INTERNATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Global teamwork
Whether in conflicts or disasters - the Red Cross and Red Crescent network helps worldwide.
Ali Abad, Orthopedic Center in Kabul, Afghanistan. 21-year-old Bibi Rahima has been a patient here for a long time. Ten years ago, a bomb destroyed the house where she lived. Bibi Rahima was seriously injured and lost her legs. Today, thanks to prostheses, she can walk again and would like to become a doctor herself one day.
The decades-long war in Afghanistan has left deep scars. Due to the sanctions since autumn 2021, the situation for the population has deteriorated even further. For more than thirty years, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been active in Afghanistan, and it often offers the only chance for people to receive support. Thanks to its neutrality and independence, the ICRC is one of the few aid organizations that can also work in war zones, bringing help to victims of war and armed violence. And it does so in many areas: from repairing infrastructure such as water and electricity supplies to running health centers, reuniting families, or disseminating international humanitarian law.
Integrated support for the population
Challenges in Afghanistan are complex and require the expertise of the entire network of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. In 2021, the country experienced one of the worst droughts in decades. More than half the population, 22.8 million people, struggled to cope. "The crop was almost a complete failure. I had no other option but to sell our animals to feed my family," says an Afghan farmer from the Badghis province, near the Turkmen border. This had consequences that threatened his existence. The drought was followed by winter with temperatures as low as -20 degrees. In addition to 3,000 tons of food, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), together with the Afghan Red Crescent, distributed materials to make shelters winter-proof. Blankets and heaters were also handed out. This was followed by the distribution of seeds, small agricultural implements, livestock, and cash to ensure medium-term livelihoods.
There are 192 national Red Cross or Red Crescent societies that help on the ground.
This is one example of many that shows how the aid offered by the Red Cross network is effective. There are 192 national Red Cross or Red Crescent societies that help on the ground. When, after wars and conflicts or due to disasters, the situation can no longer be managed locally, the international Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement supports with funding, relief supplies and experts. The Austrian Red Cross is a reliable international partner. Our long-term goal is to build the capacity of national Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies and to invest in preparedness and prevention in order to reduce the impact of conflicts and disasters.