The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is launching an appeal to cover long-term programmes for 2006 and 2007.

The Federation is asking for almost 430 million Swiss francs (€ 278 million/US$333 million) to cover long term programmes in the field of health and disaster preparedness. These activities ultimately aim at strengthening the capacity of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in order to find sustainable ways of reducing the vulnerability of populations to disasters and other crises.

“The reason the appeal document covers the next 24 months is that it facilitates planning, especially for our Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,” says International Federation Secretary General Markku Niskala. “It will also make it easier to set up implementation schedules and to include in our programmes a monitoring and evaluation phase.”

Some 39% of the appeal (almost 165 million Swiss francs, € 107million/US$127million) is for Africa, where key concerns include ensuring food security for particularly vulnerable populations, such as in the Sahel and in southern Africa, where hunger is exacerbating the devastating HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The fight against polio, measles and malaria, diseases which are among the main causes of child mortality, is also a priority. A large part of the appeal funds for Africa (65%) is earmarked to fund health and care programmes.

The Asia-Pacific region will absorb the second-largest part of the funds being requested, accounting for 23% of the total appeal, nearly 100 million Swiss francs (€ 65million/US$ 77million). In this region, where 60% of the world’s disasters occur, the major part of the appeal funds (54%) will also be devoted to health programmes, to address issues which include public health emergencies such as dengue fever and avian flu.

Mitigating the impact of hurricanes in the Caribbean by strengthening disaster preparedness in the Americas will continue to be a priority in that part of the world for Red Cross Societies, with support from the Federation. Nearly 40 % of the 2006-7 programming funds earmarked for the region will go to disaster management activities. Urgent health threats and violence in society will also be addressed in the new two-year appeal.

In Europe and Central Asia, particular attention will be given to health and care programmes (38% of appeal funds for the region), in order to fight tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, as well as the fatal combination of the two, which is particularly devastating for young people, especially injecting drug users. Programmes to help victims of human trafficking are also high on the Federation’s agenda to help the most vulnerable people in that part of the world.

Trafficking in human beings is also of particular concern in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region and is an issue which requires cross-regional cooperation between Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Health and care programmes will account for 24% of the appeal funds sought for MENA, not only to complement public health services where needed, but increasingly to meet community health needs and help significant migrant and refugee groups. In addition, thousands of people each year are victims of drought, earthquakes and floods, and must be helped. This accounts for the 27% part allotted to disaster management in the region.

“The year 2005 will be remembered as an unprecedented year of disasters and emergencies,” Markku Niskala points out, citing the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004, the famine in Niger, the crisis in Darfur, the devastating hurricane season in the Caribbean and the Americas and the massive October earthquake in northern India and Pakistan. 

“We have come to the conclusion that, unless there is a fundamental change in emphasis from response to preparedness, global resources to respond adequately and in a timely manner to an increase in disaster-linked demands, will be overstretched in the years to come,” concludes the Federation secretary general. “Millions of people may not have access to the assistance they need if resources are insufficient.”