Regional Chief of Communications Office: +962-6-550-9624 Mobile: +962-79-867-4628 | +1-917-20-90-817 IFRC Regional Office for Middle East and North Africa Rana Cassou, Head of Communications Email :[email protected] Mobile : +96171802779 IOM Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa Farah Abdul Sater, Regional Media and Public Information Officer E-mail:[email protected] Mobile : +201060351567 UNFPA Arab States Regional Office Samir Aldarabi, Regional Communication Advisor Phone: +201068484879 Email:[email protected] GHD and EMPHNET: Working together for better health Asma Qannas, Technical Officer, Outreach & Emergency / Public Health Programs Mob: +962 79 879 0458 Tel.: +962 6 551 9962 | Fax: +962 6 551 9963

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.

Randa El Ozeir:Everywhere on the planet, we hear news about COVID-19. Despite this fact, some remote places stayed sheltered from the scene without receiving or watching reports about it, thus they were kept in the dark regarding the details of the virus or the scope of its dangers. These locations are secluded in Al-Oued State to the south east of Algeria where the Algerian Red Crescent (ARC) is working on providing knowledge, awareness, prevention steps, imperative quarantine when needed due to COVID-19, and even food aids within reach. The journey of the ARC team lasts 10 hours to two full days depending on the distance required to get to the nomadic Bedouin families. The convoy usually leaves the ARC’s state committee office in Al-Oued city and necessitates taking four-wheel-drive cars to cross the tricky sandy roads of the Algerian Sahara. But at the finish line, the nomadic Bedouin families receive the volunteers’ convoy with open arms and twinkling eyes. Salem Bou Slah, a field paramedic and the head of the ARC’s social media platforms, said, “The volunteers face no issues in introducing the families to the ARC and its humanitarian activities, as our relationship goes back a long way. The ARC’s flapping flag on top of the cars represents for them hope and assistance. Also, the volunteers connect personally with some of these families”. The situation in these isolated parts of Al-Oued State is different and the internet connection there isn’t reliable. Prior to the arrival of the ARC teams, the nomadic Bedouins didn’t know about the virus, its risks, and the ways of its transmission, unlike the population of the urban areas of the State who benefitted from the prevailing of social media and satellite channels. Due to the ethnic diversity in these far spots, the ARC volunteers, who number around 400 people specialized as nurses and doctors from various social and educational levels, play a very important intermediary role in simplifying the concepts and notions in the Bedouin’s language, conveying the awareness messages, and explaining the relevant health practices to illiterate-ravaged groups. And the volunteers try, with what is available, to bridge the gaps stemming from the absence of health facilities, hospitals, and even clean drinking water. Nomadic Bedouin families don’t settle down in permanent locations and keep moving on the border strip between Algeria and Tunisia. The ARC nurse, Masoud Al-Taieb who has joined the ARC as a volunteer since 2012, told us about the singularities of these families that constantly change places where they must mingle with people from various localities, “therefore, these families become more susceptible to waterborne and infectious diseases, and many of their children don’t receive their vaccinations regularly and on time. The ARC contributes by supplying them with the vaccines and the medical services”. Such visits to the Bedouin families aren’t unprecedented, although they have increased in numbers and frequency lately with the spread of COVID-19. “The visits to the families happen periodically under the ARC volunteers’ flag in Al-Oued State. The State committee consists of different cells, such as “Community’s Health”, “Media and Communications”, “Field Paramedics”, and “Feminist and Childhood’s Protection”, said Mr. Boudiaf Said, the president of ARC’s State committee in Al-Oued. To date, 734 families with about 800 children and over 113 seniors have reaped the benefits of 2000 food packages and health follow-up examinations in coordination with the “Civic Protection” and “Military Health” that have means. In practice, “volunteers deliver their services. I provide a health service in the hospital where I work to help the destitute families that cannot afford the treatment or the trip to faraway hospitals”, said Al-Taieb. The ARC does sensitization and sterilization operations as well. The ARC’s part here is exceptionally important and sensitive. Virtually everyone is aware of the reserved nature within the structure of the nomadic Bedouin families that demands presence of female, not male, volunteers to communicate directly with the women in these families. Hence, the primordial importance of the female activists within the ARC. They are the ones who make sure the awareness messages have been delivered and the service has been scaled up to pass to as many women as possible in the local community. Al-Taieb weighed in on this saying, “Most of these families choose herbal remedies as a main