ICRC | In Action | December 2015

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

South Sudan: You have three minutes to call someone you love. Who would you call? What would you say?

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

The difference we make together

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

December 2015 / ISSUE 02

IN ACTION

THE DONOR SUPPORT TEAM

CONTACT US

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

If you have any questions or comments about an article youve read in this magazine, please write to: [email protected]

04BEHIND THE SCENESInterview with Monica Mukerjee, ICRC delegate in Uganda, supporting families of the disappeared.

05ICRC AROUND THE WORLDConference in Geneva on the power of humanity, and cycling round Europe in support of our work.

08AN EYE ON THE WORLDReportage from South Sudan:You have three minutes to call someone you love. Who would you call? What would you say?Photography by Giles Duley

06ACTING TOGETHERYour 2015 donations for the Middle East - helping refugees and displaced people.

12THE WHEELS IN MOTIONAfghanistan: Healing wounds, providing hope.

15WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES The ICRC budget and operations in 2015.

International Committee of the Red CrossSupporter Care Services19, avenue de la PaixCH-1202 GenevaT + 41 22 730 21 71F + 41 22 730 28 99E-mail: [email protected] account: 1255276Website: icrc.org/supportus

Front cover: Marko KOKIC/ICRC

CONTENTS

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

02 | icrc.org/action | December 2015

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In 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 peoples 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.

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.

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.

In todays world, where tragedies can be counted by the thousands and the hundreds of thousands, we must

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 were 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.

In todays world, where tragedies can be counted by the thousands and the hundreds of thousands, we must never lose sight of the individual.

EDITORIALFrom emergency to long term support Thie

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DOMINIK STILLHARTDIRECTOR OF OPERATIONSINTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS

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ICRC : What do you do? Why is it important?

Monica : I work in mental health and psychosocial support. Im 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 theres hardly any information about what happened to them or where they are.

Its 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.

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.

ICRC : How are the support groups helping?

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, Shes 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. Ill 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.

INTERVIEW FROM THE FIELD

Monica Mukerjee Mental health and psychosocial support delegate in Kitgum, Uganda

She had tried to commit suicide several times, but told me how glad she was she hadnt succeeded. Because of the support group, she was hopeful again.

ICRC : What are the challenges you face? And what do you enjoy the most?

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.

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 were 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 its like it happened yesterday.

When people come to me to say that these groups have changed their lives, I feel very

proud to be part of the ICRC.

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INTERVIEW FROM THE FIELD

ICRC AROUND THE WORLD

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!

BIKING ROUND EUROPEIN SUPPORT OF THE ICRC

THE POWER OF HUMANITYXXXII International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent 8-10 December 2015, Geneva

LATESTNEWS

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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8 MILLION DISPLACED

More than 12 milliondisplaced persons and refugeesfrom Syria due to the conflictThe International Red Cross and RedCrescent Movement provides aid todisplaced persons at each stageof their journey.

SYRIASYRIA

FoodFoodStatistics ICRC & UNHCRStatistics ICRC & UNHCR Drinking waterDrinking water HealthHealth ShelterShelter Seeking missing personsSeeking missing persons Financial supportFinancial support

4 MILLION REFUGEESBORDERING COUNTRIESBORDERING COUNTRIES

500,000 REFUGEESEUROPEEUROPE

This year, news headlines have been awash with reports about the refugee crisis in Europe. But lets 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.

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.

YOUR GIFTS IN 2015

ACTING TOGETHER

Making a difference:the ICRC-run hospitalin Lebanon treats refugee children from Syria

Four years ago in Idlib, Syria, a mortar fell near Ahmads 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 ICRCs 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.

Over 50 million people around the world currently uprooted by conflictApril 2015 fundraising appeal

I want two things formy son, says Yaman,

Ahmads 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.

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8 MILLION DISPLACED

More than 12 milliondisplaced persons and refugeesfrom Syria due to the conflictThe International Red Cross and RedCrescent Movement provides aid todisplaced persons at each stageof their journey.

SYRIASYRIA

FoodFoodStatistics ICRC & UNHCRStatistics ICRC & UNHCR Drinking waterDrinking water HealthHealth ShelterShelter Seeking missing personsSeeking missing persons Financial supportFinancial support

4 MILLION REFUGEESBORDERING COUNTRIESBORDERING COUNTRIES

500,000 REFUGEESEUROPEEUROPE

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.

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 ICRCs efforts?

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

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.

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Humanitarian crisisin the Middle East June 2015emergency appeal


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

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.

