May 2015 - International Federation of Red Cross … Pacific...3 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies SARD Delegation / Programme Update March–May 2015

SARD Update

Foreword

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We have had a very good, positive response from many of you in

South Asia and beyond on the first issue of the South Asia Update.

You found it useful and informative, both in content and format. This

encouraged us, and we are looking into options for making it even

more reader-friendly.

As we were preparing this second issue, Nepal was struck by a devas-

tating earthquake followed by hundreds of aftershocks. The situation

is very dire for hundreds of thousands of people. The IFRC has

thrown all its global emergency response resources into support to the Nepal Red Cross Society –

with Emergency Response Units (ERUs), Field Assessment Coordination Teams (FACTs), Region-

al Disaster Response Teams (RDRTs) and a massive relief supply pipeline. A revised appeal for 93

million Swiss francs was launched by our secretary general on 15 May in Kathmandu.

It fills me with immense pride that South Asian countries and National Societies have responded

immediately in their own way to support the Nepal Red Cross Society and affected communities.

Relief supplies were sent by the Indian Red Cross Society, and Pakistan Red Crescent Society and

Bangladesh Red Crescent Society offered their relief stock. Maldivian Red Crescent mounted an

innovative resource mobilization campaign for Nepal, and the backbone of the RDRTs’ deployment

to Nepal is from South Asia. An integral part of the response capacity on the ground, your staff and

volunteers working as RDRT, in very difficult conditions, are demonstrating the best of spirit, cour-

age and knowledge of the context, and very much appreciated by Nepal Red Cross and IFRC col-

leagues.

As we move towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase, it is time to reflect on how the Red

Cross Red Crescent could contribute in a positive, constructive way towards not just building back

better and stronger – there will be more earthquakes in Nepal in the future due to the underlying

geological fragmentation. But there’s also a need for the country to change its socio-economic para-

digm: to reduce and eliminate poverty, to find ways how to attract its own young people, currently

seeking employment in construction and other industries abroad, to have employment and a future

in their own communities so that they could build resilient and beautiful buildings in Nepal, rather

than doing it as migrant workers elsewhere. It is our strong belief that we, Red Cross Red Crescent,

as truly indigenous organizations, with knowledge of community drivers, needs, opportunities and

constraints, localised knowledge and action, can and should be the main partners of the government

and others in addressing this truly systemic issue, and finding and proposing solutions towards

building a better future. This could be one of the themes for reflection in the next meeting of South

Asia National Societies Leaders, which we now are planning for sometime in the fall.

As always, we are interested on your feedback on the SARD Update. Please send your thoughts to

Rosemarie North, SARD communications and advocacy manager: [email protected]

Simon Missiri

Head of Delegation, SARD

South Asia Regional Delegation Programme Update March - May 2015

Foreword 1 Nepal: South Asia responds 2 Nepal: Neighbours come to the rescue 2 Nepal: RDRT in action 3 Nepal: Who would we be if we didn’t try? 3 Nepal: General assembly 4 Pakistan: Lessons from the 2014 flood response 4 Pakistan: Communities plan for resilience 4 SARD: Code of conduct 4 Bangladesh: New leaders 5 Maldives: Seventh General assembly 5 Maldives: More spokespeople, greater visibility 5 SARD: Swedish Red Cross care for delegates 5 Sri Lanka: More than 55,000 receive permanent houses 6 India: Simulation exercises to increase awareness 6 Afghanistan: Five-year health agreement 7 Afghanistan: World Red Cross Red Crescent Day 7 New SARD programme coordi-nator 7 New SARD communications and advocacy manager 7 New SARD resource mobiliza-tion manager 7

Contents

mailto:[email protected]

2

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

SARD Delegation / Programme Update March–May 2015

Nepal: South Asia re-sponds

In the immediate aftermath of the earth-

quake in Nepal the South Asia Regional

Delegation (SARD) team swung into

action and its office meeting room trans-

formed into a coordination centre track-

ing all possible information on Nepal.

The SARD team was in constant touch

with senior management and colleagues

in Nepal Red Cross Society, getting regu-

lar updates on their safety and initial re-

sponse interventions.