treatment, but this can pose a risk in some cases, especially on women, pregnant women, and children. Our work of providing health and nutrition assistance is of great value”. In the light of these hard times, the food assistance that the ARC insists on distributing also became a resource for these families to stave off hunger. Like many places around the world, this region in Al-Oued State got hit hard economically due to COVID-19. It is a major farming source in the country that banks on exporting agricultural products (34% of all the exported vegetables are from it) affected by the quarantine and the suspension of air flights. Notwithstanding the organized exportation campaigns to help the farmers, the nomadic Bedouins carried the hefty burden of the negative effects occurring from the curfews and the shutdown of livestock markets. General Background: the Algerian Red Crescent (ARC) was founded in 1956 during the peak of the liberation and independence revolution. The ARC is considered the most ancient humanitarian organization in Algeria. Its first work was treating the war’s casualties. After getting recognized by the government as an independent voluntary relief society, the ARC joined the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent (IFRC) in July 1963. It has 48 branches around the States and an office in each city, which has many committees that provide basic health services, humanitarian aids, charitable assistance, along with another set of environmental, sports, and arts activities.

The night announces his arrival, and the heat clings to the sand in the last few minutes it has left. And as the sun sets behind the base camp, a Wichi chief, his wife and children are chatting quietly with a couple of Red Cross volunteers who have finished their day and are sitting down to enjoy the moment. The man tells them about his life and what those lands were like decades ago. An area of desert contrasts and an eternal permanence of dry and cold heat always accompanied by the wind. The Wichi community, just like the Toba, Chorote and other ethnic groups in the region, have been the perpetual dwellers of the Province of Salta. In this place, water has always been a concern, but in recent years the situation has become critical. At the beginning of 2020, the provincial government declared a socio-health emergency. Malnutrition claimed the lives of 8 children, and the lack of vital liquid created serious hygiene complications. According to a study carried out in February by the Humanitarian Observatory of the Argentine Red Cross, 90 per cent of the Wichi populations living in the area have below-normal nutrition, and 84 per cent of the children had diarrhea in the last month. The Argentine Red Cross has been working in this territory for some years now. It has been a sustained work that has generated a strong link with the members of the community. "They have been accompanying us for years," said Joaquín, chief of the Quebracho Blanco community. Now we need more people to come and work here. At the beginning of this year, the National Society, with the support of the IFRC, set up a base camp that reaches more than 38 communities. Essentially, primary health care and water and sanitation work has been provided. A water treatment plant with a capacity of 60,000 litres per day has been installed in this base camp, donated by the Spanish Red Cross. This has significantly helped the population. "The signs of health have improved, and we can see that people are more hydrated," said Merina Moreno, a volunteer who supports the health in the area and who has been involved in primary care processes for months in Salta. In addition, community filters, jerry cans and 556 family filters have been delivered to 17 communities in the area. The work has required an enormous effort, even more so with the complications generated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the isolation measures, the mobilization of teams within the country, and bringing in inputs required from abroad, has taken longer, created delays in the project and increased costs. Something similar is happening with the mobilization of volunteers. "The distances are enormous, for example, moving a volunteer from Buenos Aires to the camp involves more than 20 hours of travel. Consequently, operational planning had to be adjusted to these times as it involves 4 days of travel, 2 days there and 2 days back," says Abel Martinez, Director of Emergency Response at the Argentine Red Cross. "Due to mental health issues in particular, the volunteers have to stay in the camp for a maximum of 15 days and then are relieved.” However, optimism and the desire to help are stronger than the complications faced. National Society volunteers find this activity rewarding as they connect with people in the area. The night ends, and the chief's stories mingle with the warm wind that blows across the desert. The volunteers listen attentively and with a deep sense of satisfaction. They know that this has been another day of positive actions in the community, and that tomorrow they will continue to contribute and learn in one of the most forgotten areas of the country, together with people who receive them with warmth and are willing to work for change in their localities.

