A Nnual R Eport 2005

A NNUAL R EPORT 2005 The Irish Red Cross 16 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 16 Cearnóg Mhuirfeann, Baile Átha Cliath 2 Tel./Fón: +353 1 676 5135 /6 /7 Fax/Facs: +353 1 661 4461 E-mail/R-phost: [email protected] www.redcross.ie Irish Red Cross Registered Charity Number: CHY 3950 Crois Dhearg na hÉireann HUMANITY: THE RED CROSS ENDEAVOURS - IN ITS INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL CAPACITY - TO PREVENT AND ALLEVIATE HUMAN SUFFERING WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND. ITS PURPOSE IS TO PROTECT LIFE AND HEALTH AND TO ENSURE RESPECT FOR THE HUMAN BEING. IMPARTIALITY: THE RED CROSS MAKES NO DISCRIMINATION AS TO NATIONALITY, RACE, RELIGIOUS BELIEF, CLASS OR POLITICAL OPINIONS. IT ENDEAVOURS TO RELIEVE THE SUFFERING OF INDIVIDUALS, BEING GUIDED SOLELY BY THEIR NEEDS, AND TO GIVE PRIORITY TO THE MOST URGENT CASES. NEUTRALITY: THE RED CROSS MAY NOT TAKE SIDES IN HOSTILITIES OR ENGAGE IN CONTROVERSIES OF A POLITICAL, RACIAL, RELIGIOUS OR IDEOLOGICAL NATURE. INDEPENDENCE: THE RED CROSS MUST ALWAYS MAINTAIN THEIR AUTONOMY SO THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE AT ALL TIMES TO ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RED CROSS PRINCIPLES. VOLUNTARY SERVICE: THE RED CROSS IS A VOLUNTARY RELIEF ORGANISATION, AND IS NOT PROMPTED IN ANY MANNER BY DESIRE FOR GAIN. UNITY: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE RED CROSS SOCIETY IN ANY ONE COUNTRY. IT MUST BE OPEN TO ALL. IT MUST CARRY OUT ITS HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT ITS TERRITORY. UNIVERSALITY: THE RED CROSS IS A WORLDWIDE INSTITUTION IN WHICH ALL SOCIETIES HAVE EQUAL STATUS AND IN WHICH ALL SHARE EQUAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES TO HELP EACH OTHER. (RED CROSS PRINCIPLES) Contents 3 Geneva Conventions 4 Red Cross Principles 5 Chairman’s Foreword 6 Secretary General’s Foreword 7 World Activities 9 Ireland 10 Ireland Action 11 Red Cross People 12 Caring in the Community 13 Training 15 Youth 16 Competitions 17 Competitions Winners 19 President’s Support 20 Search and Rescue 21 Overseas 23 Tsunami Response 24 Maldives & Indian Ocean Islands 25 Indonesia 27 Sri Lanka 29 Niger & Burkina Faso 31 Sudan 33 Liberia & Uganda 34 Malawi 35 Pakistan 36 Iran 37 USA & Colombia 38 Other Countries & Reuniting Families 39 Fundraising & Communications 41 Donors 43 Summary Accounts 45 Photograph Captions GENEVA CONVENTIONS I: AMELIORATION OF THE CONDITION OF THE WOUNDED AND SICK IN ARMED FORCES IN THE FIELD II: AMELIORATION OF THE CONDITION OF WOUNDED, SICK AND SHIPWRECKED MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES AT SEA III: TREATMENT OF PRISONERS OF WAR IV: PROTECTION OF CIVILIAN PERSONS IN TIME OF WAR PROTOCOL I: THE PROTECTION OF THE VICTIMS OF INTERNATIONAL ARMED CONFLICTS PROTOCOL II: THE PROTECTION OF THE VICTIMS OF NON-INTERNATIONAL ARMED CONFLICTS 3 Red Cross Principles HUMANITY: The Red Cross endeavours - in its international and national capacity - to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found. Its purpose is to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being. IMPARTIALITY: The Red Cross makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious belief, class or political opinions. It endeavours to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely by their needs, and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress. NEUTRALITY: The Red Cross may not take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature. INDEPENDENCE: The Red Cross must always maintain its autonomy so that it may be able at all times to act in accordance with Red Cross principles. VOLUNTARY SERVICE: The Red Cross is a voluntary relief organisation not prompted in any manner by desire for gain. UNITY: There can be only one Red Cross Society in any one country. It must be open to all. It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout its territory. UNIVERSALITY: The Red Cross is a world-wide institution in which all societies have equal status and share equal responsibilities and duties in helping each other. 4 Chairman’s Foreword This year saw the Irish Red Cross respond swiftly and professionally to one of the worst-ever recorded disasters, the tsunami that struck 12 countries in Asia and Africa on 26 December 2004. The immediate response of the Irish Red Cross saw more funds raised than at any other time in its history – securing a total of €31 million for the people affected. This response would not have been possible were it not for the immense generosity of our members and our donors who rallied to the call for help in the days following the disaster. Our own members, the gardaí, civil defence, businesses and private individuals worked around the clock to raise as much funds as possible to help the people of the stricken countries. From large corporate bodies to private individuals, the