March 2009 | Issue 9
the Humanitarian
Black
Saturday
sticking together
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 1
5/3/09 1:43:45 PM
P2 the Humanitarian
the inside
editorial
By now, the world over has heard of the devastating fires that have consumed
much of Victoria. Our hearts are with those who have lost loved ones and
who have been affected by Australia’s worst natural disaster in more than
a century.
What is truly amazing and exemplifies the ‘power of humanity’ is the way
the community at large has reached out to Victorians in their darkest hour.
This includes the international community. Over 500,000 people have made
donations and corporate Australia as well as governments have dug deep,
raising over $220 million and counting.
4Black
Saturday
Let us not forget the numerous volunteers who have worked around the clock
to help those affected by the bushfires.
In this edition of the Humanitarian, we have devoted an additional section to
the bushfires.
Contributing writer, Damien Kingsbury of Deakin University discusses the factors
that come into play when trying to reduce the impact of natural disasters.
We also look at the recent floods in Queensland and the Brisbane storms of
November, where hundreds of people lost their homes to water damage.
10
when
disaster
strikes
Further afield in the gold mining town of Kalgoorlie, WA, a holistic program
is helping Indigenous locals learn about nutritious food.
And in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, the devastation of the 2004 tsunami has
sparked some innovative businesses that are proving fruitful.
16
coming closer
And finally, there is still an urgent need to raise funds to support our day-today work in preparing communities for disasters, like the Victorian bushfires,
making daily phone calls to elderly people living alone, providing breakfast for
kids who would otherwise go without and bringing clean water and health to
villages in the Asia Pacific.
Our general donations, like those made by regular givers, donors and corporate
partners meant we were in a position to respond quickly to the Victorian
bushfire and to continue to support vulnerable people in all these ways.
to good health
24
creating
connections
Make a donation
1800 811 700
First Aid enquiries
1300 367 428
Give blood
13 14 95
Robert Tickner
CEO Australian
Red Cross
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 2
Michael Raper
Director of Services and
International Operations
Australian Red Cross
Front cover: Mick Osborne (left) and Rob Deeble
tried to save their friends’ home in Kinglake, but
like many the fight proved fruitless as 80km winds
roared through the area.
5/3/09 1:43:48 PM
March 2009 P3
raging fires
devastate Victoria
Photo: Courtesy of Bendigo Advertiser
In what has been labelled Australia’s
worst natural disaster in more than a
century, the Victorian bushfires have so
far claimed the lives of 210 people and
some 2,000 homes.
Since late January, fires have raged
across Victoria, causing widespread
damage. Over 500,000 hectares of land
have been destroyed, with some 4,000
firefighters helping to extinguish and
contain the fires.
More than 1,000 Red Cross people
worked in relief and recovery centres,
registering the names of people who
were safe so that worried families and
friends would know that they were ok.
Others provided support and comfort,
and ensured people had a bed and
plenty to eat.
At the same time, Red Cross established
the National Inquiry Centre in Melbourne,
where volunteers from all over the
country responded to more than 21,000
enquiries from people concerned
about family or friends. In the past
three weeks, 20,000 people from areas
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 3
affected by fires have registered
with Red Cross.
The community spirit that emerged
in response to the bushfires was
overwhelming. More than $210 million
has been donated to an appeal fund
established by the State and Federal
Governments in partnership with
Red Cross.
This spirit of generosity has spread
around the globe, with many Red Cross
and Red Crescent national societies
launching their own appeals or lending
support in other ways to people affected
by the fires. This is the first time other
national societies have run appeals for
an Australian crisis and we are grateful
for this show of international support.
An Independent Advisory Panel
headed by former Victorian Governor
John Landy has been established to
set criteria for the distribution of the
Victorian Bushfire Appeal funds. The
Victorian Government is distributing
the funds through the Department of
Human Services.
Community spirit
After bushfires tore through the small
towns of Boolara and Mirboo North
in Gippsland, local people banded
together to fight for their homes and
memories. Red Cross was there,
providing personal support and
registration at relief centres as well
as meals for affected residents and
emergency services personnel.
Boolara resident Liz Tyler lives on a
street destroyed by fire. While many of
her neighbours lost their homes, she
said that the crisis had brought the
community together.
‘People have been talking to one
another because they’ve needed to
work together to fight the fires and
protect their houses,’ Ms Tyler said.
‘Our neighbours came across and put
out the fire that was only a metre from
our window. The three fellows at the top
of the hill lost their house but they came
down as well. They saved our home,’
she said.
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P4 the Humanitarian
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March 2009 P5
Black Saturday
From the left to right: After escaping the fires and losing his home in Kinglake, Albin Weitacher received help from first-aider Mohammed Alam. - A familiar
site on the road leading out of Kinglake, where many people crashed their vehicles while attempting to escape the ferocious fires. - The remains of a house in
Kinglake. - Children seeking refuge at relief and recovery centres are entertained by Red Cross volunteers to pass the time. - Michael O’Meara is supported by
his friend Vicki Ruhr at the Whittlesea relief and recovery centre. Michael lost many close friends in the bushfires. - A firefighter from the CFA takes a muchneeded break in Kinglake. Photos: Australian Red Cross/Rodney Dekker
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P6 the Humanitarian
sticking
together
Jules the dog is happy to be reunited with her owner Jae Lovelace after she escaped the horrific fires in Strathewen with the McKenzie family.
Photo: Australian Red Cross/Rodney Dekker
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March 2009 P7
Psychological
Dylan (left) and his brother Leigh McKenzie lost their family home in
Strathewen, but their entire family survived along with three dogs,
including their friend’s dog Jules. Photo: Australian Red Cross/
Rodney Dekker
The tiny township of Strathewen is all
but gone except for the chimneys of
some of the 40 homes and the
eucalyptus trees that stand defiant over
the blackened landscape. There were
200 people living in the community
nestled on the fringe of Kinglake and
now over 40 are dead.
Here is the story of how one family, a few
friends and three dogs managed to
escape the inferno.
On 7 February, the hottest day on record
for Victoria, the biggest concern for the
McKenzie family was how to keep cool.
Brothers Dylan (21) and Leigh (22) invited
some friends around for a swim in their
pool and were happily having a few
drinks and laughs when the first of the
fire embers started spitting on them in
the pool.
‘We weren’t too worried then. We’ve been
evacuated before, but usually you get a
two-hour warning. We had been told that
Whittlesea was under threat, but then
flames started coming over the hill, then
spot fires started on our neighbours
paddock. It crept up on us so quickly, there
was no warning...that’s when we realised
we were in trouble,’ recounts Leigh.
‘We could hear the fire roaring and it
sounded like a jet plane. It was like
nothing I’ve heard before.’
It was then that the McKenzie’s and their
friends began to panic. ‘When the power
went out, we just went in the house
grabbed a handful of what we could and
then left in five cars. In total, five
McKenzies and seven of their friends,
plus three dogs piled into the cars.
