Monrovia – Today August 19, the Liberia National Red Cross Society joins the rest of the world in commemorating this year’s World Humanitarian Day (WHD) under the Global Theme: One Humanity. World Humanitarian Day is an international day dedicated to recognizing humanitarian personnel and those who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes.
The Liberian Red Cross in a special way acknowledges the bravery and dedication of all its volunteers, humanitarian aid workers and health staff across the country and beyond. “We honor and appreciate all humanitarians and health workers for the sacrifices they make both personally and professionally, for their selflessness, and their unyielding commitment to saving lives”, the President of the Liberian Red Cross Jerome N.J. Clarke, II has said.
Health care workers and volunteer humanitarian aid providers are at increased risk of abuses, abduction, harassment, conscription, death, and infection, they are overwhelmed, sometimes working with limited resources, but many have chosen to remain away from their families so as not to expose them to potential infection. “They carry on their noble tasks of serving humanity, forgetting about the risks they are exposed to and putting their lives as shields to protect others and in this case, we consider them as our real-life heroes” Mr. Clarke added.
In Liberia, there are increasing humanitarian situations at the moment that demand urgent attention and swift response because there are devastating effects and people and communities being affected need support to recover quickly. “The outbreak of COVID-19 has not stopped other disasters from occurring”, the Red Cross President noted. Last week the Country recorded two major fire outbreaks in Monrovia and at the CH Rennie Health Center in Kakata. He added: “While we regret the situation, we also acknowledge the efforts and bravery of all those involved in responding to the situations on time so as not to cause further damage”.
The Liberian Red Cross was part of the response to the fire outbreak in Kakata and its team of volunteers and ambulance helped in the process of evacuating four patients and provided first aid services to five responders who sustained injuries in the process of responding to the fire outbreak.
The Red Cross is also part of the ongoing national efforts to end COVID-19 in Liberia. “We have provided assorted Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Nimba County Health Team, distributed hundreds of hand washing buckets to communities and institutions and set up handwashing stations at check points and other crowded public places around the country to promote hand hygiene among others. Our volunteers are constantly on their feet in the communities creating awareness and preventing themselves including COVID-19 vaccination”.
From March to-date, in partnership with the United Nations Refugees Agency (UNHCR) and the Government of Liberia, the Liberian Red Cross continues to provide humanitarian assistance including distribution of Core Relief Items (CRIs), and food and medical assistance to over 34,000 Ivorian refugees and persons of concern living in Liberia particularly in Montserrado, Nimba, River Gee, Grand Gedeh and Maryland Counties
Mr. Clarke, II in a Press Statement mentioned that beyond emergency, there are also critical humanitarian needs which require urgent attention to bring relief and build resilient communities. “Remote towns and villages in rural Liberia as well as slum communities in urban areas are in need of access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. Many disadvantaged groups including the physically challenged, visually impaired, single mothers, and abandoned pregnant women and children and others have special needs that require our urgent attention at all times” he pointed out.
On this World Humanitarian Day, the Liberian Red Cross is not only honoring humanitarian aid providers and health workers, it is also advocating for those in need of extreme humanitarian assistance by calling for increased support to the Red Cross to address some of these needs in the communities beyond emergency.
“We need urgent actions from the Government, humanitarian actors, donors and philanthropists in addressing humanitarian challenges affecting vulnerable groups and communities. We need a stronger commitment and practical actions from national leaders and corporate institutions to make a difference, offer hope and support and put smiles on the faces of people in distress”, Mr. Clarke asserted.
The Liberian Red Cross therefore calls for direct budgetary support from Government so as to focus more on addressing critical humanitarian needs before arising from disasters, emergencies, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. This will help complement support of donor partners and have a greater humanitarian impact in the country.
Background information:
On 19 August 2003, a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killed 22 humanitarian aid workers, including the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Five years later, the General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 19 August as World Humanitarian Day. Each year, World Humanitarian Day focuses on a theme, bringing together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety and security of aid workers.
The Liberia National Red Cross Society is the single largest humanitarian organization created by law and has existed for more than a century, serving as an auxiliary to the Public authorities but does not have a direct budget line in the national budget to support its local humanitarian actions across the country.
