Working worldwide to provide humanitarian help for people affected by conflict & armed violence by International Committee of the Red Cross 11:56am 27th Jan, 2011   29-01-2011    Egypt: ICRC calls for human life and dignity to be respected.    Having closely followed the events that have unfolded in Cairo and other major Egyptian cities over the past few days, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) deplores the loss of life and the injuries that have resulted from the escalation in violence. The organization is concerned that further violence could lead to more casualties.    "The ICRC calls upon the authorities, demonstrators and all others involved to respect human life and dignity at all times," said Beatrice Megevand-Roggo, the ICRC''s head of operations for the Middle East. "People who have been wounded and health-care personnel, vehicles and facilities must be respected by all. Security forces must apply international standards governing the use of force in their efforts to restore law and order. Those arrested and detained must be treated in conformity with the law."    "We are monitoring the situation on the ground and stand ready to support national medical services in their efforts to care for people injured in the violence," she added.    The ICRC is a neutral and independent humanitarian organization operating throughout the world. It responds to the needs of people adversely affected by armed conflict and other emergencies.    The organization has been working in Egypt since the beginning of the Second World War, and has had a full-time presence in the country for much of this time. Among other activities, it provides support to the Egyptian Red Crescent Society and has helped it establish a contingency plan for possible emergencies arising at the frontier with the Gaza Strip. The ICRC also helps people in Egypt, including refugees from the Horn of Africa, keep in touch with their relatives living or detained abroad.    27-01-2011    Somalia: ever higher numbers of war-wounded in Mogadishu hospitals.    The number of war-wounded patients treated in the two main referral hospitals in the Somali capital Mogadishu reached a new peak in 2010.    More than 6,000 patients were admitted to Keysaney and Medina hospitals last year, compared with 5,000 in 2009 and around 2,800 the previous year. Both Keysaney Hospital, run by the Somali Red Crescent Society, and the community-based Medina Hospital are supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).    "Doctors and nurses at these facilities are working tirelessly to deal with the constant influx of patients," said Pascal Mauchle, who heads the ICRC''s Somalia delegation. "It seems that the fighting has become more frequent. Severely wounded people arrive at all hours – even in the middle of the night. We are especially concerned about the large number of civilians, including women and children, suffering from weapon-related injuries."    Around 2,300 women and children were admitted to Keysaney and Medina hospitals last year with war injuries – nearly 40 per cent of all such casualties. Many had been caught up in fierce fighting pitting Transitional Federal Government forces, backed by the African Union, against groups such as Al Shabaab.    The ICRC and the Somali Red Crescent again remind all warring parties to comply with international humanitarian law, in particular by taking constant care in the conduct of military operations to spare the civilian population. The warring parties must distinguish at all times between civilians and fighters. They must not employ indiscriminate means and methods of warfare. Medical staff, hospitals and clinics must be respected and protected in all circumstances.    Both Keysaney and Medina hospitals treat all patients, regardless of their clan and religious or political background. The ICRC supplies the hospitals with surgical equipment and medicines, pays for running costs such as salaries and fuel purchases, and also helps to repair and upgrade facilities where necessary.    26-01-2011    Central African Republic: thousands of families still in danger.    People in the east of the Central African Republic are suffering attacks, looting, kidnapping and food shortages because of armed conflict. Benoit Chavaz runs the ICRC’s protection and detention activities in the CAR. On the day the ICRC releases a film portraying the fight for survival, he explains how the organization is helping communities.    How does this film reflect the humanitarian problems you witness in the field?    It shows something that is still very striking for me – how the conflict unstitches the very fabric of community life. For instance, we see a farmer who has lost his wife and his livelihood through no fault of his own. His children have been left without a mother, exacting a heavy price from the next generation.    Similar stories abound in the CAR. In the north-east, for example, village communities have had their property destroyed and looted during attacks. Many feel safer hiding in the bush than they do at home, but this reduces access to education, healthcare and clean water. The film highlights people''s remarkable resilience in the face of such hardship and insecurity.    