On the way, they ran into their neighbours
who had inconveniently run out of petrol,
so they too crammed into the cars as
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 7
they made an attempted escape out of
Strathewen.
When they got to Kinglake, however,
everything was blocked off, so they had
no choice but to take refuge in a
building. They ran into the café on the
main road that was just across the road
from the hardware store and the petrol
station. There were 20 people in the café
including the McKenzie clan.
‘Shortly after we got to the café, the
hardware store caught on fire and then the
petrol station went up. Everything went
black and it turned to night. There were
red embers everywhere. Everyone started
crying. I thought I was dead,’ recalls Dylan.
But somehow, they managed to survive
the night lying low, with wet towels on their
faces. The windows were too hot to touch
or even stand near from a foot away.
When the McKenzie’s and their friends left
the café in the morning, the petrol station
was still burning (and continued to burn
for 24 hours) and every house was
levelled from Kinglake to Whittlesea. They
arrived at the recovery centre in Whittlesea
and experienced a sense of relief, if only
temporarily. ‘From coming from nothing to
some food, socks and jocks was a great
thing. We registered with Red Cross and
then got a bite to eat. It’s what you want is
to find some friendly people who want to
help out,’ explains Dylan.
For Jules, one of the dogs who was
rescued, her greatest relief was being
reunited with her owner Jae Lovelace,
a friend of the brothers. The smile
on the dog’s face is a welcome sight
and momentarily helps one to forget
the tragedy that everyone has just
experienced.
support
- the next step to recovery
As recovery efforts get underway in
the areas hardest hit by the bushfires,
there is a strong need to be aware of
the longer-term psychological and social
impacts, says Dr Rob Gordon, consultant
psychologist to Red Cross.
‘Emergencies by their very nature are
disruptive and can be extremely
stressful. And situations like the
Victorian bushfires, which have had
such an enormous impact, will
certainly have an effect on a large
portion of the population,’ he says.
There are a range of emotions that
people may be feeling after a major
crisis, including shock and disbelief,
numbness, fear, helplessness and anger
or frustration. Many of these feelings will
not be present immediately, and indeed
some may take months or even years to
be fully experienced.
‘People should also remember to look
after their physical state,’ says Dr Gordon.
‘The health of the body as well as the
mind can be directly affected by the
event, with difficulty sleeping, muscular
tension, weight gain or loss and inability
to concentrate are all common physical
reactions.’
Red Cross has a number of resources to
assist people affected by emergencies,
including a booklet on how to cope with
a major personal crisis, and podcasts
discussing how to deal with the stress of
an emergency and how to help out after
one has occurred.
If you would like assistance
please visit www.redcross.org.au
and follow the links to
Emergency REDiPlan.
by Janine Gray
5/3/09 1:44:06 PM
P8 the Humanitarian
news in brief
Red Cross Calling 2009 not going ahead
Red Cross is currently responding to one of the worst disasters Australia has ever
seen: the Victorian bushfires.
Over the coming weeks and months the operational response to the Bushfire
Appeal will place unprecedented demands on Red Cross people and resources,
requiring our full focus.
Because of this and because we do not want to cause confusion with another
fundraiser, the decision has been made not to proceed with our major fundraising
campaign, Red Cross Calling, this March. We apologise for this change of plans.
To find out how you can still help, please visit www.redcross.org.au
Heart of the Streets
Hip-hop music featuring young homeless people from Brisbane’s Red Cross Night
Café has just been released on a CD entitled Heart of the Streets.
Twenty young people from the Red Cross Night Café have worked with music
producer Luke O’Sullivan to record their own hip-hop tracks about mental health,
drugs and alcohol, and life on the streets.
The CD showcases the musical talents of young people speaking out about the
challenging issues that affect the homeless community. They have created positive
messages and provide advice to others who may be battling with homelessness,
drug addiction or mental health problems.
‘The background rhythms were created by Luke Sullivan and the performers came
up with their own lyrics based on life experience,’ says Red Cross’ Jeff Buckley.
‘The success of the project is best measured
by the young people themselves, some of
whom have since made big steps towards
employment and accommodation.’
One of the young performers on the CD has
now become a full-time musician, writing
and performing his own style of rap music.
The hip-hop CD project was made possible
using funds received from The JB Seed,
a grants program set up by well-known artist
John Butler.
The Red Cross Night Café is an after-hours
safe space for ‘at-risk’ young people aged 12
to 25. It operates on Tuesday and Thursday
nights as well as on Sunday afternoons.
Hip Hop performer ‘T.C.’ at the launch
of Heart of the Streets CD in Brisbane.
Photo: Bruce Wardley
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 8
The cafe provides meals and a couple of
hours’ respite from the challenges of living on
the streets. It also provides a space that
gives young people the tools to help them
turn their lives around.
Permanent homes ‘last step’
in tsunami recovery
Just over four years since the tsunami
stuck, more than 1,400 houses have
been built for survivors in Indonesia,
with a further 200 under construction.
Australian Red Cross has trained 150
community health volunteers, distributed
250 hygiene kits and built 600 toilets on
Simeulue Island. In addition, 190 people
have received small business training and
10,000 mangrove trees have been planted
to help protect coastlines from erosion as
well as re-establish marine habitats.
In Sri Lanka, more than 1,200 houses
have been built or are under construction
and major water and sanitation projects
have been completed. Conflict in the
north has affected some of our projects,
but even in trying circumstances we
have helped families to rebuild the local
economy.
In the Maldives 74 islands have been
cleaned up with the removal of 37,000
tonnes of household and tsunami debris.
Water supplies have been boosted on 44
islands by installing 15 desalination units.
Australian Red Cross has also contributed
to the construction of Dhuvaafaru Island,
a community of 3,500 people whose
original islands were made uninhabitable.
Collectively, the Red Cross Red Crescent
movement has built more than 41,000
permanent houses across the tsunamiaffected areas, with a further 12,000
under construction. Red Cross has
provided more than 500,000 people with
improved access to fresh water, and over
370,000 people have been treated by
community-based first-aid services.
More than 101 houses were built by
Australian Red Cross for people affected
by the tsunami in Ladong, on the outskirts
of Banda Aceh. The houses are built to
the highest quality standards and are
earthquake resistant.
5/3/09 1:44:07 PM
March 2009 P9
news in brief
Humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe worsens
Zimbabweans are suffering a
food crisis and the worst cholera
epidemic in their history, with
seven million people in need of
food aid, according to the World
Food Programme.
Fuelled by the country’s economic
difficulties and a serious
deterioration in the food supply
situation, the worst cholera
epidemic in history has now killed
more than 3,200 people, infecting
more than 64,000 and spreading
to all provinces. There could be
worse to come if the continuing
rainy season leads to flooding in
low-lying areas.
In addition, Zimbabwe is suffering
appallingly as a result of HIV and
AIDS. The pandemic claims an
estimated 2,300 lives every day.