Dora studied to be a kindergarten teacher, and William, a computer technician. The two met thirty-two years ago in their beloved Venezuela. They were friends for a long time, before becoming life partners, as they like to call themselves. They have two years of relationship, the same time that they have been living in Lima, the capital of Peru. Two years ago, they decided to migrate to this country, in search of a better quality of life, and together, to undertake projects that they have planned for the long term. “We left Barquisimeto, Lara state, and moved to Tachira, in order to cross the Simon Bolivar bridge. After the registration process, which lasted approximately five hours, we entered Colombia. From there we took a bus from Cucuta to Rumichaca. In Ecuador we took a minivan to Quitumbes, there the change of weather was very strong, very cold. From there it took us twelve hours to reach the border with Peru and enter through CEBAF in Tumbes. Already there we took a bus to Lima”. That’s how they tell us about the six-day journey that they had to made before arriving to their destination. On this journey, they were victims of robbery three times. This is how they arrived at Lima without money, without a telephone, and without a way to communicate with their families. When they went out looking for a job, they met the owners of the building where they now live, who initially gave them the opportunity to stay in a small place in the basement, without charging them anything during that period. They consider that, thanks to these people and their generous help, they had the opportunity to undertake, and to be able to pay for the rent and the basic expenses and services of the apartment they occupy today. "The first job hunt was not easy at all, the life of the migrant is quite hard in any country" William tells us. In these two years, between him and Dora they have had several jobs, always temporary, and periods of unemployment. Dora's first job was in a shoe store in a market, and William's in a restaurant where he did all the chores, and where he spent most of the day “The hours were quite strong. I left here at 9 in the morning and returned 2 or 3 in the morning the next day”, he says. For both Dora and William, the months from January to March are the most difficult, as this is the time where there are no many job opportunities, and because many of the contracts are until December. Last year they decided to do different things to generate income at this time, and together they began to work with crafts, and baking pastries for sale. "We also made soup, but we did not sell this, we gave it to the neighbours so they could try our food" says Dora. Then, together, they worked in a school renovating the furniture in the kindergarten area. They managed to finish this work with a lot of effort and deliver it on time before the start of classes, which were suspended three weeks later, due to COVID-19. Dora and William have been complying more than two months with the mandatory isolation that the Peruvian government decreed as a measure of response to the COVID-19 emergency. “Quarantine has not been easy on an economic level because we do not produce, we do not have an income; but at a personal level, it has been very pleasant, because since we arrived in the country the only thing we have done has been working all the time. Here the work hours are more than eight, plus the time it takes to get to work, you are on the street all day. Now, this time of isolation has helped us to understand each other as a couple and has also helped us to value the person next to you before the material, and to collaborate within your possibilities with those around you", reflects Dora. She also tells us that this time is serving them to prepare for different things, and they have focused on following whatever free courses, workshops, and conferences they find in their path. But not generating income, increased pressure and concern for tomorrow. “The help of the Red Cross came to us from heaven, because that day we ran out of food, we have had been feeding only with bread and water for a week, so this help has been a blessing. If it hadn't been for that help, imagine how we would be right now” adds Dora. Dora and William are part of the Cash-based Intervention of the Red Cross, implemented with support from the European Union. This program gives a card to vulnerable families, so they can spend on what they need most right now. "The same day they gave us the card, a neighbor who has a small baby ran out of milk, and well, so we were also able to help her." Dora tells us, showing herself to be an example of solidarity even in times of emergency.

