As the situation continues to evolve in the region and changes occur with surprising speed, the humanitarian role played by National Societies in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere in the region is crucial. Ibrahim Osman, a senior International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) figure, gives his thoughts on the current situation.
With the situation still unfolding in Tripoli, and major protests and uprisings still ongoing in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere, what is your key message to the world regarding the Arab uprisings?
The IFRC stresses the need for all parties in the region to resolve their differences through dialogue rather than violence, and at the same time, facilitate humanitarian access to those in need in order to preserve the lives and dignity of all involved, especially the most vulnerable.
More specifically, we need to ensure, support and maintain the unity of the National Society to deliver humanitarian aid whatever the circumstances. We also need to enable the National Societies to rise to the challenge and deliver effectively emergency and humanitarian services in a neutral and impartial manner.
For this to happen we count on the generosity of our donors and urge them to contribute to helping us to deliver these urgent humanitarian services.
What is your strategy to help those National Societies deal with the situation?
This is the first time these countries and their National Societies are facing such a crisis. There is an urgent need to strengthen their operational management by upgrading systems, structures, operating procedures and training the staff and volunteers. They need support and capacity building.
Since the beginning in MENA we have been working to support National Societies on the ground to help them cope with the situations they are facing. We are providing financial support to cater for thousands of people, we are dispatching specialists and advisors to more effectively understand the situation and respond adequately to the events and more specifically to the humanitarian consequences of such events.
We are helping the National Societies to provide emergency help to wounded people, to provide first aid, medical supplies, psychosocial support, shelter, water and sanitation, distribution of relief items and logistics supports including contingency stock, in close coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The more so as the ICRC works to protect and assist people affected by armed conflict and internal violence.
What are the main challenges you face now and how can you overcome these?
Firstly, funding: The current IFRC operation in the MENA region is one of the biggest in the history of the zone (after the Bam earthquake response in Iran and emergency operations in Iraq) with an emergency appeal amounting to more than CHF 15 million and targeting up to 300,000 beneficiaries mainly in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Yemen and Libya. Coverage so far for the Libya section of the appeal (CHF 1.4 Million) is as low as seven per cent. We count on the generosity of our donors to cover these needs.
We are focussing on what we call ‘humanitarian diplomacy’, meaning how to influence decision makers in the MENA region over the importance of facilitating the work of aid agencies like the National Societies in accessing those in need and increasing the scale of our response without hindrance.
Of course the main bulk of our activities revolve around the capacity building of the National Societies. The emerging situation in MENA requires strong National Societies with the required organizational and operational capabilities to ensure effective delivery of services with enhanced performance and accountability. Likewise, in addition to placing a strong programme coordinator in Benghazi, the IFRC will also put in place an effective and strategic operational framework in support of the Libyan Red Crescent and the neighbouring National Societies in line with developments as they occur.
The humanitarian challenges are huge but we are not alone: we are working closely with the other parts of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement; participating National Societies and the ICRC. Today there are many partner National Societies working in the region to help us directly in dealing with the situation.
In such trying times for the MENA zone, we need to make people understand that the Red Cross Red Crescent is there to help those in need of emergency and humanitarian assistance and protection in an impartial, neutral and independent manner. We appreciate all the help we could get to facilitate our work and achieve our objectives.
Ibrahim Osman hails from Sudan. He has spent more than 24 years at the service of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) where he held many positions namely Deputy Secretary General and Director of Policy and Relations Division. Ibrahim Osman is presently the Director ad interim of the IFRC MENA zone office.