A Zimbabwean girl carries a bucket of water from
a stream in Budiriro neighbourhood in Harare.
Photo: REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo
Zimbabwe Red Cross is
supporting some of the country’s
most vulnerable people, and is
working closely with the global
Red Cross Movement to provide
immediate food aid, improve
access to safe and adequate
water and sanitation, and improve
awareness on the spread of disease.
Longer-term agricultural programs are
also underway to provide people with
a way of rebuilding livelihoods and
producing their own food.
Red Cross is monitoring and responding
to the cholera epidemic and helping
to strengthen Zimbabwe Red Cross.
Specialist emergency response units
are positioned around the country to
tackle basic health needs and water
and sanitation issues arising from the
cholera epidemic.
Australian Red Cross launched the
Zimbabwe Crisis Appeal 2009 to lend
a hand.
What can you do?
Donations to the Zimbabwe Crisis
Appeal 2009 will be used by Red
Cross to provide emergency food and
agricultural recovery items, access to
clean water, hygiene and sanitation
education for up to 1.5 million people,
and to send specialist aid workers to
assist the Red Cross response.
For more on the appeal visit
www.redcross.org.au and click
on links to how you can help
Henry Baldwin’s generous gift to Tasmania
Henry Baldwin, an engineer and philanthropist, has left a substantial gift to Red Cross in his
will – the largest bequest ever received in Tasmania.
A long-time volunteer with Red Cross and passionate humanitarian, Henry’s generosity will help make
daily phone calls to elderly people living alone, provide a healthy breakfast to kids who would otherwise
go without and reunite families separated by conflict and disaster.
Henry was well known to staff in Red Cross in Hobart, and he often visited the office to say hello.
He served on various Red Cross committees and also used the Emergency Home Alarm Service in
the later years of his life.
A dedicated philanthropist, Henry was also an art lover and his immaculate home in Hobart’s Battery
Point (with its extensive art collection and artifacts of historical importance) will become a museum in
its own right in the future.
A significant portion of Red Cross’ fundraising income comes from bequests. To obtain a free copy of the wills booklet and find
out how you can make a bequest, call 1800 649 685 (toll free) or email [email protected]
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 9
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P10 the Humanitarian
when
disaster strik
A boy stands by a village destroyed by Cyclone Nargis in Yangon. Photo: Reuters
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5/3/09 1:44:10 PM
March 2009 P11
Disasters in developing countries are
commonly on a scale unimaginable to
those who have not witnessed them
first-hand. In the face of overwhelming
humanitarian crisis, resources are
stretched and then broken, systems
collapse and misery ensues. Human
beings too easily become statistics,
and the news cycle soon moves on.
The legacy of human misery following
a disaster, however, remains.
When natural
disaster strikes,
a number of
factors come
into play when
trying to reduce
the impact of
the devastation,
writes Damien
Kingsbury.
ikes
The human cost of disaster can be
much greater for developing countries,
although, the case of Black Saturday
in Victoria shows that even developed
countries can be vulnerable. Disasters,
both natural and man-made, are more
critical in developing countries because
they exist so close to the margins that it
takes little to tip them over the edge. The
people of a country that is barely food
self-sufficient will, in times of drought or
other hardship, suffer disproportionately.
A developing country’s health system will
quickly collapse under extra pressure.
Australia is lucky in having a quickacting and relatively well-trained and
resourced emergency services.
Most developing countries, however,
do not have such resources or training.
Sometimes those who are supposed
to help are part of the problem.
The logistical difficulties of emergency
aid in disaster areas are in part caused
by destruction, but also the poor
infrastructure that’s initially available.
Starting from a low base, infrastructure
is more vulnerable, and its loss is felt
more keenly. And in many countries,
such as East Timor after 1999, there
is little local capacity to deal with
disaster. In other countries, notably in
Africa, deeply divided politicians are too
commonly more interested in holding
onto power than in rescuing the country.
In some cases, disaster prevention is
possible. Excessive deforestation, for
example, causes landslides and allows
water run-off that exacerbates already
flood-prone areas. This can be limited
or ended. An early warning system can
alert people to an incoming tsunami.
But a tsunami cannot be stopped,
a volcano will erupt, earthquakes will
shake the ground and fires, as we have
recently seen, can raze entire towns
in a matter of minutes. Some planning
can help – earthquake-proof housing,
building on higher ground and so on.
But this has rarely been part of
development planning. And it often
costs more to plan and prepare properly,
which many communities cannot afford.
As democratisation increases its global
presence, governments in developing
countries may become more accountable
to their citizens, and plan and respond
more adequately. But they will continue
to face material and human constraints.
The international community also has
(and has to some extent accepted) a
large responsibility for disaster relief.
Enlightened self-interest might tell us that
disaster relief helps us win friends and
perhaps settle political discontent as a
consequence of domestic inadequacy.
The international community has also
recognised its moral duty to help.
But perhaps what we do to help others
says less about our ability to plan or
respond, or theirs. What it speaks
to is the type of people we are, and
the qualities of the communities we
comprise. Until or unless developing
countries substantially change, they
will always require emergency aid and
more capacity building in the longer
term. But our commitment to aid also
puts substance to the kinds of people
we are, or would hope to be.
Damien Kingsbury is an associate
professor at Deakin University in
Melbourne and teaches international
and community development. Prior to
switching to the world of academia,
Damien practised journalism for 15 years
at the Age and ABC Radio Australia.
Australian Red Cross has been focusing on disaster preparedness since 2004
with partner Red Cross societies in the Pacific. Funds for this program come from
the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). The program has
concentrated on Melanesian countries (Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji and Solomon
Islands), which have 80 per cent of the population of the Pacific and are especially
disaster prone. In 2009, Red Cross societies in Tonga, Samoa, Tuvalu, Cook Islands,
Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and Kiribati also joined the program.
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 11
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P12 the Humanitarian
sea swells destroy
coastal c
Late last year,
huge sea swells
caused severe
flooding over
eight provinces
in Papua New
Guinea. Louise
McCosker reports
from Port Moresby
on the damage
done and the
recovery process.
Mclin Matthew was out in his small
fishing boat when his world turned
upside down. ‘The sea was huge – four
to five metres high and I couldn’t drop
anchor, so we drifted for three days,’
he says. ‘I was very scared because
I’d never seen anything like it before
and at one point we almost drowned.
Thankfully, I was with three other
fishermen and we had enough food
and water for one week. Eventually we
got to Kavieng and I found out that the
island where I live was almost completely
submerged and everyone had been
evacuated to a nearby island.’
Unlike most of his community, Mclin was
one of the lucky few whose house was
still standing. ‘All our food and crops
were destroyed. I cried when I saw what
had happened,’ Mclin says.
Mclin, 30 years old, has lived on Tench
Island all his life. It is a tiny and remote
island in the St Matthias Group in
New Ireland province and one of eight
provinces hit by the massive sea swells.
