ICRC | In Action | December 2015

T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L C O M M I T T E E O F T H E R E D C R O S S

IN ACTION

December 2015 / ISSUE 02

The difference we make together

• South Sudan: You have three minutes to call someone you love.

Who would you call?

What would you say?

• Afghanistan: Hope is still possible, even after losing a limb.

• Your 2015 donations for the Middle East – helping refugees and displaced people.

CONTENTS 04

05

BEHIND THE SCENES

ICRC AROUND THE WORLD

Interview with Monica Mukerjee, ICRC delegate in Uganda, supporting families of the disappeared.

Conference in Geneva on the power of humanity, and cycling round Europe in support of our work.

06

08

ACTING TOGETHER

AN EYE ON THE WORLD

Your 2015 donations for the Middle East - helping refugees and displaced people.

Reportage from South Sudan: You have three minutes to call someone you love.

Who would you call?

What would you say?

Photography by Giles Duley

12

15

THE WHEELS IN MOTION

WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES

Afghanistan: Healing wounds, providing hope.

THE DONOR SUPPORT TEAM

The ICRC budget and operations in 2015.

Guest contributor: Giles Duley, an acclaimed British photographer, travelled to South Sudan in October to document the ICRC in action.

CONTACT US If you have any questions or comments about an article you’ve read in this magazine, please write to: magazine@icrc.org

International Committee of the Red Cross Supporter Care Services 19, avenue de la Paix CH-1202 Geneva T + 41 22 730 21 71 F + 41 22 730 28 99 E-mail: donation@icrc.org Postal account: 12–5527–6 Website: icrc.org/supportus Front cover: Marko KOKIC/ICRC

The ICRC in action Editor: Fanny Dardeau I Contributors to this issue: Giles Duley, Anne-Laure Pernee Kapoor, Dorothea Krimitsas, Elena Ajmone Sessera, Elena Garagorri Atristain, Lars Staring, Natalie Barker, Sarah Fleming, Florence Gillette I Design: fredlameche I Print run: 50,000 copies (French, German, Italian) International Committee of the Red Cross, 19 Avenue de la Paix, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland | Postal account: 12-5527-6 02 | icrc.org/action | December 2015

Nasser NAJJAR/ICRC Thierry GASSMANN/ICRC

I

n 2015, conflicts around the world forced more people than ever before to leave their homes.

Headlines told the tragic tales of those who struggle to get themselves and their families to safety in Europe. Meanwhile, thousands more are dying each day, victims of the violence plaguing their countries.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is on the ground in conflict-stricken regions, meeting people’s essential needs in emergencies. This year, even more people in more countries urgently needed our help, which is why we once again redoubled our efforts to reach them. The food, water, health care and other assistance we provide helps thousands of people stay alive.

But for so many people affected by war, survival is not enough – they also need hope. They want to be able to pick up their lives where they left off.

We at the ICRC, have learnt to listen to the people we help to respond better to their needs over the years.

EDITORIAL From emergency to long term support For some, time has stood still since their father, sister or spouse went missing. We stay on, even many years after a conflict has ended, to assist the most vulnerable families and help them find their missing loved ones.

“In today’s world, where tragedies can be counted by the thousands and the hundreds of thousands, we must never lose sight of the individual.”

For others, whose livelihoods have been destroyed, moving on means being able to earn a living again.

We help to train, fund and supply them. And in areas where years of war have damaged vital infrastructure like hospitals and water supply systems, we repair and rebuild, giving local residents a better quality of life.

never lose sight of the individual.

All people in need were loved and cared for, and once had dreams for the future. Your regular donations help us restore their hope, meaning we’re still there long after the emergency has passed to give them the help they need to rebuild their lives.

On behalf of all our colleagues working day in, day out to help people affected by conflict, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks for your support and wish you a very happy holiday season.

DOMINIK STILLHART DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS

In today’s world, where tragedies can be counted by the thousands and the hundreds of thousands, we must icrc.org/action | December 2015 | 03

BEHIND THE SCENES

ICRC

INTERVIEW FROM THE FIELD Monica Mukerjee Mental health and psychosocial support delegate in Kitgum, Uganda ICRC : What do you do? Why is it important?

Monica : I work in mental health and psychosocial support.

