ICRC NEWSLETTER

Issue No.9
Spring 2010

© ICRC/J. BarryCongo-Kinshasa, South Kivu province, Shabunda : Seven demobilized child solders are reunited with their families.

Dear Readers,
It is with great pleasure that we bring you
our latest edition of ICRC Newsletter, ayear after the establishment of our officein Tokyo.
Our presence in Japan has been welcomedby many interlocutors concerned and it isencouraging to see how well the values
and principles of the ICRC-ensuring theHuman Dignity and Life of the victims inarmed conflicts-are shared in Japan. It iscertainly not a coincidence that Japan isthe first East Asian country to ratify theAnti-Cluster Bomb Treaty, which will enter
into force in August 2010. The current
financial and political support to the ICRC
activities is also a reflection of Japan'scommitment to humanitarian action.
As a yearly exercise, the Director ofOperations Pierre Kraehenbuehl visited
Japan to hold substantial talks with theMinistry of Foreign Affairs, Japanese
Red Cross and the Japanese Press. One
noteworthy decision is that the ICRC hasdecided to waive French as a prerequisitefor Japanese candidates to become ICRC
delegates, at least at the entry point stage.
This is in line with ICRC's commitment torecruiting a targeted number of qualified
Japanese nationals by 2010 within theframework of a pilot project. The decision
has been welcomed by the Vice-Ministerof Foreign Affairs. It will be the priority for
the ICRC in Japan to translate this decision
into concrete results by reaching out to as
many interested candidates as possible in
the next years to come.
This issue of the Newsletter begins witha description of our activities in Haiti andChile. Amongst various activities, thesetup of a website has enabled many
thousands of Haitians, Chileans andforeigners living in these two countries
and abroad to find their family members.
This experience will be certainly usefulfor other possible earthquake situations
including Japan.
We also touch on Chad, which has been
mired in a prolonged but "forgotten"
crisis for many years. Our work in Chadis hampered by insecurity as reflected in
the kidnapping of one of our colleagues,
fortunately freed very recently after 89
days of captivity.
In addition, we would also like to informour readers of our upcoming geographicalpriorities for 2010. In the majority of ouroperations, the ICRC has been present
for more than one, two or three decades.
Continuous presence and trust-building
with the authorities are necessar ypreconditions for swift action in times ofcrisis. The case of Gaza and Sri Lanka is agood illustration where the ICRC managed
to bring through assistance under themost difficult circumstances.
We finally report on the activities ofMs.Tomabechi, a JRCS nurse who has
worked with the ICRC in Kandahar for sixmonths.
Last but not least, we have recentlystrengthened our staff capacity to respondbetter to the increased needs raised byour interlocutors. We sincerely hope thatthe second year will be as fruitful as theprevious year and are optimistic that wewill continue to enjoy your unabatedcooperation and support.
Yours sincerely,

Yoshinobu Nagamine

Head of Tokyo OfficeInternational Committee of the Red CrossFrom the field
The ICRC maintains a permanent presence in over 60 countries and conducts operations in about 80 nations.
The following is a snapshot of our worldwide activities in several contexts, which are currently facing serioushumnanitarian crises.

West Bank : No respite from hardship for Palestinians
Just attempting to live a normal life
is still an everyday struggle for many
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
In certain areas of the West Bank that areunder full Israel civil and military control,
almost every crest hosts a settlement,
numerous physical obstacles such as theWest Bank barrier, checkpoints, earth
mounds and fences force people to takelong detours for their daily commuting
and cut their access to family and friends.
It is also very difficult for Palestinians toobtain building permits. As a result, manyfamilies build without a permit and riskseeing their homes destroyed. In 2009,

the Israeli authorities demolished about
20 homes in the West Bank and another
50 in East Jerusalem. Access to electricity
and water is a recurrent problem as well.
Recuperating rainwater or water-trucking
are the only viable alternatives.
The ICRC closely monitors thehumanitarian consequences of Israeli
practices and policies, making confidential
representations to the Israeli authorities
on the basis of international humanitarianlaw (IHL) in general and on the law ofoccupation in particular. Dialogue ismaintained with political authorities,

armed forces and influential members ofcivil society to promote the rules of IHL.
These include the fact that under IHL,
as the occupying power, Israel has an
obligation to treat the civilian population
humanely at all times. It must ensurethat Palestinians have adequate accessto water and health care. It must also
refrain from any requisition of, destructionof, or damage to property belonging
to civilians not required by imperative
military necessity. The law also specificallyprohibits the transfer of the occupier’s
civilian population into the territory itoccupies.

Reunifying families in Haiti and Chile
In Haiti and Chile, the ICRC provides its Tracing and Restoring
Family Links(RFL) service designed to reunify families torn
apart due to conflict situations and natural disasters. The ICRC
has also set up a special website to facilitate family contacts.
ahttp://www.familylinks.icrc.org
In Haiti, families were often split up
in the rescue effort as they weretaken to different emergency posts
or while fleeing to the countrysidefrom the city in ruins. Many
unaccompanied children are now
in the hands of neighbours or othermembers of their communities. In
cooperation with the Haitian RedCross(HRC), the ICRC encourages
people to register ear thquake
victims at community centers or theICRC and HRC registration posts.