New York/Geneva, 3 June 2020 -The United Nations and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement call for unity to scale up efforts to develop, test, and scale up production of safe, effective, quality, affordable diagnostics, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines. Specifically, we ask governments, the private sector, international organizations and civil society to unite towards “a people’s vaccine”. COVID19 is a global disease affecting all people around the world but with a disproportionate higher impact on most vulnerable groups and individuals. As the race to identify the most effective tools to combat this virus continues with steady pace, the spirit of global solidarity must prevail: no one should be left behind. A people’s vaccine should protect the affluent in cities as the poor in rural communities, the old in care homes as the young in refugee camps. A global social contract for a people’s vaccine against COVID19 is a moral imperative that brings us all together in our shared humanity. The unity and commitment towards a people’s vaccine against COVID19 should be accompanied by equal global collaboration and resolve to sustain immunization against preventable diseases. Due to COVID19 routine childhood immunization services have been severely hit in at least 68 countries; measles campaigns have been suspended in 27 countries and polio campaigns put on hold in 38 countries. As a result, at least 80 million children under one are at risk for diseases like measles, diphtheria and polio. The United Nations and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement call on international and national partners to continue prioritizing delivery of vaccines as a key tool to avert excess mortality, particularly in low income countries and in humanitarian settings. While the world invests in the development of new technologies against COVID19 and in sustaining the provision of immunization services worldwide, we warn that biomedical interventions will only be partially effective without people’s engagement and ownership of the response to the pandemic. We learned the tough consequences of non-prioritizing communities in the early phase of previous epidemics, like Ebola in DRC, and we should not repeat the same mistake. We therefore call for governments and non-government actors to prioritize investments in communities and to ensure all people, without distinctions, are provided with the relevant knowledge, resources and tools to protect themselves from COVID19. Because until a people’s vaccine will become available, the hope to reduce the impact of this pandemic will primarily rest on the people’s knowledge and behaviour and in their ability to withstand the direct and secondary impact of COVID19.

Geneva, 28 May 2020 –-The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is appealing for 3.1 billion Swiss francs (3.19 billion US dollars) to urgently scale up its global response to curb COVID-19’s rapid spread and assist the world’s most vulnerable people amid the pandemic. This coordinated appeal builds on the previous one launched on 26 March 2020 and aims to increase life-saving services and support to address both the immediate impacts of the pandemic and its long-lasting social and economic repercussions. Five months since it began, the pandemic has threatened every aspect of peoples’ lives, amplifying inequalities, destabilizing communities and reversing development gains made in the past decade. Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General said: “In fragile humanitarian contexts, the COVID-19 pandemic is creating new vulnerabilities for people who are already most at risk. We now face a crisis on top of a crisis with worsening poverty and food insecurity alongside crippling economic conditions and a lack of public health services, safe water, sanitation and hygiene.” “National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ local volunteers and staff are delivering life-saving services and equipment to contain the spread of the pandemic and address the deterioration in vulnerable peoples’ livelihoods and socio-economic situations. Protecting and supporting these communities requires a sustained and coordinated scale-up of Red Cross and Red Crescent local action alongside ongoing global response efforts.” The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement consists of three parts: the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and 192 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Robert Mardini, ICRC’s Director-General, said: “This pandemic is creating crisis-level needs that will endure long into the future, whether for mental health support, conflict zone medical aid or livelihood assistance. The ICRC is working hand in hand with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, at the intersection of the pandemic, armed conflict and violence to ensure that we assist both now and beyond the pandemic’s immediate effects to help families in the long-run.” - The IFRC is appealing for 1.9 billion Swiss francs (1.95 billion US dollars) to support National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in providing health care, water and sanitation, and mitigation against the socio-economic impacts for the most vulnerable people. The funds will also strengthen National Societies’ capacities as key local actors to deliver these critical services and programmes and ensure their volunteers/staff are protected and supported during this crisis. Out of the 1.9 billion Swiss francs, 450 million Swiss francs will be raised through the IFRC Secretariat in support of National Societies. - The ICRC is appealing for 1.2 billion Swiss francs ($1.24 billion US dollars) to respond in places of conflict and violence, to support medical facilities and places of detention, curb the spread among and ensure medical access for displaced people and detainees, and to support National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in their response. This includes 366 million Swiss francs to support its critical and immediate response to COVID-19, and 828 million Swiss francs to support activities to address the broader impact of the pandemic. The ICRC seeks to address the most pressing needs, including ensuring access to clean water and sanitary living conditions; supporting the safe and dignified management of human remains; and enabling communities at risk to have access to life-saving services and information. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Movement has supported National Societies to increase their health care services, community engagement and pandemic preparedness activities for vulnerable populations. National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies across the world have scaled up their response to address the different health and socio-economic needs in their countries. Frontline volunteers are also helping to trace contacts, isolate and treat people with COVID-19. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the world’s largest humanitarian network. Its community-based volunteers and staff help the world’s most vulnerable people, including those living in countries with under-resourced health and social welfare systems; people recovering from recent disasters; migrants and displaced people; those in conflict zones and who face ongoing violence; people in urban slums; detainees; and people suffering from the socio-economic impact of COVID-19.