I’m based in Kitgum, a small town in northern Uganda, which is 8 hours’ drive from the capital. The area has been at peace for the last 10 years, but before that there were 20 years of war. Around 10,000 people are still missing today, and there’s hardly any information about what happened to them or where they are.

It’s hard for people, not knowing what happened to their loved ones. For many, time has stopped. They simply cannot go on with their everyday lives without emotional support.

ICRC : How are the support groups helping?

M : There are ups and down, of course. The stories I hear from the people we help are often heart-breaking. Many are elderly people who have lost their children, and now have no one to take care of them in their old age. Without family, they feel that their lives have lost their meaning.

But what keeps me going is seeing how our psychosocial support programmes really do make a big difference for the people we help.

When people come to me to say that these groups have changed their lives, I feel very proud to be part of the ICRC.

“When people come to me to say that these groups have changed their lives, I feel very proud to be part of the ICRC.”

M : People who take part in the groups find they have similar experiences. They share ideas, and provide emotional support to one another. Recently, a group decided to help a lonely elderly woman to rebuild her house. They told me, “She’s one of us now. We care about her a lot.” She had been incredibly lonely since her children went missing. Thanks to the group she was being cared for again.

Sometimes, emotional relief comes simply from being listened to and having your pain acknowledged. I’ll always remember one of our sessions in a small village when an older woman started to cry uncontrollably. While I was trying to comfort her, she began to talk about how the disappearance of her son had shattered her life.

04 | icrc.org/action | December 2015

ICRC : What are the challenges you face?

And what do you enjoy the most?

Monica MUKERJEE/ICRC

My main task here is to recruit, train and supervise local members of the community who set up support groups for these families. I monitor the problems families bring up and share my professional expertise with the group leaders throughout the process.

She had tried to commit suicide several times, but told me how glad she was she hadn’t succeeded. Because of the support group, she was hopeful again.

I also feel really included within the community here and very close to the people I came to help. At a personal level, it is a very strong emotional experience.

ICRC : So why do you feel your work is important?

M : Although the ICRC operates in armed conflicts and emergencies, our work can rarely be short-term. We know that people may need support long after peace has come, which is why we’re working in places like Uganda today. Our support for people who have missing family members clearly shows this. The emotions are still so raw and tangible for them. Although it was decades ago, for some it’s like it happened yesterday.

ICRC AROUND THE WORLD

LATEST NEWS THE POWER OF HUMANITY XXXII International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent 8-10 December 2015, Geneva

Founded more than 150 years ago, the Red Cross Movement is the largest humanitarian network in the world.

Our millions of volunteers work around the clock to bring aid to those in need, wherever they may be on the planet.

Today, the increase in conflict worldwide is leading to unprecedented movements of displaced people, not witnessed since the Second World War. To help protect populations in time of war, the ICRC is intent on influencing authorities to ensure they put respect for International Humanitarian Law at the heart of their agendas.

Albert Madrazo/ICRC

The International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, held every four years in Geneva, is an opportunity to make change happen.

Heads of State and government from every country around the world are invited to attend, as are the directors of national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies from the five continents.

With our experience firmly rooted in the realities of humanitarian action, the Movement speaks out about issues faced in the field and the need for a political and legal solution to them.

Did you know? The 1864 Conference was the starting point for the now universally ratified Geneva Conventions, the first of their kind to set down the rules of war.

BIKING ROUND EUROPE IN SUPPORT OF THE ICRC Samuel Rubio/ICRC

Who has not dreamt of changing the world? Do not underestimate the power of humanity to realise this dream.

This summer, Didier, Simon and Omar, three young Netherlands teenagers aged 12 to 14, organised a fundraising campaign on behalf of the ICRC. Having set up a website to spread the word about their initiative and to get support from their families, friends and local community, they set off cycling from their home town of Arnhem. They spent more than two weeks crossing Europe before reaching the ICRC head office in Geneva, where they handed over a cheque for the sums raised. A huge ‘thank you’ to the trio!

icrc.org/action | December 2015 | 05

ACTING TOGETHER

YOUR GIFTS IN 2015 Over 50 million people around the world currently uprooted by conflict April 2015 fundraising appeal

In 2015, the ICRC has stepped up to the challenge. We have been delivering food, drinking water and health services to displaced people in Syria and surrounding countries as well as other conflict zones around the world. We have also helped reunite families separated by conflicts. None of this would have been possible without your support.