In addition, the ICRC uses the radio to inform people of thewhereabouts of their loved ones, and re-establishes contact
with relatives via satellite phones. In the case of Chile, notonly in the the worst affected places, but in the hills along thecoastline, where inhabitants hadbeen forced to flee their homes toescape the post-quake tsunami andare now camping, the ICRC provides
the satellite telephones to help
restore contact between separated
family members. ICRC mobile family
links teams also visits prisons, andin response to a request from theprison service health section and inclose association with the Chilean
R ed Cross, the ICR C provides© ICRC/M. Kokic medicines and medical supplies toHaiti: A boy affected by the earthquake uses an ICRC meet the inmates' needs, as well as
the satellite phones.
satellite phone to reassure his relatives.

Chad: Humanitarian work continues despite safety concerns
Since Chad gained independence fromthe French in 1960, the country has had
a turbulent past. Recently, a coalitionof armed groups drew back to theirbases in the east, and small-scale clashes
persisted there, fuelled by a mix of ethnic
and political grievances, rivalry overdwindling resources and chronic poverty.
In addition, relations between Chadand Sudan remained tense, with bothsides trading accusations of supporting
armed groups to bring down the other's
government. The ICRC has been operatingin Chad since 1978. Its activities focus

on protecting and assisting internallydisplaced people and their hosts andpeople detained or otherwise affectedby the conflict; restoring family links
for Sudanese refugees; and ensuring
treatment for war wounded andamputees.
On February 6, 2010, ICRC agronomist
L a ure n t M a ur i ce w a s f re e d b y hi sabductors 89 days after he was kidnappedin eastern Chad, where Laurent was toevaluate the most recent harvest. In theneighbouring country, Sudan, GauthierLefèvre, the head of the ICRC office in
Al Geneina, West Darfur, was also taken
hostage on 22 October 2009 and releasedon March 18 close to Al Geneina. Gauthierexpressed his gratitude to all those whokept supporting and encouraging him
as well as to everyone in the Sudanese
government and authorities who worked
hard for his release.
Because security is a major concern, it
is constantly being reviewed. The ICRC
is taking every possible precaution toensure that its staff can work safely.

ICRC Emergency Appeals 2010
The ICRC is funded mostly by contributions from the States party to the Geneva Conventions. For 2010, theICRC has issued its Emergency Appeals, which aim for an initial contribution of CHF 983.2 million to cover its
operational activities worldwide.

In comparison with the 2009 budget ona regional basis, decreases were notedfor Africa (10%); Europe and the Americas(8%); and Middle East and North Africa(4%), while Asia and the Pacific increased
by 24% (see figure4). The ICRC maintains
extensive operations in Asia and thePacific allowing it to respond to the needsof people affected by armed conflicts andother situations of violence, working with
the National Society, its key operational
partner.

0.56%

0.00005%RANK

DELEGATIONS 2010

INITIAL BUDGET2010(in CHF million)

1

Afghanistan

73.1

2

Iraq

72.4

3

Sudan

64.9

4

Congo (Democratic Rep of the)

56.4

5

Israel & Occupied Territories

52.3

6

Pakistan

48.1

7

Somalia

46.7

8

Colombia

31.4

9

Yemen

20.3

10

Chad

18.8

TOTAL

484.4

2.3%

0.18%

10.58%

81.88%■ Governments ■ European commission■ International organizations ■ Supranational organizations■ National societies ■ Public sources ■ Private sources

Figure2 20 major donors in 2009
282.4

300

17.6

11.9

11.2

10.6

10.5

10.5

10.3

FranceFinland

Belgium

IrelandDenmark

Luxembourg

Italy

Figure4 Initial budget : ICRC around the world 2010
Europe & The Americas
CHF 136.3 million

Middle East & North Africa
CHF 201.9 million

Internships :If you are interested in an internshipat ICRC Tokyo Office, please email orcall us for further information.

Email : tok_tokyo@icrc.org
Tel : 03-6459-0750

AfricaCHF 359.9 million
Asia & The Pacific
CHF 238.4 million

Kuwait 3.5

24.823.3
Spain

30.2
Japan

Australia

38.8

30.8

Canada42.4
Netherlands

Germany

46.1

69.6

91.6

NorwaySweden

United Kingdom

Switzerland

0114.6

100

105.7

200

EuropeanCommission

In 2010, the ICRC's biggest operation isenvisaged to be in Afghanistan, with adecline in the scale of activities in Sudan,Iraq, and Pakistan (see figure3). Morethan 1,500 staff currently work in its
main delegation in Kabul and in five subdelegations and nine offices countrywide.
The ICR C continues to respond tothe needs of people affected by thearmed conflict; providing support forselected hospitals; physical rehabilitation
programmes; highlighting the dangers
posed by unexploded ordnance; andrehabilitating water and sanitation
services.

