ICRC Bulletin

Norman Ng / ICRC

Kuala Lumpur

Issue No. 2January 2007

Kantale: An ICRC delegate talks to displaced woman in a transit camp.

Dear Reader
The second edition of this bulletin for Japan focuses on theICRC's appeal for funds for 2007. It includes information on
the global budget and a breakdown of the figures for the AsiaPacific. We will also briefly explain the main programmes
theICRC undertakes throughout the world.
The situation analysis on which the budget is based showsthat the evolution of today's armed conflicts is becoming increasingly difficult to predict. Apart from a limited number ofwars between states, there is a growing number of highly
complex internal conflicts involving numerous actors with diverse motives for taking up arms.
This volatile environment has implications for the ICRC'sworldwide network of 80 delegations and missions. The organization faces the ever-present risk of being rejected oreven attacked by some actors who challenge its legitimacy.
Meanwhile, others try to instrumentalise humanitarian action
in support of their political or military agenda. In this environment, the ICRC strives to demonstrate the added value of its
neutral and independent approach which focuses on gaining
and maintaining access to all victims of armed conflict.
Its operations in Sri Lanka exemplify the ICRC's ambition ofcomprehensively addressing a wide range of humanitarianneeds. Its role as a neutral intermediary has regularly allowed civilians and essential goods to cross the frontlines
dividing the country.

Among the ICRC's priorities is the tracing of persons missing
because of armed conflicts or natural disasters. It works with
183 national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to build apowerful global network that helps separated family members torestore and maintain contact. In Japan, the ICRC's cooperation
with the Cabinet Secretariat and the Japanese Red Cross Society on this issue will increase throughout 2007.
Finally, this bulletin features an article by our Japanese intern
Masako Kataoka who has gained firsthand experience at theICRC Regional Delegation based in Kuala Lumpur.
Many of you reacted to our first edition. We were encouraged bythese comments and hope that with your help we can continue
to improve. Thanks for your support.

Werner Kaspar
Regional Delegation
ICRC Kuala Lumpur

PS: In order to facilitate your contacts with the Japanese Red Cross Society we have added their web link at the end of the document.

ICRC EMERGENCY APPEALS 2007

Norman Ng / ICRC

How will the funds be used?

Conflict is unpredictable, a truly global phenomenon that encompasses all aspects of life. Every day, atrocities are committed, thousands of persons displaced, and widespread violenceoccurs in countries throughout the world including Iraq, Sudan,Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Somalia, and Colombia. To be effective,the response of the ICRC must also be global. As the organisation's president Jakob Kellenberger said recently, "Perhaps
one of the main challenges faced by the ICRC is to effectively
address the multiple needs of affected populations in extremely
diverse environments."
Last year was no exception. In 2006, the ICRC responded
promptly and comprehensively to emerging or sudden humanitarian crises in Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian Territories,
Sri Lanka, Somalia and Timor-Leste. Tracing and Restoring Family Links activities, as well as visits to detainees took
place in some 80 countries, and protection and assistanceprogrammes were implemented to restore dignity and provide
hope for people affected by conflict.

In 2007, the ICRC will continue to reinforce its protection activities, focusing on monitoring the living conditions and treatment
of detainees, advocating respect for the rights of civilians affected by war and on tracing missing persons. It will also pursue
efforts to promote the relevance of International Humanitarianlaw (IHL) in armed conflict situations. In addition, the ICRC will
strengthen its capacity in basic health care, including for detainees, and hospital management. Throughout, the ICRC isever mindful of the pivotal role played by national Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies, and coordinates its work with other humanitarian actors to optimise support for those in need.
Sudan will remain the largest operation for the fourth consecutive year,
followed by Israel and the Palestinian territories, Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the Asia-Pacific, reconstruction work in Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake, and the consequences of increased conflict in Afghanistan andSri Lanka, as well as armed violence in the Philippines and Southern
Thailand, will require major human and financial resources. Also, there
are indications of a worrying trend in Myanmar with regard to protectionof civilians and detainees.
These, and more, are the challenges facing the ICRC in 2007- 2008. We
need the support of donors and our partners in humanitarian action inorder to ease the hardships experienced by people affected by conflict.

350

Comparative Budget Between 2006 and 2007 (in USD)

"Providing a professional humanitarian response to increasingly diverse and demanding situations of armed conflict andto other forms of armed violence around the world presents adaunting challenge," said Jakob Kellenberger, president of theICRC, on launching the institution's annual appeal to donors.

300

Even with the best will in the world, the ICRC's effectiveness
depends on the support of donor countries, National Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the private sector.
The European Commission, the USA, the UK, Switzerland,
the Netherlands, and Sweden continue to be the ICRC's
main sources of funding. The Government of Japan and theJapanese Red Cross contribute over US$ 20 million. Theorganisation began 2006 with a field budget of US$ 741 million.
In the course of the year, seven additional budget extensions
amounting to US$ 119 million were needed to respond tohumanitarian emergencies.