Caused by a combination of king tides
and two tropical depressions in the
Pacific, the huge seas caused extensive
and severe flooding over widespread
coastal areas and low-lying outer islands
of PNG. Across the eight provinces, two
people lost their lives and over 60,000
people were affected in some way
through losing their home, livelihoods
and support structures. PNG Red Cross
delivered immediate assistance to close
to 16,000 people.
‘Red Cross gave us so many things that
we didn’t have in our lives, such as water
containers, tarpaulins, mosquito nets,
nails and many other relief items,’ says
Mclin. ‘We are keen to go back to our
island, but we’ll have to wait for a couple
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 12
of years until the government authorities
in New Ireland say it is safe.’
New Ireland was one of the hardest-hit
provinces, with 4,600 people immediately
affected, 1,408 houses destroyed, 1,200
families displaced, and health and water
facilities destroyed. Lyle Alickson was one
of 20 volunteers from the New Ireland
branch of PNG Red Cross who played
a critical role in ensuring that people
like Mclin got the help they needed. For
14 days, Lyle staffed a radio set up by
a health network in the main centre of
Keviang. It was the only way people in
many remote areas of the province could
communicate with the outside world.
‘We were getting reports from many
places that the sea had gone right
though people’s houses, into their
gardens, destroyed roads and crops
5/3/09 1:44:11 PM
March 2009 P13
l communities
‘The sea was
huge – four to
five metres high
and I couldn’t
drop anchor,
so we drifted
for three days.
I was very scared
because I’d never
seen anything
like it before.’
New Ireland in PNG was hit by severe sea swells late last year. Photo: John Hosea
and uprooted coconut trees,’ says Lyle.
‘We had a call that Tench Island was
submerged in seawater and all 118
residents had to be evacuated. We got
the message to the provincial disaster
centre who organised for the people to
be evacuated to nearby Emirau Island,
and the Red Cross made sure that the
people had relief items. These people are
now living with their extended families or
under tarpaulins, but it is important that
they get nails, hammers and saws so
they can build new houses and start to
rebuild their lives’.
breed and now we’re seeing many
cases of malaria. An old man who was
evacuated from Tench Island died this
morning from malaria. Our volunteers
are still doing what they can to help
people in need,’ Lyle says.
While life is getting back to normal for
the people of New Ireland, Lyle talks
of her concern about the increasing
incidence of malaria as a direct result
of the sea swells. ‘The big waves have
caused thousands of mosquitoes to
‘When I saw that houses had been
washed away, I contacted Red Cross
in Port Moresby to alert them to what
was happening,’ Cathy says. ‘It wasn’t
long before Red Cross volunteers
were at work in the badly affected
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 13
The increase in malaria is also worrying
Cathy Sollokai, chair of the interim
branch of the Red Cross in Sandaun
Province, the northwestern-most
province of PNG. Here, 70 houses
were destroyed and over 1,000 people
were affected.
areas, assisting victims, assessing the
damage and distributing basic relief
supplies. The main problem now is
malaria. We’re seeing 20 people a
day with the disease, which is a big
increase. We’re now planning to do the
final distribution of mosquito nets in the
next few days.’
The relief effort continues with further
distributions of mosquito nets, water
containers, nails and materials to help
those affected rebuild their homes and
their lives.
Australian Red Cross plays a key role
in supporting PNG Red Cross, mostly
around HIV awareness and prevention,
disaster response and through a
disaster preparedness project that
began in 2006.
5/3/09 1:44:11 PM
P14 the Humanitarian
record heatwave
easing the effects of
Headline reproduced courtesy of The Advertiser/Sunday Mail.
When South Australians were subjected
to a record-breaking heatwave for eight
consecutive days, more than 600 heatrelated hospital admissions occurred
over four days, health facilities were
stretched to the limit and many elective
surgeries were cancelled. A temporary
morgue was required to handle the
overflow from the increased number of
deaths. The heatwave proved to be an
emergency situation and put lives at risk.
Red Cross immediately expanded its
daily phone call service to elderly people
living alone in collaboration with the State
Government’s emergency management
response, according to Kerry Symons, of
Red Cross in South Australia.
‘We were very worried by the fact that
so many people all over South Australia
are living by themselves, often with very
few connections to the community,’
Kerry said.
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 14
Phone calls were made to more than
6,000 people who were deemed at
risk, in addition to the existing 700
clients. Calls were also offered three
times a day during the heatwave, as
opposed to the usual daily phone call.
The Telecross heatwave response
helped save three lives.
In one instance, a woman living in regional
South Australia failed to answer her call.
Her daughter was alerted and found her
mother had collapsed, so she took her
to the hospital.
Another caller discovered the father of a
two-year-old autistic boy and two other
children was suffering from the heat and
worried about his ability to go shopping
for his family. He also said he had limited
family support. Red Cross notified
Disability South Australia who provided
ongoing assistance.
The week-long operation was supported
by over 500 volunteers who assisted the
regular Red Cross team. Together, they
made over 15,000 calls. They not only
checked on the recipients’ wellbeing
when they made the calls, but also
provided practical advice about how
to keep safe during extreme weather
conditions. If at any time a call was
not answered, immediate emergency
procedures were activated to check on
the person’s welfare.
People who were considered the most
vulnerable to the heatwave included
elderly, carers, children, people with
existing chronic health problems or with
a disability, and people from culturally
diverse backgrounds.
5/3/09 1:44:13 PM
March 2009 P15
quenching the thirst
of people in need
Bob Handby in Papua New Guinea standing in front of his favourite commodity – water.
‘Following any disaster, the greatest
needs are shelter, clean water and
proper sanitation,’ says veteran Red
Cross aid worker, Bob Handby. With
safe drinking water a key component of
humanitarian relief efforts both at home
and overseas, Red Cross has warmly
welcomed a new partnership with
Frantelle Spring Water.
Together we have created Thirst Aid,
a campaign that aims to quench thirst
while raising $400,000 to enable Red
Cross to assist people in need in
Australia and abroad. With Frantelle
generously providing a donation of
$200,000, Red Cross is appealing to
consumers to help match this amount.
In the aftermath of last year’s disastrous
storms in southeast Queensland,
Frantelle assisted Red Cross relief
efforts, generously donating more than
2,500 litres of drinking water and 600
litres of fruit juice.
From Rwanda during the 1994
genocide, to northern Iraq during the
Gulf War and more recently in Myanmar
last year when Cyclone Nargis struck,
he has helped provide safe drinking
water to populations displaced by
conflict and to communities devastated
by disasters.
‘Red Cross aid workers and volunteers
reach people and places like nobody
else. The Thirst Aid campaign aims
to raise funds to help us reach more
communities in need, both across
Australia and abroad,’ Mr Handby said.
