Ms Mandisa Kalako-Williams, President of the South African Red Cross Society is participating with more than 100 representatives from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement  in Hong Kong, to set out a long-term plan of action for survivors of the devastating earthquake and tsunami of last December 26. The disaster left more than 286,000 people dead, 7,900 missing and more than 1.6 million displaced in a dozen countries of south Asia and eastern Africa.
 
Ms Kalako-Williams stated that a feedback meeting, recently held in Johannesburg, had highlighted the role that SARCS played in assisting with a disaster operation of this magnitude.  “We have learned many lessons through this tragedy and need to ensure that we prepare ourselves for future disasters in this country.  For instance how we work with the communities and how we direct the generosity of the public in how to make things run smoothly and provide rapid delivery of assistance to victims”.
 
South Africans have collected, through the SA Red Cross account, nearly R20 million towards the international relief appeal number 28/2004 and the next transfer of funds will be specified for the recovery programme in Somalia which was badly affected by the tidal wave.  Thirty SARCS volunteers in partnership with the staff of Netcare 911 and Airports Company SA worked tirelessly to freight over 47 tonnes of goods in-kind.  All fundraising activities are now being wound down as sufficient funds have been raised for the rehabilitation and reconstruction programme for the next few months and years in the affected countries.
 
The Hong Kong Forum, which will be held from 3 to 5 March, will bring together representatives of some 50 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Federation’s secretariat, United Nations (UN) agencies and other major organizations involved in delivering humanitarian assistance to the survivors. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is one of the largest humanitarian actors in the affected countries.

“The meeting will be an opportunity to take stock of the situation and look ahead to ways of helping these devastated communities recover and, in the long term, be better protected against the effects of future disasters,” explains Federation President Juan Manuel Suárez del Toro. “It will also be a unique opportunity to highlight the immediate and essential response of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and staff to help survivors in the first crucial days following the disaster, and in the ongoing relief operation,despite the fact that many had lost family members, friends, colleagues and livelihoods.”

Mobilizing at least 22,000 volunteers and nearly 300 international staff, from donor nations as well as from affected countries, more than 40 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are bringing vital assistance (including food, clean water, medical care, shelter, household and hygiene articles as well as psychological counselling) to some 700,000 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Somalia, the Maldives and other affected countries.

Participants will discuss how to best coordinate and support relief assistance in the affected countries until the end of 2005 as well as implement recovery programmes which will extend to 2010 and beyond. Disaster preparedness programmes, implemented by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the affected countries, will be an important part of the Federation’s plan of action in the region.

“Not only is it essential that the communities who have suffered most recover, economically and psychologically, but we must also do our utmost to reduce the impact of future catastrophes on vulnerable people, in a region which is particularly prone to disasters such as cyclones and flooding,” underlines Federation Secretary General Markku Niskala.

“The generosity of donors gives us the possibility of putting in place sustainable disaster preparedness and other long-term programmes, which are usually difficult to finance. It is a unique chance to prove to the international community that investing in risk reduction is worthwhile, not only because it saves lives and livelihoods, but also because it costs far less than emergency international response.”