KindRED Novemeber 2014 Newsletter

Credit: Katherine Mueller, IFRC

NOVEMBER 2014 | NEWSLETTER

 Red Cross aid worker in Kenema, Sierra Leone, responding to Ebola outbreak.

WHAT WOULD THEY DO WITHOUT YOU‌

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or many of us it is hard to imagine how conflict or widespread disease would affect our lives in the remoteness of New Zealand.

Our friends, families and loved ones would be separated, with no way to communicate or find each other. There would be a lack of food and clean drinking water. Homes, workplaces, schools and healthcare

facilities may be shut down, or worse, destroyed. How would we rebuild and survive?

Thankfully, over the past year, people like you have remained kind and caring, providing those who need it most with the resources and compassion they need, in New Zealand and in more than 25 countries around the world.

You have helped educate people in

disaster awareness and vital first aid skills, reconnected families from around the world and provided basic necessities such as shelter, food and clean water.

But most importantly you have provided safety, dignity, independence and hope.

Thank you for alleviating the pain and suffering of those who turn to you in times of crisis; you are a real humanitarian.

Credit: New Zealand Red Cross

Olivia Esei and her daughter stand in front of the remains of their home in Ha’apai, Tonga after Cyclone Ian hit their small remote village early this year.

PREPARING FOR THE INEVITABLE

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evastating tropical storms, as severe as Cyclone Ian, the category five cyclone that wreaked havoc on Tonga in January, are expected to hit the Pacific over the next six months but, thanks to you, we’re prepared.

The Pacific region is one of the most disaster prone in the world with high exposure to cyclones, tsunamis, floods, tidal surges, landslides, flash floods, droughts and volcanic eruptions. When hit by a disaster Pacific Island countries have limited human and financial resources to support recovery.

Right now, communities throughout the Pacific are gearing up for a fairly typical cyclone season from November through to April next year. ‘Typical’, however, can mean ‘disastrous’.

Experts monitoring the development of a strong weather pattern are forecasting up to ten tropical cyclones, up to five of which are likely to be highly destructive.

These extremely dangerous storms cause widespread destruction of homes,

NEW ZEALAND RED CROSS

crops and infrastructure and, sometimes, loss of life.

We can’t control nature but thanks to you we can support our neighbours in the Pacific to plan, prepare and respond quickly and effectively to any emergency.

Red Cross response to Cyclone Ian in January this year was standard.

Within hours of it striking Tonga’s remote Ha’apai islands local Red Cross volunteers were assessing the situation and providing immediate assistance with pre-positioned relief aid.

New Zealand Red Cross radios and satellite phones, which are vital to the local response teams, were also already in position.

Within days Red Cross aid workers were on the ground helping to build emergency shelters and distributing the blankets, tarpaulins, shelter kits, tools and kitchen sets that we had already supplied Tonga Red Cross in preparation for just such an event.

In April this year, the Solomon Islands

were devastated by severe flooding which killed 22 people and displaced 10,000. Once again, Red Cross was able to respond immediately by sending large quantities of disaster relief supplies.

Locals are always going to be first responders in any crisis which is why we are so grateful for your support, because it enables us to design programmes and deliver top-quality training to local populations.

Local volunteers during radio training exercise in Fiji.

Devastation in Samoa caused by Tropical Cyclone Evan, December 2012.

At the request of other Red Cross Societies we deliver first aid training, upskill local emergency response teams and share our expertise in water and sanitation, climate change adaptation, health and low-cost disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiatives.

For example, last year you have helped train 51 instructions in first aid in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and the Solomon Islands. We sent desalination units, designed to turn seawater into safe drinking water, to the Marshall Islands

and to Tonga and helped locals deal with drought conditions on their islands.

We also sent a water and sanitation aid worker to run a refresher desalination training course in the Cook Islands so they could prepare for similar situations.

These are just some examples of how your generous and kind donations are being used in the Pacific and how they are likely to be used again during the upcoming cyclone season. So thank you.