Three easy ways you support
the Thirst Aid campaign:
1 Buy a bottle of Frantelle Spring
Water then visit the campaign
website (www.thirst-aid.com.
au) to send an email to your
friends telling them about Thirst
Aid and how easy it is to make a
difference to the most vulnerable
people in the community.
2 Make a secure online donation at
www.thirst-aid.com.au
3 SMS ‘AID’ to 1991 0101 to donate
$2 (less variable phone carrier
administrative costs;
see www.thirst-aid.com.au
for terms and conditions).
‘Frantelle is helping make a difference to
the lives of the most vulnerable people,’
says Mr Handby.
Mr Handby knows the value of water
in times of crisis, having worked for
Red Cross since 1984 on water and
sanitation projects.
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 15
5/3/09 1:44:14 PM
P16 the Humanitarian
good h
coming closer to
Finding clean water northern Laos meant walking for kilometres into th e mou
Villagers living
in the hills in
Laos are still
worlds away
from their urban
counterparts, but
clean running
water is helping
to lift health
standards, writes
Kelly Chandler.
When the ethnic Lao Teung people
from the hills of northern Laos (Lao
People’s Democratic Republic) decided
to resettle further down the mountain,
they were hoping to bring their families
closer to health services and schools
for their children.
They weren’t expecting to be struck
down by illness when they reached
their new home, but soon after they
established Houy Mad village, most
people in the 35 families fell sick.
‘We were very poor in the old village,’
says villager Chan Phang. ‘After we
moved, we all got malaria and diarrhoea
because there were many mosquitoes
in the new environment and the water
source was unclean,’ she says.
It took time to clear the land of
mosquito-friendly habitat and develop
the infrastructure they would need to
keep their community healthy.
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 16
Lao Red Cross, which first started
working with these villagers in their
old location in 2002, helped the
community recover its health by
distributing mosquito nets and
encouraging people to boil their water
for 15 minutes before drinking.
‘At first in this new place, we had a natural
water source, but it was very dirty;
animals would go in there to wash and
drink. We got very sick. And there was no
water at all in the dry season, April and
May. We couldn’t shower and we had to
preserve the water for drinking,’ says chief
Khanbin Chittaphone.
It took a month to build a new water
system for the village, with support from
Lao Red Cross, funding from Australian
Red Cross and local labour. The team
ran a pipe from a stream one kilometre
up in the hills, down to a cement holding
tank. Vegetables are planted around the
tank to make use of the run-off water,
5/3/09 1:44:15 PM
March 2009 P17
Before Red Cross
built a water pipe
from an unpolluted
source, animals
would contaminate
the water and
make people sick.
d health
nto th e mountains, until a Red Cross water and sanitation team arrived. Photo: Australian Red Cross/Vandy Rattana
and pipes feed the water to five tap
stands throughout the village.
‘It’s getting better now that we have water
to use. It’s comfortable and easy, and we
even have enough to drink and bathe in
the dry season,’ says Chittaphone, who
is also a Red Cross volunteer and part of
the water users’ group, which appoints a
caretaker for each of the tap stands. The
men in the water user’s group maintain
the fence and area around the taps, while
the women monitor cleanliness and the
families’ use of water. As the head of the
women’s water user’s group, this is Chan
Phang’s job.
‘My responsibility is to tell the women
and children to keep the area clean all
the time,’ says Mrs Phang. Others are
responsible for regularly cleaning out
the large cement holding tank, while
everyone in the community contributes
1000 kip (about 17 cents) a month to the
maintenance fund, which is overseen by
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 17
a trained water maintenance committee
staffed by locals.
Each day the villagers travel from their
new home to tend to their corn and rice
fields – walking a narrow path that they’ve
cut into hills – flanked by marigolds and
yellow butterflies. If someone falls ill it’s
still an hour’s walk to the nearest village,
and then a further half-hour by car to the
Chompet district health centre, but this
is much closer than before. It once took
more than four hours to walk to the health
centre and there was no road access and
no transport.
‘Now, we need proper latrines,’ says
Mrs Phang. ‘When people get sick we
have to carry them out by ourselves to
the next village. It’s very difficult for us.
Still, people don’t get sick as often any
more. We used to get sick a lot in the
old village,’ she says.
5/3/09 1:44:16 PM
P18 the Humanitarian
goes a l
food and play
When it comes to
food and nutrition,
a healthy and
holistic approach is
proving popular
among some
Kalgoorlie locals,
discovers
Janine Gray.
Tracey Watson paints a stark scene of bush fire damage to her native land in Cundalee, approximately 200km east of Kalgoorlie. Photo: Janine Gray
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 18
5/3/09 1:44:17 PM
March 2009 P19
It’s a typically hot day for Kalgoorlie,
even under the eucalyptus trees in the
park where a few locals have already
congregated – some to seek shade,
others to seek knowledge, and several
to get a bit of lunch.
The mix of people gathering in the park
is quite diverse. There are young mums
with their toddlers who have come for
the crèche play activities, including
finger painting, fun in the sandpit,
storytelling, gym mats and tunnels.
Another group of locals has meandered
over to help prepare the nourishing
lunch that they had planned the week
before. Today’s menu is a healthy salad
complemented by fresh ground-beef
patties padded out with a variety of
grated vegetables that help with the
flavour and the budget.
There’s a relaxed feel at the park,
complemented by the twangy country
music playing on someone’s portable
radio.
Red Cross’ Kaye McLennan, who’s been
running the Feel Good Families Program
in the park every Wednesday for the past
three months, says this is her favourite
day of the week.
‘There’s such an interesting diversity of
people gathering together. People of all
ages and from varying backgrounds
participating in different ways: yarning,
sharing knowledge, engaging in useful
learning activities, having a laugh,
dabbling with the paints or simply
cooking up some healthy tucker. A vital
component in among all this is that five
agencies – sometimes more – join
a long way
After grating the carrots and slicing
some cucumbers, Boulder local
Katherine Clanona pulls up her sleeves,
washes her hands and gets in among
the ground beef. It’s all part of the
learning through the Feel Good Families
Program. Meanwhile, Tracey Watson,
also a regular, sits herself down to
a session of painting. A stark scene
gradually emerges, simply using the
colour orange for the sky and black
for the trees. When asked what she’s
painting, she describes a bush fire, with
burnt trees against the setting sun.
‘The drought is going to break next
year,’ she says with understated
certainty. When asked how she knows,
she just shrugs her shoulders and says
she just knows. Others around her are
also getting into the painting or having
a quiet yarn while the lunch is being
prepared by their friends in this informal
learning environment.
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 19
together to support each other’s
programs and, in the process, we all learn
more about the local Aboriginal culture.’
Kaye goes on to explain how the idea to
run the program in the park came about.
‘We were originally going to hold the
program in an enclosed kitchen, but no
one turned up…so we thought if people
won’t come to the centre because they
don’t feel comfortable, we’ll go to them.
This shift in understanding saw us stock
up the Red Cross van with gas burners,
camp ovens and everything else we
needed for lunching in the park.
