The Caritas Annual Report shows our work in 2012 through five strategic priorities identified during the year: addressing poverty at home and abroad, responding to emergencies, upholding the dignity and rights of indigenous peoples, promoting environmental justice, and connecting effectively with our Catholic community.

Public donations topped $3 million last year, including a record Lent total of more than $900,000. We are grateful for the government’s New Zealand Aid Programme which contributed almost $1 million towards Caritas development and relief programmes.

Tropical Cyclone Evan hit the Pacific islands of Fiji, Samoa and the French territory of Wallis and Futuna in December 2012 leaving a trail of destruction. The strong winds and heavy rains caused serious damage to houses, schools, hospitals and key economic and tourist infrastructure across all three island nations. In total, four people died, more than 16,000 people were displaced, and 1400 houses destroyed.

Tropical cyclone Evan hit Samoa and Fiji on 13 and 16 December. As a category 4 storm, Evan caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure on both islands.

The activities proposed hereafter are still subject to the adoption of the financing decision ECHO/WWO/ BUD/2013/01000

1 . CONTEXT

Reports of peace from Afghanistan

Caritas staff Tara D’Sousa and Nick Borthwick recently visited Bamyan province in Afghanistan, where Caritas supports an education and rural development programme. Despite recent violence in northeast Bamyan, Tara and Nick say their biggest impression of the areas they visited (Shaidan Valley and Yakawlang) was one of peacefulness and harmony. ‘People are just going about their daily lives and making the most of their opportunities,’ says Nick.

This report covers the period 1 January to 31 December 2011 Programme outcome

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Asia Pacific zone office continues to support its regional and country offices as well as the 37 national societies in the zone in building stronger and more resilient communities, improving and assisting in preparedness, knowledge-sharing and response to disasters as well as health and care challenges.

ADB Assistance to Developing Asia Tops $21.7 Billion in 2011

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $21.72 billion in financing operations last year, a 14.5% increase on ADB’s previous year’s financing, according to its 2011 Annual Report, released ahead of the organization’s 45th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors, to be held from 2 to 5 May in Manila, Philippines.

In brief

Programme outcome

Red Cross National Societies are community-based organizations. Providing support to improve the functioning of local Red Cross institutions, programmes and resulting services, which then have an impact on vulnerable people, is at the heart of the Pacific regional office’s mandate.

Programme activities include:

In brief

Programme purpose

Red Cross National Societies are community-based organizations. Support to improving the functioning of local Red Cross institutions, programmes and the resulting services, which then have an impact on vulnerable people, is at the heart of the Pacific regional office’s mandate.