100For this year, the ICRC is asking donors for an initial amountof US$ 698 million for use in field operations. The reductionof approximately US$ 43 million compared to the 2006 initialbudget, is due to lower spending plans for Sudan, Pakistan,
Myanmar and Nepal. Meanwhile, expenditure for Israel and thePalestinian territories, Iraq, Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Uganda and Colombia is due to increase.

Africa:280.2 million

25020015050Africa

Asia andthe Pacific

Europe and Middle East andthe Americas North Africa

Total 2006 Budget
Total 2007 Budget

Distribution of 2007 Budget Continents and Region (in USD)

Middle East and North Africa:
135.7 million

Asia and the Pacific:
143.9 million

Europe and the Americas:
105.4 million

Total Budget for 2007: 698 million

Field Report : Sri Lanka
General Situation
Renewed fighting between the government security forces (SLSF)
and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has resulted infurther casualties among civilians and in thousands of newly displaced families. Of the 35,000 displaced civilians trapped for thepast three months by heavy fighting in Vakarai, about 15,000 havemanaged to flee the area and reach the government-controlledarea in the southern part of the district. The displaced are presently being housed at 36 different sites and assisted by several
humanitarian organizations as well as the Government of Sri Lanka. In the meantime, another 4,000 civilians have fled the fighting
in the eastern part of Trincomalee district and reached the town ofKantale, where they are sheltering around the local schools andtemples.

KantaleAska Hasegawa
As the day began in Mutur in theTrincomalee District, an easterncity of the Sri Lankan island, its
residents had already been walking for days saving whatever wasleft from a lifetime. Lines of men,
women and children formed a sadcolorful rainbow moving towards
Kantale, getting further away fromthe golden beaches. Fleeing the ongoing conflict, they traded the comfortof their homes against the security of tents which seemed like a safe haven. Kantale accommodated about 45,000 Internally Displaced People (IDP)
within temporarily built camps scattered in paddy fields. The International
Committee of the Red Cross was there to witness their arrivals and bringthem assistance.
On 18 August 2006, I was not supposed to be in Trincomalee district thatearly, least in a camp with those vulnerable people. A very fortunate concourse of circumstance took me among these IDPs. I missed the ICRC shuttle which was supposed to reach Trincomalee town 2 hours later. Therefore,I took a ride half way through my journey which arrived in Al Tariq camp inKantale. As I arrived I was surrounded by hundreds of people who each had
a demand, a request, a need to be fulfilled.
An old woman approached me and asked for a pair of glasses “I have lostmine as we were running away from the shelling”. As I looked at her she
told me how she had to flee her home with her family “now I don’t see
well and it is difficult for me to take care of our everyday needs”. Instinctively, my nursing background took the toll on the situation and I showed hera finger asking her how many it was, and then a second and a third finger
as I was trying to move my arm away from her eyes. The crowd around us
was at first grinning. As my examination went along, people became more
assertive and their laughter got louder. The older woman was also amusedand by the time I was through with my prompt consultation she had joined
the others in their joviality. I explained to her that ICRC was not able to replace her eye glasses at that time, and that other type of distribution would
start in few hours. She nodded her head as a sign of understanding whilestill smiling. It seemed that for a few minutes these people had forgotten thebitter taste of their situation.
Even though I was not able to respond positively to the request of that
person, I felt happy that I had brought a brief moment of happiness into theirweary hearts. I had been able to make people forget their sadness temporary and that was just another brick set in the well of hope. Distribution ofNon-Food Relief Items, shelter and water are not the only activities of theInternational Committee of Red Cross; Caring, Listening and bringing hope
are the basis of its everyday work.

As at 20 December 2006, the ICRC has:• evacuated, in cooperation with the Italian Red Cross, 30 injured civilians by boat from Vakarai to Valachenai hospital, a better-equippedfacility in the government-controlled area.
• lent support for the 10-day "Chikungunya and Dengue Control
Days" campaign run by the health authorities in Kilinochchi. It has
also donated dressing and injection materials to Kantale Base Hospital, and continues to provide support to SLRCS mobile healthteams in Batticaloa and Jaffna.
• assisted more than 500 families who fled the fighting in Vakarai
and sought shelter in the government-controlled area of Batticaloa
district. It has provided displaced civilians at sites in Alankulam andKiram with shelters, latrines and sanitary facilities, as well as several
water distribution points.
• provided more than 350 tents and distributed construction material
to build more than 300 shelters. It has built more than 40 at the samesite. It is distributing more than 20 cubic metres of drinking water
every day at each site.
• has provided basic assistance (mats, jerry cans, hygiene kits andother essential household items) to thousands of displaced people in
Kantale town, Vakarai, Jaffna, Thirunagar, Thondamanagar, Pesalai,Kandavalai, and Kilinochchi, among others. In the Batticaloa district,the ICRC, working with SLRCS volunteers, has assisted families inChangaladi district, and in Alankulam and Urugamam.
• cooperated closely with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society to help
members of families separated by the conflict to restore and maintain contact with one another. Since 1 December 2006, it has collected 179 family messages and distributed212.
• registered or held private interviews with 294 detainees during 39
visits in 38 places of detention.
• acted as a neutral intermediary to facilitate the crossing of some
10,000 civilians at Omanthai and Uyilankulam lines.