‘Catering to diversity is an ongoing
challenge,’ continues Kaye. ‘We
have elderly people looking after
grandchildren and we have young
mums who sometimes have three to five
children. This means that the program
has to be flexible and practical when
incorporating ideas about exercise,
planning shopping lists and creating
tasty meals or snacks on a budget.
Some recipe modifications have
included adding wholemeal flour to
the ever-popular damper and making
kangaroo shish kebabs.’
Tracey says of the venue and the
changes to familiar recipes: ‘I come here
all the time to this park because it’s nice
and cool, we sit around, meet some
people and the food is alright.’
Essentially, the program is trying to
take a holistic approach, which is
why agencies are working together,
explains Kaye. ‘We can’t be all things
to everyone and so a core group of
five agencies get together to share our
particular expertise and promote healthy
lifestyles in a culturally appropriate way.
Some examples of this may be seen to
include calling the collective program
“Nintari Yingka”, which translates in
Wongatha to mean “learn, play, sing”
and from this, the two-way learning
has continued to unfold.’
Red Cross Community Nutrition
Programs work towards addressing
the issues of those who struggle to live
within a low income or are homeless.
Red Cross also runs a soup patrol
service in Kalgoorlie Boulder three
evenings a week. Here, communityminded volunteers share a warm
evening meal with some of the most
vulnerable and marginalised people
in the region as they travel through
the Kalgoorlie Boulder town sites
and outskirts.
Homelessness, particularly among
Aboriginal people, continues to be a
serious problem in this gold mining
town, where rents have been driven
up by the resources boom, and more
recently affected by the closures of
mines. There continues to be a critical
lack of affordable social housing.
5/3/09 1:44:18 PM
P20 the Humanitarian
a spicy
enterprise proves f
Spice girl Nurjanah grinds the flesh from the coconut with a machine purchased with a grant from Australian Red Cross
to help tsunami survivors build entrepreneurial skills. Photo: Australian Red Cross/Ade Sonivil
Helping people
recover from the
devastation of
the 2004 tsunami
has sparked some
innovative and
resourceful new
businesses in
Indonesia, writes
Michelle Jeuken.
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 20
The heady, aromatic smell of cooked
coconut wafts through the village of
Lampineung on the outskirts of Banda
Aceh. The source of the tantalising smell
is a group of six women who have formed
their own version of the Spice Girls.
Nurjanah and her friends have already
made their first million rupiah and are
well on the way to their second.
After doing small business training with
Australian Red Cross last year, which
covered budgeting, marketing and good
business practices, Nurjana and her
friends submitted a proposal to set up
a business making kelapa gongseng, a
spicy coconut paste traditionally used in
Acehnese and Padang food.
spice every two days, which is quickly
snapped up by local shopkeepers.
The entrepreneurial women make sure
they maximise their profits by minimising
waste – every part of the coconut is used
for something. The flesh from poor-quality
coconuts is sold to make coconut oil,
while the husks are sold as fuel.
‘Our long-term dream is to build a
glasshouse so we can dry the coconut
faster and make even more spice,’
Nurjanah says.
Community gardens to
farming schools
They received a small grant of around ten
million Indonesian rupiah (A$1,340) and
are required to reinvest at least ten per
cent of their profits into the business.
With funds from the tsunami Appeal,
Australian Red Cross has provided 24
small business grants to more than 175
people in Aceh for a variety of activities
from raising livestock to fishing and
mat-weaving.
An average day sees the women crack
open, grind and cook more than 500
coconuts. They make around 55kg of the
Simeulue, one of the poorest islands in
Indonesia, suffered a second blow after
the tsunami, when another massive
5/3/09 1:44:20 PM
March 2009 P21
s fruitful
After receiving training and support from Red Cross, a farmer field school on the island of Simeulue has continued to expand. Group leader Ali, pictured,
says they now farm more than three hectares of land. Photo: Australian Red Cross/Ade Sonivil
earthquake struck on 28 March 2005.
The force of both earthquakes raised
the entire island by two metres,
exposing coral reefs, permanently
altering the water table and salinating
many of the island’s rice fields.
More than 50,000 of the island’s
population of 80,000 people were left
homeless and destitute.
‘We were trying to deal with trauma
from the earthquake and tsunami, and
decided to form a group where we
could support each other and talk,’ says
42-year-old Ibu Wanun Jarni, head of
the Manang Inda sub-village community
garden. ‘We decided a community
garden would be a good way to do this.’
The community garden now grows
enough cassava, corn, chillies and other
vegetables to supply the whole village.
The women share 50 per cent of the
profits from the sale of their vegetables,
with the other half used to buy seeds
and other materials.
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 21
And they’re not the only successful group
still up and running. Ali Hamsa and six
other people took part in ‘farmer field
school’ training run by Red Cross in the
village of Panton Lawe. Since the training
they have gone from strength to strength.
‘Our original pilot plot was 20 metres
by 20 metres. We are now farming
almost three hectares and I have
trained 83 other people about better
farming methods. We are now growing
cucumbers, lettuce, onions, chillies,
peanuts and bananas,’ Ali says.
A fish farming project, a seaweed farm
and mangrove plantations were less
successful and have not continued, but
they have provided valuable experience
for future projects.
recovery process by building resilience
and helping people to stand on their
own feet.
‘These are projects which set out to
address the issues of food security,
nutrition, health and economic security
which impacted on people following the
tsunami,’ says Manish.
‘To see these businesses flourishing
is testament to their success in helping
people recover from the tsunami,
as well as build their resilience to
future disasters.’
For more information about
Red Cross livelihood programs in
Indonesia, visit www.redcross.org.au
Lessons learnt
Local Red Cross worker Manish Tewani
says that providing people with the
support and opportunity to develop new
skills and encourage entrepreneurial
flair has been an important part of the
5/3/09 1:44:21 PM
P22 the Humanitarian
a haven for
teenage
mums
Every year
in Australia,
thousands of
teenage women
become pregnant
and are in dire
need of a support
network, discovers
Elaine Rees.
‘I had a tough start. No one really
parented me and I had no idea of what
to do when I became a mum so young,’
says Rachael (20) as she recalls the
days when she had her first child.
Rachael’s own mum was diagnosed
with multiple sclerosis at 21, and her
father left their Adelaide home by the
time she was in pre-school.
‘I started experimenting with drugs at
12, never went to high school. Mum
couldn’t cope with me and I moved
to Sydney to be with my grandfather,’
Rachel says.
‘Then I continued mixing with the wrong
crowd, Grandpa kicked me out. By 14,
I lived on the streets back in Adelaide.
At 16, Rachael gave birth to her first
child. He was removed from Rachael’s
care because of domestic violence
and drug use.
‘When my son was taken from me it
was tough, but it turned out to be a
blessing,’ she said
Pregnant again, Rachael entered a rehab
program for six months then made the
transition to the Red Cross Young Parents
Program. She gave birth to a baby girl
and had her son restored to her care.
