WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- When the Indian Ocean tsunami washed
away coastlines of more than a dozen countries on December 26, 2004,
communities around the world responded with overwhelming generosity. Today,
one of the largest coordinated relief efforts ever mounted is helping to
restore hope to the survivors of this disaster and the American Red Cross is
one of many humanitarian organizations still working to help tsunami
survivors. More than 10 million people have been assisted by the American Red
Cross tsunami relief and recovery efforts.
With more than $567 million received, the American Red Cross is
implementing and overseeing programs united by a common theme -- community
restoration. By working with local communities, the Red Cross ensures that
these programs are comprehensive and sustainable.
In June 2005, the American Red Cross established the long-term Tsunami
Recovery Program, which focuses on an identified set of core competencies:
community health and disease control, disaster preparedness and community
restoration and rebuilding. While we have transitioned to providing long-term
recovery support, we are still responding to ongoing humanitarian needs in the
most severely affected areas. With the help and support of our partners, from
both within and outside the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
(Movement), we are able to avoid duplication of services and streamline relief
and recovery efforts to reach survivors as quickly and effectively as
possible.
The strength of the American Red Cross comes from being part of the
overall Movement. We operate internationally with the assistance and
coordination of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies, which consists of 183 national societies around the world. For
this disaster, we work closely with host Red Cross and Red Crescent societies,
local governments and our other valuable partners such as NGOs and United
Nations agencies.
"Having just returned from the region, it was inspiring to see communities
themselves, assisted by the Red Cross, involved in their own recovery
efforts," said Gerald Anderson, senior director, Tsunami Recovery Program.
Ongoing American Red Cross Programs:
* The campaign to eradicate polio in Indonesia is targeted to reach 23.4
million children -- the third round is scheduled for late November.
* Our cash for work community clean up programs are operating in 19
villages in Indonesia and in Matara and Hambatota in Sri Lanka. These
programs provide short-term income for tsunami survivors, while helping
to create a cleaner and healthier environment. The programs will
benefit approximately 18,000 people.
* In Tanzania and Indonesia, we've reached over 7.8 million beneficiaries
with our measles campaign, bed nets to prevent malaria and other health
services.
* Our psychosocial support programming has been conducted in the Maldives
and is currently ongoing in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Institutes of
higher learning are adopting our program model into their curricula.
These programs aim to reach over 400,000 people.
* The American Red Cross is working on water and sanitation projects on
the remote island of Pulo Aceh, Indonesia, and we are developing
additional plans to reach 140 villages in the months ahead. Together,
our water and sanitation projects are targeted to reach over one million
people.
* We are in the early phase of our disaster preparedness planning, where
we will provide guidance for family linking activities and increase the
capacity of local Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and communities
to prepare for and respond to disasters.
For a more comprehensive list of American Red Cross Tsunami Recovery
Program projects and statistics, please visit our website,
http://www.redcross.org/tsunamirelief.
The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors --
across the street, across the country and across the world -- in emergencies.
Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters
turn to neighbors familiar and new -- the nearly 1 million volunteers and
35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Through almost 800 locally supported
chapters, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for
and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Some 4
million people give blood -- the gift of life -- through the Red Cross, making
it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The
Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their
families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red
Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of 183 national societies,
the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable
people. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of
time, money, and blood to do its work. Marsha J. Evans is the President and
CEO of the American Red Cross.
SOURCE American Red Cross
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Related links:
http://www.redcross.org/tsunamirelief
http://www.redcross.org
CONTACT:
American Red Cross Public Affairs Desk,
+1-202-303-5551, or Michael Oko of American Red Cross,
+1-202-303-6820
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