In order to provide surge capacity to the

Nepal IFRC country delegation, SARD

deployed its members for Regional Dis-

aster Response Team (RDRT) mobiliza-

tion; water, sanitation and hygiene

(WASH); planning, monitoring, evalua-

tion and reporting (PMER); emergency

communications and finance. A smaller

team stayed back in Delhi and provided

coordination support to the response op-

eration across the IFRC global, zone and

country levels.

As the humanitarian crisis grew, National

Societies in the region demonstrated their

support for their colleagues in Nepal. The

Indian Red Cross Society secretary gen-

eral offered all possible help and re-

sources. The Indian Red Cross sent relief

supplies including water treatment units,

tarpaulins, kitchen items, stretchers and

body bags to Nepal in Indian Air Force

planes along with its personnel. Bangla-

desh Red Crescent Society carried out a

fund-raising campaign and offered to

send medical staff to Nepal. Despite the

upcoming cyclone season in Bangladesh,

the Red Crescent offered to send part of

its relief supplies in a strong display of

solidarity with Nepal. Maldivian Red

Crescent too raised funds to support the

people of Nepal. In addition, Nepali ex-

patriate workers received psychological

first aid in this hour of distress. Such a

display of regional solidarity is not new;

indeed, it underpins the strength of the

International Red Cross and Red Cres-

cent Movement in South Asia.

SARD is exploring options for strength-

ening its logistics base in anticipation of

a long-term IFRC recovery operation in

Nepal that would have a significant re-

construction component. This is because

most of the major road transport routes to

Nepal go through India, and there exists a

robust transport system of carrying goods

across the two countries, as well as a

significant market for procurement.

In the coming months, as the IFRC scales

up its country presence and embarks on

long term recovery and development,

SARD will continue to provide regular

support to the Nepal Red Cross in its on-

going programmes in the districts not

affected by the earthquake with a focus

on health, disaster risk reduction and

organizational development under a resil-

ience framework.

Nepal: Neighbours come to the rescue

Flash floods and tsunami, earthquakes

and bomb blasts. Kaustaubh Kukde has

worked in every major disaster in India

for the past ten years. To capitalize on

this is the very idea behind the unique

Red Cross Red Crescent Regional Disas-

ter Response Teams (RDRTs), now de-

ployed in Nepal.

What is different about the earthquake

in Nepal?

The scale of the disaster, terrain and af-

tershocks makes the whole context in

Nepal very complicated. All are striving

to meet the needs of the affected popula-

tion, but when you look at the wide-

spread destruction, it looks like an impos-

sible task. Every affected family needs

shelter immediately. The supply chain is

being put in place, and relief supplies are

pouring in. Efforts are on to meet the

needs.

What is your strongest memory of as-

sisting people?

As shelters are destroyed, the same is

true for latrines. People are forced to

practice open defecation, which increases

the health risks. But I have met highly

motivated communities that want to be

part of rebuilding their lives. For exam-

ple, many volunteered to make communi-

ty latrines to stop open defecation. This

was done in just five to six hours. The

contribution of the Red Cross was mate-

rial for the construction of latrines and

technical support, all the rest was pushed

forward and implemented by community

volunteers.

How do RDRTs make a difference?

RDRTs have the advantage of being from

this region and understanding the cultural

context of the affected communities. In

many cases language is no barrier; we

know South Asian National Societies’

working style and can immediately start

focusing on delivering results.

How important is disaster training?

Training does not make us super human

beings, but it helps our staff and volun-

teers from different cultural and social

context understand each other, and to

build linkages so they can work together

easily in emergencies. Training prepares

people to psychologically face such

emergencies, and the skills and the

strengths of an individual become the

skills and the strengths of a team.

RDRT’s Kaustaubh Kukde. Photo: SARD.

After the massive earthquake, volunteers from

Nepal Red Cross Society rushed to help. Pho-

to: NRCS

3



Nepal: RDRT in action

The Nepal earthquake operation is one of

the largest RDRT deployments ever. As

of mid-June, 57 RDRTs had been de-

ployed, in relief and assessment, logistics,

water and sanitation, health, shelter, fi-

nance, IT and telecoms, gender and pro-

tection, HR and other specialties.

Members came from Australia, Bangla-

desh, China (Hong Kong), India, Indone-

sia, Maldives, Myanmar, New Zealand,

Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Timor

Leste, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore

and South Korea.