The Young Parents Program is based
in a rambling old house in Sydney,
and accommodates up to eight young
mothers and their children. It is also
home to a busy childcare centre for the
families in the area.
Those who live here have often had
tough childhoods, and some have a
history of drug and alcohol abuse.
Red Cross’ Anne King says the women
may have been in and out of foster
care, exposed to sexual and physical
violence, and may have few appropriate
family or social supports and few role
models on which to base their own
parenting skills.
’Young mums who live here are in the
first stage of the program with 24-hour
intensive support,’ Ms King says.
‘In the second stage, they’ll be
supported in independent living in a
community house, and in the third
stage, crisis support to help the family’s
transition to independent living.
From the top: Jen and her son Andreas have been
part of the Young Parent’s Program for six years.
Rachael with her second child Evelyn.
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 22
‘If we can help them develop their
capacity and skills, the risk factors will
be reduced, resulting in overall better
outcomes for young women and their
children,’ says Ms King.
In September last year, the service
received a huge boost with the
announcement of $3.9 million in funding
from the NSW Government over
three years through the Department
of Community Services’ Brighter
Futures early intervention program. The
Red Cross program links in with the
government’s early intervention policy to
help break the cycle of child abuse and
homelessness, and help young women
achieve their personal goals in terms of
undertaking education and training.
Rachael worked hard in the residential
program for a year and then transitioned
into the second stage, and she now
feels more equipped to take more
responsibility for her children. ‘I learned
parenting skills, cooking, how to wrap a
baby, healthy eating, budgeting and
baby massage,’ she says. ‘Having faith
gave me hope to realise my potential.
Now I want to help other people and
make sure my children grow up in
a community with a foundation of love
and respect.’
While the 2006 Census suggests
around 11,000 women aged 15 to 19
years will give birth nationally, the data
doesn’t paint the full picture of how
many have nowhere to turn.
Rachael is now a confident, happy
young woman, studying for a Ministry
Certificate at Southern Cross University.
Since 2003 a reunion camp has
helped maintain connections
between clients and families.
Red Cross’, Stanya Sharota, says
the camp provides
a chance for a short holiday and
to take part in activities they
would otherwise not be able to
afford or access.
‘The annual camp gives mums a
break while children are cared for
some of the time,’ says Stanya.
5/3/09 1:44:23 PM
March 2009 P23
Floods in
North Queensland
Red Cross volunteers provided
essential services to those
affected by the floods in North
Queensland in February. This
included the staffing of the
Evacuation Centre in Ingham and
Townsville, assisting with the
Community Recovery Centre and
door knocking over 3,500 homes
in the area.
The Evacuation Centre operated
for 10 days and housed an
average of 54 people each night.
storm
in the eye of a
Around 8,000 residents suffered damage from the storms in Brisbane in November, with 305 homes severely damaged and
around 85 completely destroyed. Red Cross was heavily involved in the response, with over 380 staff and volunteers on the
ground providing personal support through an outreach program in the worst-hit areas, and a presence in the Recovery
Centres established to support those affected.
David and Anastasia Jones in front of the tree that landed on their house. Photo: Tim Page
Brad Tomlinson with his daughter Phoebe at the Recovery Centre. Photo: Tim Page
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 23
‘I don’t mind a good storm,’ explains
Anastasia, ‘but our daughter was a
bit afraid. So I was telling her, this
isn’t really a storm, but then – bang
– it just hit. We went to the middle
of the house, the safest part away
from the glass windows. It was over
very quickly, but in that time we got a
great light show and had hail coming
underneath the door. It was that loud
I didn’t even hear the tree fall on the
house, just because of the noise of the
wind and the rain.’
‘I’m just glad all of this is here,’
says Brad Tomlinson, pointing
around at the Recovery Centre
in Brisbane. ‘What they’ve pulled
together in such a short amount
of time is pretty impressive.’
5/3/09 1:44:27 PM
P24 the Humanitarian
creating connect
in the community
Building job skills and volunteering
ideals has been the focus of a school
certificate aimed at Year 11 and 12
students in the remote reaches of the
Northern Territory.
Timmy Maxwell and Dallas James work on the
healthy messages mural at Malabam.
Athon Darcy paints his contribution.
Isiah Smith, Daniel Smith, Dallas James,
Boaz Wilson and Jethro Brian participated
in the volunteer program in Maningrida.
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 24
Maningrida is the second-largest
Indigenous community in the Northern
Territory with around 2,600 people.
Located on the north coast of Australia in
West Arnhem Land, it’s a hub of varying
cultures, traditions and languages.
Over the course of three weeks more
than 60 students learned practical work
skills, got involved with their communities
and did a mural painting to display healthy
images to the community. With the help
of children’s book illustrator Alison Lester,
the trainees drew pictures that were
projected onto the mural surface and
later painted in. Isiah Smith (aged 16),
Daniel Smith (15), Dallas James (16), Boaz
Wilson (20) and Jethro Brian (15) said they
felt ‘happy and proud’ when they finished
their painting and thought volunteering
was good for the community.
Red Cross team members worked with
the students who put their volunteering
skills to practise at the school, the
Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation,
Mala’la Aged Care and the Malabam
Health Board. Some of the ways in
which they helped were to serve food,
organise archives and clean.
Kylie Pascoe (17) thought that the
best part of the volunteering was
at Mala’la Aged Care where she
made lunches for the people there.
Cynthia Buwarngarra (15), who also
participated in the program, said she
really enjoyed ‘helping the community
and little kids at the school’.
Before working at the different
organisations, the students were
taken on a tour and shown hygienic
food preparation practices and the
different health and safety procedures
of that organisation.
Community development officers
Michael Beattie and Jenny Dally said
that the feedback from the community
had been really good: ‘The workers
from the various organisations said they
appreciated the volunteers coming in to
help them with their work. It also helped
create connections in the community.
People who wouldn’t normally interact
came into contact with each other.
‘During the rainy season, for six
months of the year, Maningrida is
totally detached from other places,
because the rivers are so much higher.
The only way to get there is by plane.
This has a lot of impact on how the
place is run. There’s a real sense of
isolation when you’re out there and
there’s an emphasis on self-reliance.’
Red Cross has been working in
partnership with Maningrida community
since 2007, providing breakfast for
kids who would otherwise go without,
a holiday program for young people
in remote communities, first aid
training and the delivery of community
services as part of the Youth Shared
Responsibility Agreement signed
between the Maningrida Community
and the Australian Government in
June 2006. The Certificate I in Active
Volunteering was part of the Vocational
Education and Training-in-schools
program at the local school.
5/3/09 1:44:29 PM
March 2009 P25
ctions
Maningrida Year 11 and 12 students painted a mural that reflects a healthy community.