For further information, please visit : www.icrc.org

UpdateICRC地域代表部でのインターン体験「あらま！」街中でも職場でも、驚いたマレーシアの人がこうつぶやくのをよく耳にします。
この国に来てインターンを始めてから３ヶ月。今日はインターンの仕事の中で経験したたくさんの「あらま！」の中からいくつかをご紹介いたします。
国際法と人道援助について大学院で学んだ後、私は、赤十字国際委員会（ICRC）
クアラルンプール地域代表部でインターンをする機会を得ました。
この地域代表部は、マレーシア、シンガポール、ブルネイ王国、そして日本の４ヶ国を直接の対象国とするだけでなく、アジア・太平洋地域の他の国々にあるICRC事務所の活動支援も行っています。それぞれの国における、国際人道法の普及および国内実施の促進等が主要な任務です。国際スタッフの多くは、中国、ヴェトナム、フィリピン、フィジーなどなど、マレーシアを起点にあちこち飛び回っています。彼らのパワフルさにはいつも驚かされます。
ここでの私の第一の仕事は、日本を担当するスタッフの補佐です。スタッフの日本訪問を前に、連絡調整のサポートや基本情報の収集を行います。また、
日本においてジュネーブ諸条約等の国際人道法の国内実施がどの程度すすんでいるのか、さまざまな資料から得た情報をまとめ、報告することも大切な役割です。
日本人であることは日本語資料の収集が可能な点などで利点が多い一方、事務所で唯一の日本人としての責任も感じています。
日本に関する活動のほかに、マレーシアでICRCが行う活動を手伝うこともあります。
2004年のインド洋大津波で多くの犠牲者がでたインドネシア・アチェ州。マレーシアにはそのアチェ州出身の人たちが多く住んでおり、津波発生後、ICRCにはたくさんの人からアチェにいる家族を捜索してほしいとの依頼が寄せられました。その経験から、ICRCはマレーシア赤新月社と協力して、自然災害時等における家族の安否調査について、国内の能力構築を図っています。その第一段階としてICRCスタッフが行っている現地調査に同行し、大都市とは異なる地方の様子に触れることもできました。
また、ICRCが活動をする
うえで、国内の赤十字・赤新月社の存在がとても重要であることも知ることができました。
際スタッフの多くは、法律や教育、報道などの各分野での長い実務経験を持ち、紛争下の中東やアフリカなどにおいて実際に人道援助活動を行ってきた人たち。彼らとの会話を通し、「平和」がいかに重要で貴重なものなのか、あらためて気づかされます。
また現地ス
タッフは、さまざまな民族、宗教、文化が共存するマレーシアについて、いろいろなことを教えてくれます。
これからも「あらま！」を楽しみつつ、多くのことを吸収したいと思います。

ICRC

ICRCでの毎日は、とても刺激的です。スタッフから学ぶこともとてもたくさんあります。国赤十字国際委員会（ICRC）
クアラルンプール地域代表部
インターン
片岡 昌子

30th Anniversary of Additional Protocols
8 June 2007 will mark the 30th Anniversary of the Additional Protocols of the Geneva Conventions.
Established in 1977, the Additional Protocols I and II extend extra protection to victims of international and non-international armed conflicts. They
seek to improve protection for civilians and other combatants by taking into account new realities on the battlefield, in particular the emergenceof guerrilla warfare and modern weaponry.
The cornerstone of Additional Protocol is the requirement that parties to an armed conflict distinguish at all times between the civilian populationand combatants, and between civilian objects and military objectives.
Additional Protocol II is the first ever treaty devoted exclusively to the protection of the individual and restriction on the use of force in non-international armed conflicts, the majority of today's conflicts. It details the fundamental guarantees for people who do not, or who no longer directly
participate in hostilities, including those in detention.
A total of 194 countries have become party to the Geneva Conventions, meaning they have been universally accepted, while 166 countries areparty to the First Additional Protocol and 162 countries are party to the Second. Japan became party to both treaties in 2004. The ICRC aims toensure that the Protocols attain the same degree of universality as the Conventions.
The 30th Anniversary is an appropriate time to highlight both the value and the significance of the Additional Protocols, particularly their impact on
the protection of civilian victims of armed conflicts.
The ICRC Receives Presidential AwardOn 7 December 2006 in Manila, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo cited the International Committee of the Red Cross as one of therecipients of the Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organisations Overseas. Established in 1991, the biannual Awards are given
for "exceptional achievements and unprecedented efforts to help Filipinos residing overseas". Specifically, the organisation was commended forsetting up a Family Links website for Filipinos working and living in Lebanon. More than 30,000 Overseas Filipino workers were in Lebanon at theoutset of the conflict, and many families used the website promoted by ICRC Manila.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Kuala Lumpur Regional Delegation
Unit 50-11-1, Level 11,
Wisma UOA Damansara
No. 50, Jalan Dungun
Damansara Heights
50490 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
T: +60(3) 2084 1800 F: +60(3) 2084 1999
E-mail: kuala_lumpur.kua@icrc.org
Website: www.icrc.org

Website: www.jrc.or.jp