Making a difference: the ICRC-run hospital in Lebanon treats refugee children from Syria Four years ago in Idlib, Syria, a mortar fell near Ahmad’s home where he was playing. He instantly lost both his legs.

Ahmad has been living as a refugee in Lebanon since 2012, and he continues to suffer terribly despite several operations. He was eventually taken in and cared for at the ICRC’s Weapon Traumatology Training Centre.

The ICRC opened the centre in September 2014 in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

It offers surgical treatment and reconstructive surgery free of charge. In addition to caring for weapon-wounded patients, it also trains local surgeons.

Hussein BAYDOUN/ICRC

This year, news headlines have been awash with reports about the refugee crisis in Europe. But let’s not forget that most people who have been forced from their homes by conflict remain in their own country or have fled to a neighbouring country.

And these people depend almost entirely on humanitarian aid to survive.

“I want two things formy son”, says Yaman, Ahmad’s mother, “to see him walk again and to see him finish his education. But above all I want to see him walking again without pain.”

More than 12 million displaced persons and refugees from Syria due to the conflict The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement provides aid to displaced persons at each stage of their journey.

Statistics ICRC & UNHCR

06 | icrc.org/action | December 2015

SYRIA

8 MILLION DISPLACED Food

Drinking water

Humanitarian crisis in the Middle East June 2015 emergency appeal Thanks to your generous donations we have been able to expand our emergency operations in the Middle East.

To understand the humanitarian situation in this war-torn region of the world, we spoke with Beat MOSIMANN, who is in charge of logistics for the ICRC in the Middle East. Beat is based in Geneva, and responsible for streamlining the distribution of goods in the countries in which we work.

TURKEY

SYRIA LEBANON IRAQ

JORDAN

ICRC : What do people in the region currently need?

Beat : The need for food and other essential items has grown non-stop over the past four years, and that translates into huge volumes to transport.

For Syria alone, we shipped over 1,900 containers of food parcels between January and September of this year, and this allowed us to provide food to 5.3 million people.

In addition to the thousands of tonnes of blankets, hygiene kits and kitchen sets that we have been delivering, in September we sent a shipment of 80,000 winter coats and 20,000 sets of baby clothes to Syria to help the people cope with the cold this winter.

ICRC : How effective are the ICRC’s efforts?

to a hospital that is out of stock and totally cut off is a question of life or death for the patients.

ICRC : Do you expect the level of humanitarian need to change in the coming months?

B : The future is rather bleak, I fear. In Syria, infrastructures have been largely destroyed by years of fighting and the people are in dire need. The economy is in tatters, leaving residents with no choice but to rely on humanitarian aid or flee.

B : Our teams are doing remarkable work on the ground, often in extremely difficult conditions.

Very few humanitarian organizations are still able to operate in the hardest-hit countries like Syria, Iraq and Yemen, and so our help makes a huge difference.

And logistics is a key piece of the puzzle. For example, whether or not we are able to deliver medical supplies

BORDERING COUNTRIES

EUROPE

4 MILLION REFUGEES

500,000 REFUGEES

Health

Shelter

Seeking missing persons

Financial support icrc.org/action | December 2015 | 07

AN EYE ON THE WORLD

YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO CALL THE PERSON YOU LOVE WHO WOULD YOU CALL? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? We live in the most connected of times.

Whether by text message, email, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype or phone, it has never been easier to communicate. Friends, colleagues and family are all reachable 24/7, no matter where they are in the world.

But imagine if all that were taken away from you overnight. What if you were limited to just one three minute phone call? It’s almost impossible to imagine.

Who would you call? What would you say?

For many people in South Sudan, that’s reality. In 2013, just two years after becoming an independent State, South Sudan was plunged into a brutal civil war.

John Kuich Chol calls his wife and three children, who fled to Kenya when the fighting began.

08 | icrc.org/action | December 2015

Communities were split and families separated. In a bid to quell the fighting, the government shut down the mobile phone networks.

To help people reconnect, the ICRC set up a Restoring Family Links programme in several areas of South Sudan. The programme reached Akobo – a town in Jonglei state about 280 miles from the capital, Juba – in July 2014. It gave people the chance to use an ICRC satellite phone.

For many, this would be the first time they’d spoken to their missing relatives for two years.

It’s hard to imagine, but for the residents of Akobo, that is their lifeline to the world.