RDRTs were first introduced as a disaster

response tool by IFRC in 1998 to opti-

mize human resources and expertise ef-

fectively within each region.

RDRTs normally consist of experienced

National Society staff and volunteers who

can be deployed to respond to a disaster.

The teams are critical in supporting the

National Society in assessment as well as

supporting the implementation of a disas-

ter relief operation.

In addition to covering the core relief

functions of food, water, health and shel-

ter, RDRTs can also support interventions

in food security, nutrition, construction,

media and other specialized areas.

Nepal: Who would we be if we didn’t try? Night falls in Kathmandu. We sleep in

the streets, in the tents, in the parks. The

last strong tremor still present in the

body. Local or foreigner, it doesn’t mat-

ter. In the darkness, we are equally to-

gether and alone. All the senses are am-

plified, each sound is recorded, every

movement in the ground.

The worst thing is the dogs’ howling just

before an earthquake. Can you trust the

warning or is it just one night-blind

pooch that confuses itself into scaring us

all?

Two new aftershocks last night con-

firmed the dogs’ premonition. It is the

primary wave before the earthquake that

animals feel. We humans are fleeing at

the larger secondary wave. Yet only by

imagining the unimaginable, we can pre-

dict the unpredictable. But when the in-

stinct is up against the mind, usually the

instinct wins. We run for our lives. No

looking back.

I rejoice to hear the first call of the cuck-

oo at dawn. It's a strange feeling to hear

the cuckooing here in Kathmandu, as if it

were in the wrong place. But as long as

he calls, I feel safe. Even the birds seem

to have their patterns before danger is

approaching. They go silent.

Every day we share analysis on how our

relief efforts are working. Every step for-

ward is a motivation for us all. But be-

yond the graphs of tarpaulins, tents and

water delivered, there’s always a deeper

story.

High up in the mountains, close to the

border with China, the Canadian Red

Cross had just opened a basic health care

unit at the bottom of a valley. It was just

after the first massive earthquake on 25

April.

Tatopani, as the town is called, was badly

affected, the lives of people shattered and

houses demolished. Each day higher

numbers of the injured sought assistance.

The doctors and the nurses in continuous

service, the interpreters their to ensure the

service works. How deep is the pain? Can

you bend your leg? They treated more

than 50 people every day.

Above the clinic clung houses on the

hillsides, surround roads cut off. Some

days they were closed. Landslides were

numerous and heavy rocks rushed down

the slopes. But roads were cleared and

opened again for passage. The landslides

continued.

Here, just 16 kilometers from the epicen-

ter of the second massive earthquake in

Nepal, people struggled against all odds.

Mountainsides were literally broken apart

and soon the city was covered in dust. As

was the Red Cross health care unit, but

the staff continued to work. Reaching out

with helping hands, treating concussions

and crushing injuries, they even managed

to deliver a baby.

It comes with our mission that no one

wants to give up, but this time nature had

other ideas. The following morning we

withdraw the staff and a seriously injured

patient by helicopter. A crevice in the

rock just above the health care unit un-

covered a large boulder which could tum-

ble down at any time, putting patients and

staff at risk.

It was a painful but necessary decision.

The relief efforts in Nepal have only just

begun. Under the most difficult circum-

stances new plans are drawn up, and

equipment and supplies are carried out by

Red Cross staff and volunteers in a kind

of defiant hope. It is challenging work in

extremely difficult circumstances. But

who would we be if we did not try?

By Maude Froberg

A basic health care unit in Kukhondole, close

to Tatopani. Photo: Canadian Red Cross

4



Nepal: General As-sembly In Nepal, the resolve and commitment to

scale up the humanitarian assistance to

the most vulnerable communities was

once again emphasized during the gen-

eral assembly of Nepal Red Cross Socie-

ty, held in Dhangadhi on 11-14 April. A

new central executive body will continue

this determined work under the leader-

ship of Mr Sanjiv Thapa, who was re-

elected for the third time. At his side, Mr

Dev Ratna Dhakhwa, who is assigned to

the post of secretary general.

The general assembly was attended by

representatives from all 75 districts of

Nepal and development partners includ-

ing ICRC, IFRC and Participating Na-

tional Societies.