YOU HAVE THREEMINUTES TO CALLTHE PERSON YOU LOVE

WHO WOULD YOU CALL? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

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AN EYE ON THE WORLD

Yen Gai Nai calls her brother, who she hadnt spoken to since December 2013.

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? Its almost impossible to imagine. Who would you call? What would you say?

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

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 theyd spoken to their missing relatives for two years.

They can stay only three minutes on the phone.

Its 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


Im crying because I thought my brother had been killed. Hearing his voice makes me so happy.

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

I want to make sure youre ok.

YOU HAVE THREEMINUTES TO CALLTHE PERSON YOU LOVE

WHO WOULD YOU CALL? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

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

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


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 thats not possible for now.

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.

Wan Kiir Wan calls his wife, who he hadnt spoken to in more than a year:

In due time, well be together again.


Liep calls his wife, who he hadnt seen or spoken to for two years:

I miss you and the children. But dont worry, Im doing well.

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

My wife gave birth to a baby girl two days ago. Youre an aunt!

AN EYE ON THE WORLD

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


THE WHEELS IN MOTION

Sport performs miracles

Sport has proven to be a near-universal 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.

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.

Football

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.

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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 ICRCs 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.

In 2014, more than 100,000 people were treated

in ICRC centres; 34,509 were

children.

The ICRC has

7 physical rehabilitation centres

in Afghanistan. They are managed

entirely by over 700 disabled employees.

THE WHEELS IN MOTION

When you step on a landmine, your body goes into shock: youve lost a leg or an arm. But you quickly realize that its not just

your body thats affected, but your whole identity. It is deeply traumatic.

Walking tall

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 cant do anything. Doing sport has helped all of us to have faith in ourselves.

UEFA

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 ICRCs rehabilitation work in Afghanistan.

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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 Crosss physical rehabilitation programme for landmine victims

and other persons with disabilities in Afghanistan.

O VA VOTRE ARGENT ?PARTNERSHIP

TEAM OFTHE YEARUEFA.com users

Team of the Year 2014

Who will be your team of the year 2015?Vote on UEFA.com


BUDGET ANDOPERATIONS2015

WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES

The ICRCs budget is financed entirely by

voluntary contributions

budget increase in 2015

+ 25%

YOUR DONATIONGOES WHERE ITIS NEEDED MOST

YOU AREHELPING USTO REUNITEFAMILIES

YOU SAVELIVES

YOU AREPROVIDING AFUTURE FOR

THOSE AFFECTED

YOUR DONATIONPROVIDES HOPE

YOUR DONATIONALLOWS US TOACT QUICKLY

OUR EXPERTS EVALUATE THE SITUATIONIN EACH COUNTRY, ESTABLISH THE NEEDSOF THOSE WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE

AND DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO BRINGINGRELIEF WHEREVER THEY MAY BE.

BEING SHELTERED AND SURROUNDEDBY LOVED ONES IS FORTUNATE.

WE HELP PEOPLE TO FIND FAMILYAND FRIENDS THEY HAVE LOST

TRACE OF DURING A CRISIS.

OUR TEAMS SUPPLY ESSENTIALGOODS AND SERVICES - FOOD, WATER,

BLANKETS, HYGIENE KITS, KITCHEN UTENSILS,MEDICINES, HEALTH CARE

- WHICH SAVE MANY LIVES.

PRESENT IN 80 COUNTRIESTHE ICRC BRINGS ASSISTANCE

TO VICTIMS RIGHTFROM THE START.

YOU ARE HELPING TO GIVE PEOPLEA NEW START BY FINANCING

THE PURCHASE OF AGRICULTURALOR FISHING EQUIPMENT.

YOUR DONATION CAN OFFER WHOLE COMMUNITIESA BETTER FUTURE BY ALLOWING THE RESTITUTION

OF ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH ASHOSPITALS OR WATER SYSTEMS.

Journey ofyour Donation

More than 93%

TEAM OFTHE YEAR

of all gifts from individuals are allocated

to operations of the ICRC in the field


I would like to receive a brochure about bequestsYES, Ms Mr Last name

First name

Address

Postcode City

Country

MY BEQUEST. YOUR BEQUEST. TOGETHER WERE 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 GirodBequests and Donations ManagerTel: 022 304 67 67 Email: [email protected]/bequest

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

International Committeeof the Red CrossPrivate Sector Fundraising Division19, avenue de la Paix1202 Geneva SwitzerlandTel: 022 304 67 67 Email: [email protected]/bequest

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MAKE HOPE YOUR LEGACY NAME THE ICRC IN YOUR WILL

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ICRC | In Action | December 2015