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 25
5/3/09 1:44:30 PM
P26 the Humanitarian
blood donations
increase twentyfold
during Victoria’s bushfire disaster
In an effort to help those who suffered burns in the devastating Victorian firestorms,
over 40,000 people registered online with the Blood Service in the 10 days after
the fires broke out. This is an incredible increase given there are usually 2,200
registrations per month.
‘The community support and goodwill has been absolutely fantastic, and we would
like to thank everyone who has pledged to donate,’ says Blood Service National
Operations Manager, Dr Pip Hetzel.
Dr Hetzel asked all who had pledged to be patient while waiting for staff to call and
make an appointment for them. ‘Your blood donation will be just as valuable, if not
more valuable, in the coming weeks and months.’
While burns sufferers will use around 18 per cent of the blood supply, over 30 per
cent helps to treat people with cancer and other blood diseases.
‘The demand for blood is expected to double in the next decade, and so 2009 has
been designated the Year of the Blood Donor, in which we’re aiming to attract over
100,000 new donors,’ says Dr Hetzel.
‘At the moment, only one in 30 Australians donate blood, yet one in three will
need blood in their lifetime. In the Year of the Blood Donor we are looking to raise
awareness of the importance of giving blood.’
Year of the Blood Donor activities are funded by the Government Department of
Health and Ageing and include a nationwide interactive travelling exhibition, where
prospective donors can get their blood typed, and an online education package
called BloodBuddies for students in Years 7 to 10.
To find out more about Year of the Blood Donor, or to make an appointment to give
blood, visit donateblood.com.au or call 13 14 95.
For more information on Year of the Blood Donor, and to become a
donor, visit www.donateblood.com.au
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 26
5/3/09 1:44:31 PM
March 2009 P27
‘It is unacceptable
to see so many
wounded people.
Their lives must
be spared and the
security of those
who care for them
guaranteed.’
President of the International Committee
of the Red Cross, Jakob Kellenberger
The laws of war
during the Gaza crisis
Palestinians survey a kindergarten destroyed after an Israeli air strike in Gaza. Photo: REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
In light of
the recent
humanitarian
crisis in Gaza,
Dr Helen Durham
comments on
the importance
of international
humanitarian law.
In the last decade, International
Humanitarian Law (IHL) has gone
from a seemingly esoteric area of
legal regulation to become an integral
part of media discussions on various
situations involving armed conflict.
Television reporters commenting on
the crisis in Gaza now use terms such
as distinction and limitation – the
fundamental elements of IHL. Distinction
requires any military attack to distinguish
between the civilian population and their
infrastructure and military objectives. In
so doing the aim is to limit the suffering
of civilians and to ensure that within
the horrors of armed conflict there is
a space for humanity. The principle
of limitation relates to the types of
weapons warring parties are able to
use and limits those weapons that
have an indiscriminate effect.
Another crucial element of IHL
demonstrated during the Gaza crisis
is the obligation to protect medical
personnel and the providers of
humanitarian relief. The laws of war have
specific provisions requiring respect for
medical teams and their equipment,
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 27
and Red Cross national societies within
the global Movement have a particular
role to play in ensuring that the wounded
are not left to suffer alone and are able to
receive medical and other humanitarian
assistance. Ensuring that warring factions
on all sides understand the obligations
found in IHL and, more importantly, follow
these rules is an essential and extremely
difficult task. Red Cross globally spoke
out strongly of the need to follow IHL
during the Gaza crisis, and Australian
Red Cross also added its voice to the
concerns expressed. President of the
International Committee of the Red
Cross Jakob Kellenberger was quoted
as saying, ‘It is unacceptable to see so
many wounded people. Their lives must
be spared and the security of those who
care for them guaranteed.’
Through the dissemination of IHL to our
own military personnel, Federal Police,
humanitarian organisations, students
and the general public, Australian Red
Cross has a role as a national society to
foster an understanding of that basic but
essential idea: ‘Even wars have laws’.
5/3/09 1:44:32 PM
Contact your local
Red Cross office for
more information.
In all activities, Red Cross staff members and volunteers
are guided by the following Fundamental Principles.
Humanity The International
Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement, born of a desire
to bring assistance without
discrimination to the wounded
on the battlefield, endeavours,
in its international and national
capacity, to prevent and
alleviate human suffering
wherever it may be found.
ts purpose is to protect life and
health and ensure respect for
the human being. It promotes
mutual understanding,
friendship, co-operation and
lasting peace among all people.
Impartiality It makes no
discrimination as to nationality,
race, religious beliefs, 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.
National Office
155 Pelham Street,
VIC 3053
Tel +61 3 9345 1800
Fax +61 3 9348 2513
www.redcross.org.au
02640 The Humanitarian #9 2.indd 28
Neutrality In order to continue
to enjoy the confidence of all,
the Movement may not take
sides in hostilities or engage
at any time in controversies of
a political, racial, religious or
ideological nature.
Independence The
Movement is independent.
The National Societies, while
auxiliaries in the humanitarian
services of their governments
and subject to the laws of their
respective countries, must
always maintain their autonomy
so that they may be able at all
times to act in accordance with
the principles of the Movement.
Unity There can be only one
Red Cross or Red Crescent
Society in any one country.
It must be open to all. It must
carry on its humanitarian work
throughout its territory.
Universality The International
Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement, in which all
Societies have equal status and
share equal responsibilities and
duties in helping each other,
is worldwide.
Cover image Rodney Dekker
Designer Miguel Valenzuela,
housemouse
Editor Janine Gray
Proofreader Peter Cruttenden
Printer DPA printed on Monza Satin
recycled 200 and 130 gsm.
the Humanitarian is published three
times a year by Australian Red Cross.
Mailing address 155 Pelham Street
Carlton VIC 3053, Australia.
Telephone 00 11 61 3 9345 1800
Voluntary Service It is a
voluntary relief movement not
prompted in any manner by
desire for gain.
ACT
Cnr Hindmarsh Drive
and Palmer Street,
Garran ACT 2605
Tel 02 6234 7600
Fax 02 6234 7650
NSW
159 Clarence Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel 02 9229 4111
Fax 02 9229 4244
NT
Cnr Lambell Terrace and
Schultze Street,
Larrakeyah NT 0820
Tel 08 8924 3900
Fax 08 8924 3909
TAS
40 Melville Street,
Hobart TAS 7000
Tel 03 6235 6077
Fax 03 6231 1250
QLD
49 Park Road,
Milton QLD 4064
Tel 07 3367 7222
Fax 07 3367 7444
VIC
23-47 Villiers Street,
North Melbourne VIC 3051
Tel 03 8327 7700
Fax 03 8327 7711
SA
207-217 Wakefield Street,
Adelaide SA 5000
Tel 08 8100 4500
Fax 08 8100 4501
WA
110 Goderich Street,
East Perth WA 6004
Tel 08 9225 8888
Fax 08 9325 5112
5/3/09 1:44:32 PM