Asia Programs
Bangladesh • Cambodia • China • India • Indonesia • Maldives • Nepal Philippines • Sri Lanka • Thailand • Viet Nam
The World’s Largest Humanitarian Network
Our Response
Asia faces disasters of all types, including cyclones, floods, earthquakes and conflict. The region’s vulnerability is exacerbated by trends such as urbanization, environmental degradation and climate change. In 2008, more than 175 million people in Asia were affected by disasters.1 Population density amplifies the impact of any disaster, and also makes infectious disease management a particular challenge. The majority of global measles deaths are now in India. Malaria is endemic in a number of countries, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic is growing, particularly among sex workers and drug users.
The American Red Cross extends its humanitarian mission around the world through its work as part of the global Red Cross network – the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and more than 185 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. With 97 million volunteers, members and staff, our humanitarian network provides urgent assistance to the world’s hardest-to-reach and most vulnerable populations.
Our Response
The American Red Cross plays an important role in tackling these challenges. By working with our humanitarian partners, we train and mobilize Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers to deliver lifesaving services in their communities. Our programs focus on disaster management and disease prevention.
Disaster Management
The American Red Cross helps communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters and conflicts. Preparedness We help prepare communities for the dangers of disasters – by building the skills of emergency responders and by improving systems to alert people of impending danger. Across Asia, we work with our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners and the Asia Disaster Preparedness Center. Since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, we have developed extensive disaster preparedness programs in Indonesia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand. We work with community members to better understand the risks they face, develop community action plans and conduct disaster drills. In addition, through the Program for Enhanced Emergency Response (PEER), we are training local community members in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines and Viet Nam to serve as medical first responders and conduct basic search and rescue. In Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam, we are working with governments, civil society and communities to improve early warning systems and ensure communities receive warnings of impending danger in time to save lives. Response We meet the needs of disaster survivors by providing technical support, relief supplies and financial assistance to bolster operations led by sister Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. This past year, the American Red Cross responded to disasters in Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam. In May 2008, two major disasters hit the region — an earthquake in China, which measured 8.0 on the Richter scale, and a cyclone with 120 mph winds in Myanmar. When our Red Cross partners in China and Myanmar reached out
1 World Disasters Report, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2008. July 2009
A man in China collects clean water provided by the Red Cross following the 2008 earthquake.
Risk Reduction (Natural and Technological Disasters)
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Disaster Preparedness and Management
for help, Hydrometeorological Disasters $15 million in immediate assiswe responded by providing more than tance, dispatching American Red Cross emergency relief stocks that were prepositioned in Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, and deploying disaster responders to Geological Disasters provide support in assessment, logistics, monitoring and recovery planning.
n Technological Disasters o Recovery Beyond immediate response activities, we work to strengthen the long
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I Shelter and Settlements
term capacity of partners and communities to recover from disasters. Since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, we have launched the largest international recovery program in the history of the American Red Cross in order to assist more than 3 million people with water and sanitation services, psychosocial support, Emergency Shelter health, shelter and livelihoods. We are also helping people in China recover from theTransitional Shelter and Settlements 2008 earthquake by supporting the reconstruction of homes and water and sanitation infrastructure.
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A girl in Bangladesh prepares to receive a measles vaccination during a campaign supported by the American Red Cross and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.
Disease Prevention and Environmental Hazard Mitigation
Measles s Camp Design and Management
The American Red Cross helps communities prevent and respond to deadly Management diseases, with a focus on measles, malaria and HIV/AIDS. The American Red Cross is a founding member of the Measles Initiative—a partnership led by the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health OrganizaHygiene Promotion tion—which works to reduce measles deaths globally by providing technical and financial support to governments and communities for vaccination campaigns, disease surveillance and immunization services. The American Red Cross also works with Other Environmental Health volunteers from other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to educate and mobilize communities to participate in these vaccination campaigns.
Strengthening Communities
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EverywhereWater, Sanitation, the American Red Cross works, we are strengthening and Hygiene the capacity of our partner Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, with the ultimate goal of strengthening their ability to manage and sustain programs.
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Across Asia, the shortage of first responders and health personnel has led governments to look to others to take on important responsibilities. As part of one of the most trusted and recognized Miscellaneous organizations, often with a presence down to the community level, Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers are uniquely positioned to take on many of these roles. The American Red Cross provides technical support in areas such as program, financial and volunteer management as well as organizational development— enabling our sister Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to maximize their impact in addressing their country’s greatest challenges.
Refugee p Malaria Assistance The American Red Cross works to prevent malaria by supporting the distribuIDP Assistance of free, long-lasting insecticide-treated nets. But net distribution is only the first tion
step. Building on the unique nature of our extended volunteer base, we are educating families in India, Indonesia and Cambodia about how to properly use their nets. Title II Food Assistance
The Measles Initiative has vaccinated more than 600 million children in more than 60 countries. As a result, from 2000 to 2007, measles deaths worldwide declined by 74%. Water Yet challenges remain. India now accounts for 67% of all global measles deaths, with more than 350 children dying of measles each day. In 2009 and 2010, the Measles Initiative will be working to vaccinate an additional 200 million children in India, as well as conducting campaigns in Indonesia and Bangladesh.
Sanitation (Household Level)
HIV/AIDS TheFood Aid Red Cross is helping to mitigate the devastating social imAmerican pact of this disease through prevention education and support for people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. We are strengthening our partners’ capacityPeacebuilding to mobilize communities and volunteers to provide counseling, peer support and home-based care. Through work with the Red Cross of Viet Nam, we are working to increase access to HIV/AIDS information and services and Media reduce stigma for high-risk and vulnerable populations in Hanoi.
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Repatriation How You Can Help You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will Conflict Prevention provide immediate relief and long-term support to help those in need. To learn more about how you can support the work of the American Red Cross in Asia and around Emergency Relief the world, please visit www.redcross.org/international, call 1-800-HELP NOW Activities or contact your local Red Cross.
Ambassador's Fund