During the assembly, the district chap-

ters that performed the best in organiza-

tional expansion, image building, com-

munity activities, services, fundraising

and reporting were recognized. This

year, prizes were awarded to Parsa (first

prize), Kaski (second) and Chitwan

(third). Additionally, the 2014 volunteer

awards and best employee award were

given to people who made remarkable

efforts and achievements to the benefit

of the Nepal Red Cross Society.

Pakistan: Lessons from the 2014 flood response

On 15 May 2015, a one-day lessons

learnt workshop was hosted by Pakistan

Red Crescent Society, supported by the

IFRC Delegation in Pakistan.

The workshop had three objectives: re-

flecting on the actions taken during the

flood operation; exploring how the oper-

ation helped the affected population; and

identifying how to build on organization-

al strengths and improve weaknesses. It

was an opportunity for reflection on the

emergency response operation and iden-

tified actions that could be replicated in

the future, and areas that need strength-

ening to improve future interventions.

The workshop gathered representatives

of Pakistan Red Crescent’s headquarters,

provincial and district branches, IFRC,

ICRC and Participating National Socie-

ties. Best practice and areas for improve-

ment were also documented.

Pakistan: Communi-ties plan for resili-ence

Pakistan Red Crescent Society, with

technical support from IFRC Pakistan,

has been implementing an integrated

community-based risk reduction pro-

gramme in ten communities in Pakistan

since January 2014.

The programme comprises health, organ-

izational development and disaster man-

agement and follows the standard com-

munity-based programming approach.

Community-based organizations in all

ten communities contributed to the inte-

grated community risk reduction plans,

which were based on findings from an

integrated vulnerability and capacity

assessment.

The exercises were completed in two

steps.

Firstly, community based organizations

developed a risk reduction plan for their

own communities with support from the

Pakistan Red Crescent and a multi-

disciplinary technical team from IFRC.

Secondly, the plans were presented to all

stakeholders (both government and local

donors) at a local level.

The plans were reviewed with the stake-

holders, to get their support for their

implementation. Stakeholders identified

the areas of their possible support ac-

cording to their mandate and capacity.

The community-based organizations will

lead the implementation of the plans

with financial and other support.

SARD: Code of conduct

SARD conducted training on 28 May on

humanitarian values and the Code of

Conduct for the International Red Cross

and Red Crescent Movement and non-

governmental organizations in disaster

relief as part of a three-day emergency

preparedness training organized by

Handicap International. It was attended

by humanitarian partners, HOPE Disa-

bility Centre, Jammu and Kashmir, and

Help Foundation.

The aim was to increase understanding

of core humanitarian values and the

code of conduct in disaster relief, and to

generate discussion on whether it should

be mandatory.

The right aid at the right time is crucial in

emergency response like floods in Pakistan

2014. Photo: PRCS.

To be successful resilience has to be built in commu-nities with people at the centre of the approach.

Photo: PRCS.

5



Bangladesh: New leaders

Mr Hafiz Ahmed Mazumdar, a former

member of the Bangladesh parliament

and chairman of Pubali Bank has been

appointed chairman of Bangladesh Red

Crescent Society with effect from 8 April

2015. He has been vice-chairman of the

Red Crescent since 2009.

The new vice-president is Professor and

renowned physician, Dr Md Habibe Mil-

lat who has a background in social work

and humanitarian service. The treasurer is

advocate Tauhidur Rahman.

The new secretary general of the Red

Crescent is Mr B M M Mozharul Huq

who has more than 41 years’ experience

in various government ministries, depart-

ments, directorates, training institutions,

non-governmental organizations, IFRC

and UN agencies in public administra-

tion, disaster management and other

fields.

The new deputy secretary general is Mr

K. Jakarta Khaled who earlier acted in

this position while he was the chief of the

disaster risk management division.

Maldives: Seventh general assembly

On 24-25 April, the Maldivian Red Cres-

cent held its seventh general assembly.

Mr Ali Nashid, who earlier served as

treasurer, was elected as president. He

has a business background and is also

well known in sporting circles in the Mal-

dives. The vice-president is Ms Aiminath

Naushan Abdul Mohaimin, a long-

serving volunteer who worked in the In-

dian Ocean tsunami operation. The sec-

ond vice-president is the journalist and

promoter of volunteerism, Mr Ahmed

Nijah. All the members of the governing

board are elected for a two-year term by

the general assembly, with the exception

the government-nominated member, who

is appointed by the Ministry of Health.

