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UNHCR calls on countries to stop repatriating Haitians
Red Cross offers advice on burying dead
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) -The International Red Cross (ICRC) opened a missing person’s site following the Haiti earthquake, Family Links, Wednesday evening 13 January. It has registered 14,000 messages in less than two days, says Robert Zmmerman, deputy head of the ICRC Central Tracing Agency and Protection Division in Geneva. The ICRC is working closely with the Haitian Red Cross Society, as well as several other national societies, to connect those who are missing, or knowledge of them, and their families.
At the moment there are”primarily two users,” Zimmerman told GenevaLunch. “People outside Haiti and those who are able to register, to make themselves known.” But he adds, this is obviously limiting as long as communication lines are down. Many people “won’t be able to register themselves so we have people, our colleagues, who are feeding in information about the injured” or dead as they find it – in hospitals and on the streets in Haiti. “This is being set up right now, on the spot, but we don’t have details yet for how this is going to go. We’re faced with the same communications problems with our own staff.”
People seeking information about persons missing in Haiti are advised to use the Family Links site. The list can be viewed publicly.
Update 12:10 Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The US intends to negotiate a legally binding protocol on cluster munitions under the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), says Harold Hongju Koh, legal advisor to the US Department of State.
Shadu, age 3, has lost his mother, DR Congo (image: ICRC June 2009, P Yazdi)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – More than half of the civilians directly touched by the world’s eight major conflicts have been displaced, and half say they have lost contact with a family member. One in five have lost their livelihood.
These are some of the findings of a statistical and interview set of surveys ordered by the International Red Cross (ICRC), based in Geneva, to ascertain the extent to which civilians today are affected by major conflicts.
The greatest fears mentioned by people surveyed:
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Several international aid agencies working with internally displaced people (IDPs) in northwest Pakistan have called for a more rapid deployment of funds in order to help the estimated 2.4 million (IDPs) who fled fighting in the Swat valley in May 2009, even as more arrive daily from the conflict areas. Most of the IDPs have found shelter not in camps but with friends and family. This hospitality is now being sorely tested as more and more families are arriving at camps, says the UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees).
"Silver Heroe" exhibit, Sister Madonna Buder, age 78, triathlon
St Gallen, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The ICRC (International Red Cross) has been awarded the Prix des Générations 2009 by the World Demographic Association (WDA), given annually to an international personality or institution in acknowledgement of significant lifelong contributions to the well-being of several generations.
The prize carries a cash award of CHF 50,000 and has been given for the first time to an organization. The four previous winners are: Helmut Schmidt (2005), Václav Havel (2006), Waris Dirie (2007) and Mary Robinson (2008).
Renens, Vaud, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The first team of volunteers at the train station in Renens went to work 3 June to help travelers and keep the calm. The volunteer project is part of the CFF rail company programme to reduce vandalism and violence. Renens, canton Vaud police and the CFF rail company joined forces to train the volunteers, who will work at the station every evening.
Similar systems have been in place in Yverdon and Aigle for several months and are linked to a larger CFF programme that includes Big Brothers working on trains, particularly evenings, to reduce violence.
Photo: IFRC
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Zimbabwe will mark its 100,000th case of cholera this week or next, says the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC. Almost 4,300 people have died of the disease since its outbreak in August 2008.
By students at Collège Voltaire, Geneva
Abruzzo, Italy, May 2009 (photo, Gabriele Tosi, Order of Malta, reproduced with permission)
Although the Swiss Red Cross has already sent help to the victims of the Italian earthquake that devastated the town of Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy 6 April 2009, Italy still needs donations. The Swiss association sent 200 tents and CHF 300,000.
Up to a hundred civilians died in Afghanistan following US air strikes against Taliban militants active in the region.
The civilians, including women and children, had been caught up in fighting between Afghan government forces and the Taliban in the western district of Farah.
The Taliban reportedly attacked a police checkpoint, then took refuge in a nearby village targeted by US forces.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, currently in Washington to meet with President Barack Obama, has ordered an investigation.
Andreas Notter (image © 2009 T Gassmann, ICRC)
Geneva, Switzerland (TSR, Fre and ICRC) – Swiss ICRC (International Red Cross) employee Andreas Notter, back in Switzerland after he escaped his captors in the Philippines 19 April, told journalists at a press conference today that he was not freed by force by the Philippines army, one of the stories circulating about his move to freedom.
Title: Photography Exhibit: Stigmata
Location: Geneva
Link out: Click here
Description: An exhibition organised by the Musee de l’Elysee, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum highlighting pictures of people and places dealing with situations of crisis.
Start Date: 09 Mar 2009
End Date: 26 Jul 2009
Updated 19 March 08:30 Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A Philippines senator said 19 March that rebels holding three ICRC (International Red Cross) employees in the Philippines have agreed to release one of them, according to the local Red Cross Thursday. The three hostages include one Swiss. Wednesday the rebels, who were in a gunfire battle with government forces early this week, threatened to behead one of the hostages if they were attacked again.
Title: Children’s activities: visit to the Red Cross museum
Location: Geneva
Link out: Click here
Description: The Red Cross and Red Crescent museum and the International School of Geneva tell you in young words about the museum.
In English, for kids 8 to 16 years of age and their parents.
Free entrance to those under 16 years of age. No booking required.
Date: 22 Mar 2009
ICRC, Red Cross activities in Philippines, 2009 (map © ICRC)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Geneva-based ICRC (International Red Cross) confirmed Wednesday that Lady Ann Sahidulla, vice-governor of Sulu Island and chair of the Sulu Red Cross in the Philippines, was able to visit the three Red Cross workers who were kidnapped 15 January while returning from a visit to a prison. The three have been in regular phone contact with the Red Cross and appear to be healthy and calm.