scale and speed of the response was outstanding. It is this spirit that enabled us to respond to the other major disasters overseas throughout 2005, a year that was scarred by human sadness. These included the chronic food shortages that swept through Niger and other countries in Sahel Africa, the devastating Hurricane Katrina that struck New Orleans and elsewhere in the United States of America and the earthquake that ravaged Pakistan. And it is also this spirit that enabled our volunteers throughout Ireland to respond to the needs at home. Poignantly, as the eyes of the world trailed the work done by the Red Cross in the tsunami-affected countries, here in Ireland members of the Irish Red Cross from all over the country joined colleagues in Cork working on the search for the missing Middleton schoolboy Robert Holohan. This search, which ultimately ended with the tragic discovery of young Robert’s remains, was one of scores of search and rescue operations undertaken by Irish Red Cross volunteers throughout the year. 2005 saw the first call-out for our new inshore lifeboat on Loughs Corrib and Mask in the west while the round-the-clock vigilance of our long-serving mountain rescue volunteers saw them respond in all weathers to search for lost and injured hillwalkers. Our ability to provide these services relies on the support of the Irish government, particularly the Department of Defence, the Department of Health and Children, and Irish Aid (formerly Development Co-operation Ireland) as well as on the generosity of numerous donors. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to them and I would also like to thank each and every individual who gave their time either as Irish Red Cross members, or as volunteers on special projects such as the tsunami and thank the thousands of people who supported our work by giving sums of money, both large and small, that enabled our work this year in assisting those who were most in need. David Andrews, Chairman 5 Secretary General’s Foreword The year 2005 has been one of the busiest and most productive on record, for the Irish Red Cross, with demonstrable growth in all areas. Starting with the tsunami, the year '05 saw increases in human suffering and a commensurate need for faster, more effective responses than ever before. The Irish Red Cross played a much greater role in this response than at any time in recent years, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our members and our staff. Undoubtedly, the sum of €31 million raised in public donations for the tsunami was one of the greatest single achievements of the year. To ensure that money was and continues to be wisely invested, the Irish Red Cross developed its own overseas operations, for the first time since World War II. Following the success of these operations in Sri Lanka and Indonesia, we pursued a pro-active policy in this regard, developing distinctively Irish Red Cross operations in Niger and Malawi as well as winning major public support for our appeals to assist people in Pakistan and in New Orleans. Income for specific appeals rose tenfold on the previous year, totalling more than €35.7 million. The upward trend in figures for our overseas activities was matched by comparable growth in activities here in Ireland and for our Tracing and Red Cross Message services that cross borders. This year new Tracing enquiries more than doubled and new enquiries to our Red Cross Message service rose by a third. The high standard of our training for the public, for workers and for our own members saw demand rise in these areas, with strong growth especially in Occupational First Aid which rose by 48%. Training for our own volunteers grew also, with the number of qualified trainers up significantly. Meanwhile, the number of volunteers reaching the new top standard of First Aid - Emergency Medical First Responder rose by a quarter on last year. Training also grew in areas beyond our traditional base of First Aid. Figures show an increase of 45% in training in Therapeutic Hand Care and the numbers for those being trained as Carers also rose by just under a third. I would like to welcome new members to the Irish Red Cross and to thank both them and our existing members for all their hard work throughout the year, particularly those who serve on our national Executive Committee, Central Council and Working Groups. I would also like to thank our staff whose unceasing work has enabled the organisation to achieve so much. Finally, I offer my sincerest thanks to all our donors, large and small, private, state and corporate for their generous funding of our programmes throughout 2005. Carmel Dunne Secretary General 6 Irish Red Cross Crois Dhearg na hÉireann IRELAND PROFILE 14.5% increase across all training courses; 48% increase in workplace • Ireland First Aid training; €3.7 million investment in

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