4.49%

United States

This ability to continue to protect andassist the victims of armed conflicts andother situations of violence on a strictly
neutral, independent and impartial basis
is dependent on the support of donors.
Contributions by governments (including
the European Commission) exceed 92% in
total, of which Japan is counted as one of
the major donors (see figure1&2).

Figure1 All contributions by type of donors Figure3 The 10 biggest operationsin 2009

Swiss Francs Million

In 2009, the ICRC strove to provide aprofessional humanitarian response toalleviate the suffering of people affectedby conflic t and other situations ofviolence, adapting to the most pressing
needs as they occurred. This year will
be no different. The ICRC’s energy andcommitment stem from its sense of duty
to make a difference for people affectedby armed conflicts and other situationsof violence. Every day, our 12,000 staff
members work towards that fundamental
goal and their determination to succeed isimmense.

International RC/RC Movement
Red Cross nurse's struggle at Mirwais~Finding solace in spending time with patients and their families~
For six months, from August 2009 toFebruar y 2010, I worked as a ward
nursing staff at the ICRC-supported
Mirwais regional hospital, the largest in
southern Afghanistan. The purpose of
our work there was to enrich the qualityof healthcare and to provide training for
local staff. In that region, the ICRC hascontinued to support victims of armed
conflict since 1996. Though the mainpart of the assistance by ICRC staff in thebeginning was war surgery, today we playa wider role in regional hospitals in theareas of obstetrics/ gynecology, pediatrics,
internal medicine, etc. Capacity building
in terms of local medical infrastructure
was also a new challenge for me.
Most of the patients from the region
outside Kandahar need to travel many
hours to access medical assistance.
Therefore, the role as a base-hospital
corering five provinces including
Kandahar, is significant. Especially inthe region where most of the residents
are Pashtuns, there are very strict rulesseparating men and women. During
my mission there, I was in charge of
the women’s surgery ward. Since wedealt only with women, there were notmany patients wounded by war. Somewere being treatedfor complications
arising from caesarean
operations while others
for burn injuries (women
frequently were burnt by
the flames of kerosene
lamps or cooking fires
while preparing food).
Mirwais Hospital did nothave the capacity to treat
the most serious burncases. Sometimes help
came too late. Working
with limited resources,
facilities, equipments andmanpower was difficult,and there were insurmountable obstacles.
Fa m i l y t i e s a n d c l o s e n e s s a re t h echaracteristics of Afghan people, and I was
impressed by the devotion toward their
hospitalized family members. Spendingtime with patients and their families wasa blessing for me working in such a harshenvironment. I could not communicate
with them without an interpreter, but I felt
a sense of affinity. It gave us a deep senseof satisfaction to see patients who cameto the hospital desperate for help, obtain
medical treatment and eventually get well© ICRCagain. These positive results confirmed
the significance of our work and presencein the country.
I hope that my activities at the Mirwais
Hospital had contributed to theimprovement of the lives of the Afghan
people so that they can live a healthy life
in dignity.

Noriko Tomabechi

Japanese Red Cross Medical Center
Assistant Head Nurse of Nursing Division

A musical presented by the Snow Troupe of Takarazuka Revue Company“Dawn in Solferino” - The Life of Henry Dunant-© Takarazuka Revue Company“Dawn in Solferino” featuring the life of Henry Dunant, the father of the Red Cross and thefirst winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, kicks off on March 26 at the TOKYO TAKARAZUKA
THEATER. In 1859, Swiss businessman Henry Dunant was passing through the town ofSolferino in northern Italy, which was the site of a conflict between French and Austriansoldiers. During this ‘battle of Solferino’, some 40,000 soldiers were killed in only one
day, resulting in the small country church being used as a field hospital. Dunant saw
that the wounded were screened at the entrance, based on their identities as allies andfoes and that the troops of the enemy were left exposed to the open air. He immediately
recruited the townspeople as volunteers, exhorting them to render treatment to all thewounded, regardless of nationality. It was not an easy task, and he was very frustrated
by the opposition he received. “Dawn in Solferino” is a must-see, depicting as it does
the ups and downs of the life of Henry Dunant, a man of passion and deep humanity. It
showcases the importance of protecting human life and dignity, regardless of nationality,race and religion.

Performance at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater

Schedule: March 26- April 25, 2010 (Close on Monday)
Ticket price: Seat SS: 11,000 JPY/ S: 8,500 JPY/ A: 5,500 JPY/ B: 3,500 JPY

Access to the theater

Tokyo Takarazuka building, 1-1-3 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku TEL: 03-5251-2201
JR : Yurakucho Station Subway : Hibiya Station (Hibiya / Chiyoda line)

ICRC Tokyo Office

La Piazzolla 6F, 2-9-3 Higashi-Shimbashi
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0021 Japan
TEL：+81(0)3-6459-0750 / FAX：+81(0)3-6459-0751
Website：http://www.icrc.org

Website：http://www.jrc.or.jp