The main focus of the general assembly

was discussing the progress and challeng-

es of branches along with the statutory

adaptations of the audit report 2014 and

the annual report 2014. Also highlighted

were headquarters and branch annual

plans and budgets for 2015, and the Red

Crescent’s strategic plan for 2016 to

2019.

Maldives: More spokespeople, greater visibility

On 28 May, media training was held in

the Maldives to increase the number of

spokespeople and media coverage. Em-

powering staff and volunteers to identify

needs and communicate them will make

the Red Cross Red Crescent as a whole

stronger, and it is hoped that funding will

follow increased visibility.

Around 20 participants from the National

Society participated in the training, which

was a collaboration between the Red

Crescent, the IFRC, the Maldivian Broad-

casting Commission and Public Service

Television. The agenda included how

media works, what makes a good story,

and how to pitch stories on humanitarian

needs and emergency response to the

media. The training included a newsroom

scenario and hands-on camera training.

The training was held in English and in

Dhivehi.

SARD: Swedish Red Cross care for dele-gates

Few occupations are as rewarding as

helping others. It is an ultimate act of

humanity and solidarity to recognize the

suffering of a fellow human being and

take action. Yet to work in war zones and

disasters is often a stressful task, some-

times lonely, not to say risky and more

and more complex.

How do humanitarians maintain their

motivation and find opportunities, despite

frustrations and conditions that some-

times leave much more to wish for? For

some 15 years the Swedish Red Cross has

invited their delegates to regional field

seminars highlighting working conditions

and challenges, professional as well as

personal ones.

Mr Ali Nashid is the new president of the Mal-

divian Red Crescent. Photo: MRC.

Although one of the youngest National Socie-

ties, the Maldivian Red Crescent has estab-

lished a dynamic culture of communications,

here illustrated by Ashi. Photo: MRC.

Congratulations were extended to the new

Red Crescent chairman, Mr Hafiz Ahmed

Mazumdar. Photo: BDRCS.

6



“To us in HR, understanding the realities

in the field is of great importance. Only

by doing so can we assist, if need be.

Furthermore, the field seminars help to

facilitate the return home after the end of

mission, says Åsa Blomquist, HR con-

sultant.

On April 14-16, New Delhi played host

to this year’s seminar, welcoming Swe-

dish delegates from bilateral operations,

ICRC and IFRC.

“Since we share many of the challenges,

the discussions were enriching,” says

Kari Isomaa, head of the IFRC Delega-

tion in the Philippines. “The way the

Swedish Red Cross takes care of its dele-

gates is unmatched in the Red Cross Red

Crescent Movement. These field semi-

nars are unique, and is definitely some-

thing that others can learn from.”

Sri Lanka: More than 55,000 re-ceive permanent houses

The post-conflict recovery programme of

the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society has

completed more than 11,100 permanent

houses resulting in more than 55,000

people moving into new homes after

returning from a 30 year old conflict.

The programme is supported by the

IFRC and funded by the Indian govern-

ment.

In 2010, the Sri Lanka Red Cross began

to help people returning from the conflict

by commissioning the building of 300

houses. Within a few years this increased

to more than 3,500 houses. Later, with

funding from the Indian government, it

increased to 17,500 houses.

Early this year, Amirtha Vadhani, 36,

and her son moved into a newly-built

house in Thirumurukandy village. She

was displaced in 2009 in the final battle

that ravaged her village and forced her to

move to a temporary camp. After the

dust of conflict settled she was able to

move back. However her old home was

no longer there.

“When I saw my name on the benefi-

ciary list, I was overjoyed yet concerned

at the same time. My first question was

how am I to finish this house by myself,”

says Vadhani. Yet she was not left alone.

The Red Cross post-conflict recovery

programme aims to ensure the most vul-

nerable people have a chance to rebuild

their lives. Funding and the technical

support to build the house come from by

the Red Cross. Residents contribute the

manual labour to build their house. India: Simulation exercises increase aware-ness Indian Red Cross Society’s integrated

programmes for community develop-

ment and community-based disaster risk

reduction are in their final phases. The

programmes are supported by the Cana-

dian Red Cross Society.