If you just had three minutes to speak to the person you loved.

Who would you call? What would you say?

Photos and contents from Giles Duley

They can stay only three minutes on the phone.

Nyabuai Gai Rial calls her uncle on behalf of her aunt, who was unable to walk all the way to where the calls were made.

Yen Gai Nai calls her brother, who she hadn’t spoken to since December 2013.

“ I want to make sure you’re ok.”

Hearing this simple phrase from a loved one can mean the world to people living in war-torn countries like South Sudan.

Nyiakubo Wiyual, 16, hears her brother’s voice for the first time after two years without news

“ I’m crying because I thought my brother had been killed. Hearing his voice makes me so happy.”

Sheltering from the savage sun under a tree, on the outskirts of town, Akobo residents wait patiently for their turn on the phone. As many as two hundred sign up and wait each day. When the loudspeaker calls their name, they walk into the field, clutching a piece of paper with the precious number. The ICRC staff member dials and passes back the phone…

icrc.org/action | December 2015 | 09

Nyanding calls her children, who fled the fighting two years ago. Nyanding lost contact with her seven children soon after they fled. She wishes they could come home but knows that’s not possible for now.

Wan Kiir Wan calls his wife, who he hadn’t spoken to in more than a year:

“ In due time,

we’ll be together again.”

Chol Lul Walou, around 60 years old, calls her daughter and son-in-law. They were living in Khartoum, Sudan, and she lost contact with them in December 2013. Chol was left alone with no one to help her.

She asks her family to send clothes and money.

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AN EYE ON THE WORLD

Chiey talks to his sister, who he has not seen for two years:

“ My wife

gave birth to a baby girl two days ago. You’re an aunt! ”

Nyanchan, 19, calls her sister, who lives in a camp for displaced people in Juba.

Liep calls his wife, who he hadn’t seen or spoken to for two years:

“ I miss you

and the children.

But don’t worry, I’m doing well. ”

icrc.org/action | December 2015 | 11

Marko KOKIC/ICRC

THE WHEELS IN MOTION

HEALING WOUNDS, PROVIDING HOPE

Afghanistan has been battered by decades of war. Thousands of people have been left disabled not only because of landmines, but also because of preventable diseases, such as polio.

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Football

Sport has proven to be a nearuniversal source of pleasure and a great way to boost self-esteem.

This is even more true of people who once thought they would never walk again. Sport, especially football, is an important part of the treatment in all our centres.

Nangyali plays football at the physical rehabilitation centre in Kabul. “Everyone loves something in their lives.

My love is football – it stops me from getting sad or depressed. When I play football I feel like a normal football player.”

UEFA/ICRC film

Graziella LEITE PICCOLO/ICRC

Sport performs miracles

THE WHEELS IN MOTION

“When you step on a landmine, your body goes into shock: you’ve lost a leg or an arm. But you quickly realize that it’s not just your body that’s affected, but your whole identity. It is deeply traumatic.”

Those are the words of ICRC Director-General Yves Daccord. Our physical rehabilitation centres in Afghanistan have been providing people affected by war with prostheses and physiotherapy for over 20 years. But if you listen to the patients’ stories, you soon realize that giving them hope again for the future is as important as healing the physical wounds.

So, as part of our physical rehabilitation programmes, we give people the means to rebuild their life, through education, jobs and sport. All the employees of the rehabilitation centres, for example, are former patients.

Najmuddin Hilal is the head of the ICRC’s centre in Kabul.

When he was only 18, he lost his legs to a landmine.

He spent the next year in hospital, slowly recuperating, and the five following years at home, unable to work or lead a normal life. “I felt marginalized,” recalls Najmuddin.

“It was burning me up inside.”

In September 1988, he started working as an assistant physiotherapist at the centre in Kabul. “Because of my own experiences, I understand the stigmatization disabled people face in Afghan society,” says Najmuddin. “I see my work as a way of helping disabled people fight against that stigmatization, and fully reintegrating into society. Disabled people are just as capable of being active and playing a part in the lives of the people around them as anyone else.”

Sport can play a key role in the recovery process.

Yves Daccord explains: “What is important is to be able to rebuild your identity, to reconnect with the community.

That is why sport in general, and football in particular, is so powerful. It is absolutely central to all our rehabilitation programmes.”

