WORLD RED CROSS RED CRESCENT DAY – "TOGETHER FOR HUMANITY".

Arminfo News Agency
2007-05-08 12:44:00

This year’s World Red Cross Red Crescent Day underscores the importance
and power of partnerships by stressing the need for stronger local
and global alliances in order to meet today’s growing humanitarian
challenges, says the jount statement by the presidents of the
Interrnational Committee of the Red Cross and the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement represents
the world’s largest humanitarian network. It is made up of the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and 185 member
National Societies, as well as almost 100 million volunteers. Each
year, on 8 May, the Movement marks World Red Cross Red Crescent Day
by highlighting the role of its staff and volunteers in saving lives
and assisting vulnerable communities around the world. The theme of
this year’s event is "Together for Humanity".

"We know from long experience in dealing with crises that no single
government or organization alone can tackle the rising challenges posed
by catastrophes, conflicts, health emergencies, poverty and migration,"
said the president of the International Federation, Juan Manuel Suarez
del Toro, and the president of the ICRC, Jakob Kellenberger, in a joint
statement. "It will take solid coordination and better partnerships
at all levels, including governments, donors, humanitarian agencies,
the private sector and individuals, in order to reduce the impact
of wars, disasters and disease, while making vulnerable communities
stronger and safer," they added. An excellent example of how combined
efforts have had a major impact on disease is The Measles Initiative,
which is supported by the American Red Cross, the Centers for Disease
Control, the UN Foundation, UNICEF and the WHO. Together, they have
achieved a remarkable 75 per cent reduction in the number of measles
deaths in Africa, and a 60 per cent reduction worldwide since 1999.

Another successful example is the Keep up anti-malaria campaign in
Africa, where several National Societies have teamed up with the
International Federation to pioneer a new community-based education
and follow-up programme to ensure that mosquito bed nets are properly
used by people to control the spread of malaria. "We need to see
more of these types of initiatives," said Suarez del Toro. "They are
crucial if we want to scale up our humanitarian response and meet
the Millennium Development Goals."

He added that the community-level presence of Red Cross and Red
Crescent National Societies worldwide gave them "unique insight"
into the needs of vulnerable groups, enabling them to come up with
local and sustainable solutions.

"The benefits of working in partnership are far greater than the sum
total of our activities as individual actors," Kellenberger said. "It
would be difficult for the ICRC to protect and assist civilians during
conflicts, help the wounded, visit detainees, and reunite separated
families, without the support of the staff and volunteers of National
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide."

As an example, he highlighted the joint efforts of the Somali Red
Crescent Society and the ICRC to help victims of the recent fighting.