Lessons of war How the Syrian Arab Red Crescent rose to the challenges of civil war We need to talk about volunteering A new study questions the strength and reach of our volunteer network Red Cross Red Crescent Quiet killer Issue 2 . 2014 www.redcross.int Once on the decline, dengue fever has made a deadly comeback When the International Prisoners-of-War Agency was established by the ICRC 100 years ago this August, its objective was to trace people who had been separated from loved ones during the First World War. It was a huge task: during and after the war, agency volunteers processed tracing requests concerning nearly 2.5 million prisoners of war. With no form of mechanized data management then available, all requests were analysed, sorted, typed on index cards and filed for future use. For more, see our list of links at www.redcross.int. Lost in migration THE MAGAZINE OF THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT MOVEMENT Editorial The International Red Cross and A new chapter in Movement’s family links story retired air commodore with the years later, during the First World War, Indian armed forces, J.L. Bhargava the practice took on greater proportions, Red Crescent Movement is made up of the remembers his first encounter when some 7 million POWs were detained withA the Red Cross Red Crescent Move- and more than 20 million people were dis- ment. It was during the 1971 India–Paki- placed. The International Prisoners-of-War International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the stan war, when an ICRC delegate brought Agency, set up by the ICRC 100 years ago letters to the prisoner-of-war (POW) this August, ultimately delivered more camp where Bhargava was detained. than 1.8 million parcels to POWs during International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent “Strangely, everyone except me got at that conflict. least one letter,” recalls Bhargava, who shared his story on the blog of the ICRC’s Today, the communications revolution pro- New Delhi office as part of the Movement’s vides the illusion of universal connectivity. Societies (IFRC) and the National Societies. MyStory project (see page 26). “So every- Still, millions of people fall through the one got excited and all over the room they cracks, particularly during conflict, natu- In August 1914, the ICRC established the International were opening the letters. ral disaster or in detention settings (where Prisoners-of-War Agency to restore contact between communication is often restricted). prisoners of war and their families — and later, between “One of the ICRC representatives asked me, all people separated by war. Photo: ICRC International Federation of ‘You didn’t get a letter?’ I said: ‘No.’ I was One of our greatest challenges is how to Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies very perturbed. He said: ‘Next month, I will help the growing number of migrants, bring you a letter.’ The next month, when many of whom are stranded in camps, the mail came, I got five letters.” prisons or host communities far from home The International Committee of the Red The International Federation of Red Cross National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and their network of friends and family. Cross is an impartial, neutral and independent and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the embody the work and principles of the More than four decades later, 72-year-old The Movement’s history and expertise with organization whose exclusively humanitarian world’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian International Red Cross and Red Crescent Bhargava remembers these letters and the tracing and detention — and its worldwide mission is to protect the lives and dignity of network, reaching 150 million people each year Movement in more than 189 countries. National ICRC visits vividly — a testament to the en- network of National Societies — put it in a victims of armed conflict and other situations of through its 189 member National Societies. Societies act as auxiliaries to the public authorities during value that such messages and visits good position to help. Our cover story (Lost bring. Though not every attempt to trace in Migration, page 4) focuses on just one violence and to provide them with assistance. Together, the IFRC acts before, during and of their own countries in the humanitarian field a relative or deliver a message is success- example in which a National Society and The ICRC also endeavours to prevent suffering by and provide a range of services including disaster after disasters and health emergencies to meet ful, every day people around the world are the ICRC are working together to provide promoting and strengthening humanitarian law the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable relief, health and social programmes. During connected to loved ones thanks to the in- Restoring Family Links (RFL) services to de- and universal humanitarian principles. Established people. It does so with impartiality as to wartime, National Societies assist the affected dividual actions of Movement volunteers tained migrants. in 1863, the ICRC is at the origin of the Geneva nationality, race, gender, religious beliefs, class civilian population and support the army medical and staff. The first ICRC visit with prisoners of war took place at the Conventions and the International Red Cross and and political opinions. Guided by Strategy 2020 services where appropriate. Elsewhere around the world, National Soci- Gardelegen camp in Germany in 1915. Photo: ICRC Red Crescent Movement. It directs and coordinates — a collective plan of action to tackle the major Today, their work is backed up by an in- eties, the ICRC and the IFRC are engaged in creasingly sophisticated global tracing local and regional efforts to assist migrants; the international activities conducted by the humanitarian and development challenges of system that endeavours to keep pace tracing services offer an important means Movement in armed conflicts and other situations this decade — the IFRC is committed to ‘saving with the modern communications revo- of reaching out to vulnerable people on of violence. lives and changing minds’. lution while adapting to new challenges. the move. One example is the Migrants in Europe project, in which 18 European National But our collective response is still small Societies and the ICRC have teamed up compared to the vast scope of the prob- to help migrants search for relatives. They lem. Does the Movement have the capacity do so by allowing their own photographs and the will to scale up its RFL network to to be posted on a website, along with a meet this challenge? A century ago, the The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement simple message such as ‘looking for my First World War prompted a massive mobi- is guided by seven Fundamental Principles: brother’ or ‘looking for my husband’ (see lization that laid the foundation for today’s more at www.redcross.int). global RFL network. What would it take to humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. create a similar mobilization today? Send Today, it is estimated that there are some 220 million The notion that delivering news about your thoughts to [email protected]. migrants around the world. Many are being detained. family members during conflict is a vital Can the Movement’s history and expertise with tracing All Red Cross and Red Crescent activities have one central purpose: humanitarian action has been present Malcolm Lucard offer migrants an important humanitarian service in to help without discrimination those who suffer and thus contribute to peace in the world. since the Movement’s inception. Sixty Editor, Red Cross Red Crescent magazine certain cases? Photo: REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha ISSUE 2 . 2014 | RED CROSS RED CRESCENT | 1 In brief... Contents ISSUE 2 . 2014 . www.redcross.int Iraq conflict escalates town of Sinjar, the population has C FR With armed conflict escalating in grown from 23,000 people to more Iraq, the Movement is responding than 70,000 as people seek refuge to what has become a large-scale, from fighting in the nearby city of n n complex humanitarian crisis. Tal Afar. “We are hosting people Cover story 4 Health 20 The ICRC has distributed food, in schools, mosques, unfinished Lost in migration Quiet killer water and other aid to displaced buildings — we are offering our Photo: Katherine Mueller/I One hundred years after the establishment of Once nearly eliminated, dengue fever has made a people in numerous cities and own houses,” says branch director ‘Panic is the enemy’ when Ebola strikes the Central Tracing Agency and the International dramatic and deadly comeback. Episodic, isolated provided medical support and Muhammad Shariif. Prisoners-of-War Agency — both founded to better eradication campaigns are not enough to contain this Ever since ebola swept through eastern Sierra Leone this summer, 21-year-old supplies to local hospitals. “Many trace and protect people imprisoned or displaced preventable, mosquito-borne disease. 4. Lost in migration Julius Tamba Kamanda has been extremely busy performing a dangerous hospital personnel have fled because Korea Red Cross brings and crucial task. Kamanda belongs to the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society due to the First World War — the complex issue of of the danger, and there is a shortage dead body management team (pictured above), which often collects as many migration offers new challenges for the Movement’s n Interview 22 of medicines,” says Patrick Youssef, comfort and aid When a passenger ferry carrying 475 as 8 or 9 bodies per