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News Pakistan: teaching journalists to save lives 27-7-2010 News release 22-7-2010 Operational update Section ICRC operations in Asia and the Pacific Activities throughout the world: a country-by-country round-up of the ICRC’s work in Asia and the Pacific. The ICRC maintains extensive operations in Asia and the Pacific allowing it to respond to the needs of people affected by armed conflict and violence. Its biggest operation in the region remains Afghanistan, where the conflict has intensified and spread over the last year.
©ICRC/Norman Ng/lk-e-00173
Sri Lanka. Kantale Camp for displaced persons, August 2006.
Despite security restraints, the ICRC continues to conduct major assistance operations in collaboration with the Afghan Red Crescent. In Pakistan, medical assistance is high on the agenda after violence in Waziristan resumed in the middle of 2007 and spilled over into other areas that had previously been calm. In Sri Lanka, as well as providing shelter and other essential aid to conflict-affected people, the ICRC continues to run a major water and sanitation programme for those displaced by fighting, returnees and residents. In many of the region's countries that the ICRC covers, delegates will continue to visit detainees and will seek to visit others not yet visited. In all contexts where IHL applies, the ICRC will keep on reminding the parties to hostilities of their obligation to protect those not or no longer taking part in the fighting.
 Key document27-5-2010 Sri Lanka: recovering from conflict One year on from the end of hostilities, Sri Lanka is in transition from conflict to reconstruction and recovery. For the ICRC a lot remains to be done to meet the needs of conflict victims, including detainees and their families, amputees and other disabled people, displaced people and returnees. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Sri Lanka) Operational update 20-5-2010 Thailand: precarious security situation hinders medical evacuations While still unable to enter the affected parts of the city, the ICRC stands ready to facilitate medical care and act as a neutral intermediary. Christian Brunner heads the ICRC's delegation in Bangkok. As he explains, the ICRC is once again calling on all sides to observe humanitarian standards and to show respect for life. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Thailand) Interview Annual Report19-5-2010 Asia & the Pacific - ICRC Annual Report 2009In 2009, the ICRC continued to respond to the needs of people affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence in Asia and the Pacific and focused on addressing issues where its expertise, neutrality and independence brought added value. The deterioration of the situations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines (before the suspension of military operations) and Sri Lanka (prior to the end of active hostilities) required the ICRC to increase its budget for each of those contexts in the face of unforeseen or escalating needs. (Info resources\Annual Report\2009) Annual Report Includes PDF Audio Collection15-2-2010 Pakistan: stories from the front lines In the severely conflict-affected North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan, the radio is the most popular source of information and entertainment. The following are the stories of people deeply affected by the violence in these areas and how the ICRC stepped in to help them. They were widely aired on Pakistani radio in November and December 2009. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Pakistan) Audio Collection Includes Audio Feature7-7-2010 Nepal: watch out for those explosive remnants of war The conflict in Nepal ended nearly four years ago. However the explosive remnants of war it left behind still pose a threat to the population. Monica Upadhyay talks about joint ICRC and Nepalese Red Cross work to alert the public to this menace. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Nepal) Feature Includes Photo 23-6-2010 Afghanistan: first national wheelchair-basketball tournament  In Afghanistan landmines pose a great risk to the population. A lot of people who survive landmine incidents are maimed and confined to a wheelchair permanently. In her work at an ICRC physical rehabilitation centre, Yvonne Jansen meets many who manage to find a silver lining. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Feature Includes Photo 3-6-2010 Viet Nam: fighting a deadly legacy In Central Viet Nam, families across generations suffer the consequences of unexploded devices dating back to the war of the 1960s and 1970s. With help from the ICRC, the Vietnamese Red Cross is fighting the scourge. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Viet Nam) Feature Includes Photo 26-3-2010 Philippines: inmates and prison staff work together to stop TB Significant numbers of inmates at the Philippine national penitentiary are affected by tuberculosis, otherwise known as TB. The ICRC’s Allison Lopez recently met with prisoners and health staff to learn more about their efforts to stop TB from spreading inside New Bilibid Prison. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines) Feature Includes Photo 17-3-2010 Philippines: saving lives in Antipolo City Jail Overcrowding is a menace to health in many prisons in the Philippines. Yet something can be done – as one determined warden, armed with support from her hierarchy and from the ICRC, has shown. The ICRC’s Allison Lopez reports. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines) Feature Includes Photo 15-3-2010 Pakistan: growing rehabilitation facilities bring new life to amputees Demand for artificial limbs in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, is high and increasing, as patients flood in from Waziristan, and the border areas of Afghanistan, Sindh and Punjab. An ICRC-managed rehabilitation facility in Quetta is helping to give a growing number of amputees a new life. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Pakistan) Feature Includes Photo 11-1-2010 Myanmar: story of a mine victimSixty-year-old U Hpa Da is recovering at Nakornping Hospital in Chiang Mai in Thailand, following surgery. In a conversation with the ICRC’s Siripan Wandee, he recounts the events that landed him in hospital. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Myanmar) Feature Field newsletter16-2-2010 Sri Lanka: new beginnings for local communities - ICRC livelihood projects 2008 – 2009In 2008 and 2009, the ICRC continued to support communities to resume or strengthen their primary and secondary livelihood activities in agriculture, fishing, craft and trade sectors. During the 2-year period, a total of 51 projects were implemented in the Northern and Eastern provinces which assisted 45'708 beneficiaries of Muslim, Sinhalese and Tamil origin. Projects were implemented based on a thorough analysis of needs, availability of resources and considering people's capacities. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Sri Lanka) Field newsletter Includes PDF 19-1-2010 ICRC in Pakistan: delegation newsletter - November-December 2009A round-up of activities carried out by the ICRC in Pakistan (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Pakistan) Field newsletter Includes PDF 17-12-2009 Newsletter of the ICRC regional delegation in BangkokA round-up of activities carried out by the ICRC in Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam and Laos (November 2009). (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Thailand) Field newsletter Includes PDF Interview28-7-2010 Nepal: needs continue after the guns fall silent The Nepalese peace agreement dates from 2006. But four years on, the ICRC is still helping people deal with the aftermath. Working with the Nepalese Red Cross, the ICRC is helping families find out what has happened to missing relatives, getting mine victims back into society and pressing for international humanitarian law to be included in the new Nepalese constitution. ICRC Head of Delegation Patrick Vial explains. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Nepal) Interview 21-4-2010 Philippines: working towards health and dignity in overcrowded places of detentionThroughout decades of internal armed conflicts in the Philippines, the ICRC has been visiting persons deprived of liberty and assisting people in need. In cooperation with the national authorities, the ICRC has launched the "Call for Action" programme to address legal and procedural problems leading to overcrowding in jails, concerns regarding inmate health, in particular the spread of tuberculosis, and poor living conditions. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines) Interview 9-4-2010 Amid war and crime: humanitarian aid in high-risk environments In some conflict areas, the ICRC has only limited access due to insecurity. This is the case, for example, in parts of Somalia, Yemen and Afghanistan. Despite these difficulties it is still possible to help victims of armed conflict. The ICRC's deputy director of operations, Dominik Stillhart, explains how. (Focus\Debate on humanitarian action) Interview Includes Photo 6-11-2009 Afghanistan: ICRC maintains neutral, independent, humanitarian assistanceDespite a recent attack on a guest house in Kabul housing United Nations personnel, the ICRC is continuing its efforts to help Afghans affected by the armed conflict. The organization’s neutrality and independence, intensive dialogue with all sides and the trust of ordinary Afghans are enabling the ICRC to provide aid where it is most needed. Reto Stocker is the ICRC’s head of delegation in Afghanistan. He explains how the ICRC continues to work in this challenging context. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Interview Operational update22-7-2010 Afghanistan: spring floods force thousands in conflict-affected areas to flee Heavy flooding in conflict-affected northern and western Afghanistan has forced thousands to flee their homes and seek shelter elsewhere. The ICRC and the Afghan Red Crescent provided emergency aid for over 40,000 people – many of them in dangerous or remote areas – in May and June. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Operational update Includes Photo 25-5-2010 Afghanistan: ICRC steps up efforts to help the sick and woundedFighting, mines and road blocks are preventing many people in the conflict-affected areas of Afghanistan from getting to hospital. The ICRC is reacting by training local surgeons in war surgery skills and giving basic first-aid training to people directly involved in the fighting. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Operational update 14-4-2010 Afghanistan: homemade bombs and improvised mines kill and maim civilians in south Homemade bombs and improvised mines continue to pose a major threat to civilians in the south of Afghanistan. In the last few weeks, ICRC medical personnel at Mirwais regional hospital in Kandahar have observed a substantial increase in casualties. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Afghanistan) Operational update Includes Photo 11-12-2009 Cambodia: ICRC action continues after 30 years of presenceCambodians suffered almost continuous war, deadly political clashes and violence between 1969 and 1999. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives and millions were forced to leave their homes. In 1979, the ICRC launched one of its biggest relief operations ever in cooperation with UNICEF, providing food to tens of thousands. This operational update covers the period January-October 2009. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Cambodia) Operational update Includes Photo Video Collection26-5-2010 Philippines: water and conflict in the Visayas The small community of Mabini is located in a remote part of the Visayas region with little access to basic services. Regular clashes between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the New People's Army hamper development and force civilians to flee their homes and seek shelter elsewhere. Drinking water poses a problem. The only source is located two and a half kilometres away. ICRC engineers have begun to extract water from a nearby spring, to help both residents and the displaced. (Info resources\Video) Video Collection Includes Video 25-5-2010 Philippines: improving health care for residents and displaced people On Mindanao Island, more than 500,000 people were displaced in August 2008 after violent clashes erupted between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the army. Rural health facilities were overwhelmed. The ICRC renovated some premises, brought in essential medicines and supported staff in their daily activities. Rachma Usman is a midwife. She covers five different health centres on her own. Azineth Guiapal is a displaced mother of three who regularly visits Rachma. They share their thoughts at the Libungan Toreta health centre. (Info resources\Video) Video Collection Includes Video 13-1-2010 Be the change that you want to see in the world! For more than 150 years, the ICRC has responded to the needs of the victims of violence all over the world. Lots remain to be done to assist the most vulnerable. Famous cricket player Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actress Nandita Das give their voice to the Red Cross/Red Crescent call for voluntarism. The onus is on each one of us to make our planet a better place to live. (Info resources\Video) Video Collection Includes Video More in this section10-12-2009 Cambodia: history of ICRC activities The ICRC first operated in Cambodia between 1965 and 1975, working in close cooperation with the Cambodian Red Cross Society to provide assistance and protection to civilians affected by armed conflict. The ICRC returned to the country in 1979 and has been operational ever since. Currently, the organization focuses on detainee welfare and physical rehabilitation for the victims of mines and unexploded remnants of war. (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Cambodia)  |