You are the lifeblood of Red Cross. We couldn’t do it without you.

Credit: Neil Mackenzie

“It was war and our house was damaged and we were all under threat for our lives.”

Hassaini family arrives in Wellington

RECONNECTING LOVED ONES

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t took more than a decade for the Hassaini family to be reunited. More than 10 years of birthdays and holidays spent apart, milestones and achievements missed.

The family, originally from Afghanistan, was forced to flee to Pakistan. Sherin Jan Hassaini remembers:

Her eldest son Ali had to leave before the rest of the family, alone and looking for somewhere he could live in safety.

His long and perilous journey ended when he found a home in New Zealand, but until then his mother didn’t know where he was. Was his life still in danger? Sherin describes worrying what had happened to him.

“They were very horrible days for me. I was night after night crying all the time and I was praying all the time to see him again.”

Imagine the relief she must have felt, knowing her son was safe and well, hearing his voice again for the first time in years.

Fortunately, Red Cross was able to help and eventually everything was in place for Ali’s family to come to New Zealand.

WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY ɠɠ Have an evacuation plan that the whole family knows. ɠɠ Know where your nearest community emergency centre is. ɠɠ Keep some stocks of fresh water and canned food for emergencies. ɠɠ Listen to the radio for emergency information.

Sherin and her children flew to Wellington and on the doorstep of her new home Sherin waited nervously for the son she had not seen in over 10 years.

“I started crying when he opened the door and fell into my arms.”

Finally, after so many years and experiences, she and her family are reunited and have somewhere safe to live In New Zealand where they can rebuild their lives.

Many people worked to bring this family back together, but it would not have happened without the support of people like you. Thank you for helping to reunite a mother and son.

“It was with your help that made this happen. We’re very happy even though we had a very tough life at the beginning,” Sherin says.

KINDRED NEWSLETTER

NATIONAL OFFICE PO Box 12140, Wellington 69 Molesworth Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6144 Phone: 0800 697 277 Email: projectpartners@redcross.org.nz Website: www.redcross.org.nz @NZRedCross

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Photo: ICRC

NEW ZEALAND TO PLAY ITS ROLE IN GLOBAL REGULATION OF WEAPONS

Red Cross aid worker Gail (right) helping the injured in Gaza after conflict broke out.

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aza. Syria. Ukraine. The front pages of our newspapers are filled daily with stories of armed conflict. It’s estimated that half a million men, women and children are killed every year by armed conflict and this does not include the lives lost indirectly when people trapped in conflicts are denied access to healthcare, water or food.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo alone, more than five million people have died as a result of armed conflict since 1998. That’s more than the entire population of New Zealand.

With conflict having such devastating consequences, it’s hard to believe that until last year we lived in a world where bananas and postage stamps were tightly regulated, but weapons were not.

In March of last year, governments among the United Nations voted for an Arms Trade Treaty. The treaty prohibits the transfer of weapons if there is an overriding risk that they will be used to violate human rights or commit war crimes and thus violate international

INSPIRED ADVENTURES

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ew Zealand Red Cross is excited to announce the official launch of our 12-day cycle adventure, exploring the wonderful jungles, temples and villages of Cambodia.

Cycle this once in a lifetime opportunity through Cambodia with Red Cross.

As you are already a kind and caring

humanitarian law (IHL). With the potential to reduce suffering and loss of life caused by illegal weapon transfers around the world, the impact of the treaty cannot be underestimated.

New Zealand Red Cross has assisted the New Zealand Government in the path to ratification of this treaty.

The road to get here has been far from easy. It has required civil society, including New Zealand Red Cross, to work tirelessly advocating for change.

The result makes it well worth the effort with the potential to save millions of innocent lives. It’s your support that makes this possible. Thank you.

supporter of New Zealand Red Cross we wanted to give you the opportunity to find out first. Perhaps you know someone who would like to go on this trip of a lifetime with New Zealand Red Cross?

If you do know someone or think you would like to join us, please let us know by emailing getfundraising@ redcross.org.nz or call 09 280 3339.