Nairobi/Geneva 01 June 2020 --Facebook and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are partnering to launch #AfricaTogether – a digital campaign and two-day festival on June 4th and 5th featuring artists from across Africa to encourage continued vigilance against Covid-19. With more than 100,000 Covid-19 cases confirmed on the continent and containment measures easing in many countries, #AfricaTogether combines musical and comedy performances with information from Covid-19 first responders and fact-checkers from across Africa. #AfricaTogether will include a festival with performances by artists such as Aramide, Ayo, Femi Kuti, Ferre Gola, Salatiel, Serge Beynaud, Patoranking, Youssou N’dour amongst many others, as well as a digital awareness campaign with prevention messages developed with Red Cross and Red Crescent health experts and targeting simultaneously Facebook users in 48 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. The event will be streamed on Facebook Live on the 4th June in English and hosted by the Nigerian popular actor and comedian Basketmouth and in French on the 5th June by the renowned media personality Claudy Siar. To watch the live shows, viewers can tune in to the Facebook Africa page and Red Cross and Red Crescent Facebook pages. To register and learn more about the artist lineup and how to tune in, please visit the Facebook event pages in English and in French. Commenting, Mamadou Sow, a long-serving member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement said, “The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis in that it can affect us all, and ignores borders, ethnicities, and religions. African communities so far have responded quickly, but the risk remains very real. If we all do our part, we will beat Covid-19. Music is a powerful uniting force and we hope that the #AfricaTogether festival will bring renewed hope and action against this dangerous disease.” Adding her voice to the initiative, Jocelyne Muhutu-Rémy, Facebook’s Strategic Media Partnerships Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa said: “The spike in the use of online tools during the Covid-19 pandemic shows the social usefulness of digital platforms in difficult times. We are seeing many incredible initiatives from artists bringing their communities together on Facebook Live. The #AfricaTogether campaign will enable people to learn more about fighting Covid-19, while enjoying entertainment from their favourite African performers. We will be spreading joy in a way that doesn’t spread the disease.” This event is one of the many ways that Facebook and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are both contributing in the fight against Covid-19 across the continent.Facebook continues to work with governments across Sub-Saharan Africa, including partnering with organizations like health agencies and NGOs who are actively using its platforms to share accurate information about the situation and launching Covid-19 Information Centers in more than 40 countries, which provides real-time updates from health authorities and helpful articles, videos and posts about social distancing and preventing the spread of the virus. With a network of more than 1.5 million volunteers and staff across the continent, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is on the frontlines of combating Covid-19 in communities through information campaigns, providing soap and access to clean water, and supporting health care facilities and workers with training, equipment, and supplies. In parts of Africa, Covid-19 is another layer of crisis on top of conflict, violence, or climate disasters.

