International Federation/Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) Activities
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Salema Muhammed Yassen, head nurse at the Iraqi Red Crescent Maternity hospital gives a vaccination to a young boy. November 2002. |
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With the support of the International Federation, the IRCS has developed a disaster response plan covering all 18 governorates of the country, with skilled managers and more than 3,000 volunteers ready to provide first aid to civilians displaced or made homeless.
The IRCS activities include:
Disaster relief and preparedness
- Assisting the ICRC in providing destitute families with food (rice, lentils and oil) and selected hospitals with medical kits.
- Providing supplementary feeding to malnourished children.
- Special role in the national disaster preparedness plan to provide volunteer teams to distribute food, blankets, etc.
- Basrah is also involved in an early warning system for river floods, which are the main local disaster.
Health care
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Iraqi Red Crescent volunteer Sadiya Rasheed takes vital statistics for the vaccination campaign. IRCS volunteers provide essential support, since they monitor the effectiveness of the campaigns. "We hand out leaflets explaining what polio is and how to avoid being infected by the virus," explained a volunteer. | |
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- The IRCS runs a maternity hospital and a general surgical hospital in Baghdad.
- Most branches are involved in some health activities.
First aid - IRCS headquarters organizes regular first-aid training courses in Baghdad for staff, volunteers and employees of various organizations.
Youth
- Annual youth camps with recreational, sports and first-aid training activities.
- Youth members organize lectures and campaigns on the prevention of HIV/AIDS and drug abuse and distribute pamphlets.
Dissemination
- Eight branches of the IRCS and the headquarters are included in an ICRC-supported dissemination programme.
- Each branch has a dissemination volunteer and coordination meetings are conducted quarterly.
Ziyad, a 25-year-old volunteer with a family in Abu Ghraib district, 30 km west of Baghdad. "We hand over leaflets explaining what polio is and how to avoid being infected by the virus," says Ziyad .
- Youth department and several branches are also involved in dissemination of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the Fundamental Principles of the Movement.
Tracing
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Most branches of the IRCS carry out tracing activities supported by ICRC.
For more information visit the IFRC's website.
Visit the Iraq Humanitarian Assistance Appeal for more information or make a donation.