As part of these programmes, a series of

simulation exercises were carried out, to

not only check the level of awareness

and preparedness of the Indian Red

Cross and the programme communities,

but as an opportunity to present the ac-

quired skills to the local government and

other potential future internal or external

partners.

It was the first time the Red Cross had

conducted simulation exercises on such a

large scale. In total, 24 exercises were

carried out in three states, Tamil Nadu,

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The

exercises were successful in generating

interest and participation from the local

police, fire and health departments. This

was very significant because these are

three most important government ser-

vices in times of emergencies and disas-

ters. Also, a substantial achievement was

the high number of women and children

who took part. The simulation exercises

created a platform to assess the existing

disaster response mechanisms of the

programme communities and to identify

areas for improvement. All the gaps

identified during the exercises will be

addressed in the final phase of the pro-

grammes.

The housing project in Northern Province

now nears completion. Photo: Mahieash

Johnney.

From left: Åsa Blomquist, Matti Ek,

Kari Isomaa, Ylva Jonsson Strömberg,

Maude Fröberg, Marina Haugdahl,

Mohanad Khidir, Ulla-Greta Pettersson

and Jesper Fridolf.

7



Red Crescent President Fatima Gailani

(pictured), welcomed government dignitar-

ies, Red Cross Red Crescent Movement

partners, Red Crescent heads of departments

and staff, members, volunteers and humani-

tarian partners. Her speech was inspired by

Henry Dunant’s “story of an idea” and how

it has shaped today’s Red Cross Red Cres-

cent Movement. IFRC Head of Country

Delegation Pat Laberge talked about the

principles of voluntary service and neutrali-

ty which guide the Movement’s work.

SARD: New programme

Coordinator

Daniel Bolanos will take up the position of

SARD programme coordinator on 1 August.

He has been working with the IFRC in sen-

ior regional disaster management positions

in the Americas,

Asia, the Pacific

and in Africa,

where his last posi-

tion was disaster

management coor-

dinator for the con-

tinent.

He has extensive

experience in assessing disasters, managing

emergencies, building National Society’s

response capacities and coordinating with a

wide range of humanitarian actors. He has a

law degree. He will be joined by his wife

and two children.

Afghanistan: Five-year

health agreement

The Afghan Red Crescent Society and the

Afghan Ministry of Health renewed a five-

year memorandum of understanding on 21

April. IFRC and ICRC supported the pro-

cess leading up to the signing. The agree-

ment provides for coordinated healthcare

throughout Afghanistan. It outlines how the

Red Crescent and ministry will cooperate

and coordinate. The renewed agreement

supports the Red Crescent’s ten health sub-

centres, 46 primary health centres and Ka-

bul District Hospital to provide high quality

and standard health services to the most

vulnerable people, especially women and

children.

SARD: New communi-

cations manager

Rosemarie North took up her position as

SARD communications and advocacy

manager on 8 June, replacing Maude

Froberg. A former newspaper reporter,

she began with the

Movement in 2003.

She has worked in

Africa, Asia and the

Pacific.

Her areas of work

are communications,

emergency commu-

nication, humanitari-

an diplomacy and beneficiary communi-

cation.

SARD: New resource

mobilization manager

Emilia Koski has over nine years profes-

sional and academic experience in re-

search and strategic

consulting, capacity

building, corporate

social responsibility

and organizational

development.

In previous positions,

she has executed stra-

tegic planning and

operational management with a number of

humanitarian and development organiza-

tions, among them Finnish Red Cross, and

was also based at the IFRC Asia Pacific

Zone Office as relationship manager up to

recently. She will be based in Sri Lanka

and cover the South Asia region.

Afghanistan: World

Red Cross Red Cres-

cent Day

On 8 May, World Red Cross Red Cres-

cent Day, the Afghan Red Crescent Socie-

ty pledged to fulfil its humanitarian man-

date of serving the most vulnerable peo-

ple.

IFRC South Asia DelegationB-55 A Paschimi Marg Vasant Vihar New Delhi , 110057 Delhi Tel.: +91 11 26154021 Fax: +91 11 26154025

Email: [email protected]

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May 2015 - International Federation of Red Cross … Pacific...3 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies SARD Delegation / Programme Update March–May 2015