"During this period of fear and anguish around the world, when most of the population is at home, we choose to take care of others, out of love," said Joice Batista, a Brazilian Red Cross nurse who, together with more than 2,800 volunteers and technicians from this National Society, is fully dedicated to the noble work of saving lives in the time of COVID-19. Brazil is one of the countries in the Americas most affected by the virus outbreak. This situation demands great efforts to support the national health system and the most vulnerable populations. The Brazilian Red Cross, through its 21 branches, is providing assistance especially in the delivery of hygiene and sanitation kits, as well as psychosocial support. These actions have reached more than 133,000 people in the country, mainly in 11 states, including São Paulo, Ceará, Rio de Janeiro, Amazonas, and others strongly affected by the outbreak. The work has been carried out by visiting affected areas and assisting health personnel. Food and nutrition kits have been delivered to vulnerable people in 15 cities, and hygiene items have been donated to professionals in public clinics and hospitals. "This is an important contribution. This is what we need, protection for health professionals so that we in turn can care for the sick population," said Maria Liduína Jales, a health worker at one of the hospitals to which the Red Cross has delivered materials. The National Society has put a lot of effort into managing the distribution of these kinds of supplies. At the moment, hundreds of volunteers are helping with the production of an additional 35,000 hygiene kits that will be distributed in the next few days. In addition, the Red Cross is running four hospitals and two clinics in Brazil. This work has required significant management, especially for resource mobilization. "This is a country of continental dimensions, and as an auxiliary entity of the government we have moved with everything to be able to efficiently reach the populations in greater condition of vulnerability" said Julio Cals, President of the National Society. "We have made alliances with several companies and organizations, and we have strengthened our communication with communities, volunteers and collaborators." The COVID-19 Pandemic has generated high levels of stress and emotional impact on people. For this reason, the Brazilian Red Cross is undertaking important work in psychosocial support, especially in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Amazonas, Distrito Federal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul. Volunteers from the National Society make home visits to provide care in the localities, and a tele-assistance service has also been set up. In the same way, there is an important effort to protect the mental health of National Society volunteers. Emotional support spaces have been created for Red Cross staff, and the telecare service is also open. The activation of the National Society, and the work being done on the ground, is made possible by the unconditional support of thousands of volunteers who have decided to give their best to help others. "I am grateful to do good for others and for the community," said Joice. "This work gives me a natural sense of personal satisfaction and gratification, even in fear”.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is preparing for the 2020 Hurricane Season in the Atlantic and Pacific regions, as the second storm of the season crosses the northern Caribbean. Walter Cotte, IFRC Regional Director for the Americas, said the prediction of the 2020 hurricane season as an above-normal year, with 13 to 19 named storms, in conjunction with the COVID-19 pandemic, is cause for concern. “Although we are focused on addressing COVID-19 we must also think ahead to preparing for the hurricane season. One of the main challenges is going to be logistical, as public health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have caused closures of borders and restrictions on movements.” Red Cross organizations from across Latin America and the Caribbean are sharing messages of preparedness, urging people to have food, water, and other necessities on hand as it may take longer for help to arrive. Red Cross also encourages governments to support humanitarian efforts. “Using humanitarian diplomacy, we are working with governments, advocating for flexibility in the regulatory framework to allow access and movement of humanitarian goods to ensure access in case of disaster in the region,” Cotte said. “Also, to try and mitigate the impacts of a hurricane and associated flooding and landslides we are have pre-positioned about 200 tonnes of emergency supplies in key areas throughout the region.” During a meeting of Red Cross National Societies this week, planning for the hurricane season is under way. Strategies are changing to reflect the reality of COVID-19, for example in Trinidad and Tobago, where they are conducting online refresher trainings with community emergency response team volunteers and shelter managers. Hundreds of Red Cross volunteers are being mobilized across the region to share early warning messages, help communities prepare and support after disaster where needed. Early action and effective preparedness can save lives and livelihoods. Latin America and the Caribbean are regions of the world most prone to disasters. The IFRC advocates climate change adaptation measures to mitigate the humanitarian impact of these disasters, especially in urban populations.