What is the ICRC doing?    We work very closely with affected communities to make sure we understand their needs. Depending on the situation, we may provide food and seed, for instance, or facilitate access to water. We also help families separated by the violence to stay in touch.    Our teams in the field document cases of violence and discuss them with those presumed to be responsible, in an effort to prevent such violations from happening again.    Rules exist to ensure civilians and their property are protected during armed conflict, and one priority is to promote those rules among weapon-bearers through awareness-raising sessions.    What effect is the conflict having on children?    Children as young as 10 have had their childhoods cut short by conscription into armed groups, especially in the east of the CAR. The ICRC is extremely concerned about this issue, and we raise the matter in our dialogue with weapon-bearers wherever possible.    Thanks to its nationwide volunteer network, the Central African Red Cross was recently able to take several children from Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo into their care. After surviving a gruelling ordeal, lasting years in some cases, these children had escaped their captors only to find themselves lost in a foreign country.    The ICRC in Bangui traced their families through its delegations in neighbouring countries and eventually reunited the children with their relatives. Unfortunately, many children are not so lucky.    What are you doing to improve conditions for detainees?    The ICRC has been helping the authorities to improve detainee conditions in the CAR since 1992. Last year we followed the cases of over 1300 detainees in 27 prisons.    The aim is to ensure that people are being held under humane conditions, so at the end of each prison visit we share any recommendations for improvement with the authorities. We also provide direct humanitarian assistance where there are pressing needs, such as water and healthcare.    Jan 20, 2011    Pakistan: persistent lack of security affects people''s daily lives.    Security concerns continue to plague everyday life for most Pakistanis and to affect humanitarian activities. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Pakistan Red Crescent Society are pressing ahead with their efforts to help people all over the country whose lives have been disrupted.    People displaced by the fighting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly the North-West Frontier Province) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, including those who have commenced the process of returning to their homes in Orakzai Agency and South Waziristan, are still in need of assistance.    In addition to bringing aid to flood victims, the ICRC has provided more than two million one-month food rations over the past 10 months for people displaced by fighting and has also vigorously engaged in many other humanitarian activities. "We have been doing more than merely providing food aid," said Pascal Cuttat, the head of the ICRC delegation in Islamabad. "The ICRC surgical hospital for weapon-wounded patients in Peshawar has been operating at close to full capacity for several months. In 2010 it admitted more than 1,000 patients and performed more than 3,800 surgical procedures." Patients with serious weapon-related injuries are frequently referred to the hospital, which is staffed by highly experienced Pakistani and international surgeons.    ICRC water engineers working in remote Bekhane village, in Buner district in the north-west of the country, have commenced restoration of a hydro-electric power station that is the sole generating facility in the region. In other districts, ICRC engineers are repairing water storage and filtration equipment that more than 30,000 local residents rely on for clean drinking water.    The ICRC is also delivering drinking water to a camp for displaced people (IDPs) in remote Upper Dir. "The ICRC remains committed to operating in a transparent manner to make sure it maintains the access required to bring aid to all victims of armed violence who need it," said Mr Cuttat.    Nearly six months after monsoon rains caused severe flooding across much of the country, people are trying to rebuild their shattered lives. In parts of the province of Sindh, progress can be painfully slow. Tens of thousands of northern Sindh residents live in a squalid, watery wasteland where stagnant floodwaters still covering fields are a serious health concern and make subsistence cropping impossible.    Staff from the ICRC office in Jacobabad, working together with the Pakistan Red Crescent, have given one-month food rations to nearly 280,000 people in the province, where the ICRC will continue to provide relief for the foreseeable future.    By the end of December, the ICRC had provided one-month food rations and hygiene, household and shelter items for a total of almost 2.3 million people throughout Pakistan afflicted by fighting or flooding. In addition, it had provided direct support for a further 250,000 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, enabling them to plant winter cereal crops. Visit the related web page
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