The ICRC has

In 2014, more than

rehabilitation centres in Afghanistan.

They are managed entirely by over 700 disabled employees.

were treated in ICRC centres; 34,509 were children.

100,000 people

Walking tall

UEFA

Farhad Mohammadi had polio as a child. “When I was seven, I could only crawl on my hands and knees. Today, after years of treatment at the ICRC centre, I can walk. Sport helps a lot.

When you have a disability, it is easy to think that you can’t do anything. Doing sport has helped all of us to have faith in ourselves.”

UEFA has been providing ongoing and much-needed support for landmine victims and disabled people since 1997. Every year since 2008, a player from the Team of the Year, which is voted for by UEFA.com users, has handed over a cheque to support the ICRC’s rehabilitation work in Afghanistan.

Getty Images/UEFA

UEFA/ICRC film

7 physical

icrc.org/action | December 2015 | 13

PARTNERSHIP OÙ VA VOTRE ARGENT ?

TEAM OF THE YEAR UEFA.com users

Team of the Year 2014

Who will be your team of the year 2015?

Vote on UEFA.com Votes are open from 24 November 2015 to 5 January 2016

http://en.toty.uefa.com/ UEFA has been working with the International Committee of the Red Cross since 1997. The UEFA.com users’ Team of the Year donation supports the Red Cross’s physical rehabilitation programme for landmine victims and other persons with disabilities in Afghanistan.

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WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES

BUDGET AND OPERATIONS 2015 Journey of More ofthan 93% all gifts from individuals are allocated to operations of the ICRC in the field

your Donation PRESENT IN 80 COUNTRIES THE ICRC BRINGS ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS RIGHT FROM THE START.

YOUR DONATION ALLOWS US TO ACT QUICKLY

YOUR DONATION GOES WHERE IT IS NEEDED MOST

+ 25%

budget increase

OUR EXPERTS EVALUATE THE SITUATION IN EACH COUNTRY, ESTABLISH THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE AND DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO BRINGING RELIEF WHEREVER THEY MAY BE.

YOU SAVE LIVES

OUR TEAMS SUPPLY ESSENTIAL GOODS AND SERVICES - FOOD, WATER, BLANKETS, HYGIENE KITS, KITCHEN UTENSILS, MEDICINES, HEALTH CARE - WHICH SAVE MANY LIVES.

in 2015 YOU ARE HELPING US TO REUNITE FAMILIES

The ICRC’s budget is financed entirely by voluntary contributions

YOUR DONATION CAN OFFER WHOLE COMMUNITIES A BETTER FUTURE BY ALLOWING THE RESTITUTION OF ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS HOSPITALS OR WATER SYSTEMS.

BEING SHELTERED AND SURROUNDED

BY LOVED ONES IS FORTUNATE. WE HELP PEOPLE TO FIND FAMILY AND FRIENDS THEY HAVE LOST TRACE OF DURING A CRISIS.

YOU ARE PROVIDING A FUTURE FOR THOSE AFFECTED

YOUR DONATION PROVIDES HOPE

YOU ARE HELPING TO GIVE PEOPLE A NEW START BY FINANCING THE PURCHASE OF AGRICULTURAL OR FISHING EQUIPMENT.

icrc.org/action | December 2015 | 15

MY BEQUEST. YOUR BEQUEST. TOGETHER WE’RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. By making a bequest to the ICRC, you are restoring the hope of countless families whose lives have been torn apart by violence.

Marie-Jo Girod Bequests and Donations Manager Tel: 022 304 67 67 Email: mgirodblanc@icrc.org www.icrc.org/bequest

REQUEST A BROCHURE MAKE HO PE YOUR LEGA CY NAME TH E ICRC IN YOUR WILL

brochure-

donateur-

YES, I would like to receive a brochure about bequests Ms

Mr Last name

First name Address Postcode Country

City

© Pedram

Yazdi / ICRC

(CONFIDENTIALLY AND WITH NO OBLIGATION) PLEASE COMPLETE AND RETURN THIS COUPON TO THE ICRC AT THE ADDRESS GIVEN BELOW.

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19/08/14

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International Committee of the Red Cross Private Sector Fundraising Division 19, avenue de la Paix 1202 Geneva – Switzerland Tel: 022 304 67 67 Email: mgirodblanc@icrc.org www.icrc.org/bequest