The Federation's vision is to strive, through voluntary action, for a world of empowered communities, better able to address human suffering and crises with hope, respect for dignity and a concern for equity. Its mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in over 185 countries.

In Brief

Programme Update no. 2, Period covered: 1 June to 30 September, 2006;

Appeal target 2006-2007: CHF 4,257,996 (USD 3,508,095 or EUR 2,664,370);

Appeal coverage: 52 % Click here for the interim financial report to date

Related Emergency or Annual Appeals:

Central Europe Annual Appeal 2006/2007. For details, please go to the website at http://www.ifrc.org/cgi/pdf_appeals.pl?annual06/MAA66001.pdf

Central Europe Annual Appeal 2006/2007 - Programme Update no.1. For details, please go to the website at http://www.ifrc.org/cgi/pdf_appeals.pl?annual06/MAA6600101.pdf

Bosnia and Herzegovina Annual Appeal 2006/2007. For details, please go to the website at http://www.ifrc.org/cgi/pdf_appeals.pl?annual06/MAABA001.pdf

Serbia and Montenegro/Kosovo Annual Appeal 2006/2007. For details, please go to the website at http://www.ifrc.org/cgi/pdf_appeals.pl?annual06/MAACS001.pdf Annual Appeals 2006/2007 for Europe/Central Asia region. For details please see the website at

http://www.ifrc.org/where/europe.asp

The programmes herein are aligned with the Federation's Global Agenda, which sets out four broad goals to meet the Federation's mission:

1. Reduce the numbers of deaths, injuries and impact from disasters.

2. Reduce the number of deaths, illnesses and impact from diseases and public health emergencies.

3. Increase local community, civil society and Red Cross Red Crescent capacity to address the most urgent situations of vulnerability.

4. Reduce intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion and promote respect for diversity and human dignity.

Programme summary

Programme implementation continued well in the second half of 2006, with the expected major funding being confirmed (Norwegian Red Cross/Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Finnish Red Cross). This enabled a revision of the budgets for 2006 and plans of action in June, prioritizing activities in line with received income. The main areas of revision were in Regional Health/Care, where the budget was revised from CHF 426,563 to CHF 249,037; Regional Organizational Development budget was revised from CHF 495,758 to CHF 656,012 to reflect outstanding balances remaining from 2005 for Albanian RC and for capacity building fund interventions; Regional Participatory Community Development budget was revised from CHF 627,139 to CHF 801,348; and Regional Disaster Management budget was revised from CHF 451,299 to CHF 542,241. This includes balance of funds from Norwegian RC/Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2005, the implementation of which has been extended to 31 July 2006. Regional Promotion of Humanitarian Values is revised from CHF 119,000 to CHF 102,513 to reflect funding situation and reducing the amount set aside to support National Societies in developing activities to respond to human trafficking. Coordination and implementation budget was revised from CHF 221,139 to CHF 146,922 - this budget is now mainly used for in-kind Finance Delegate costs, which are fully covered by Finnish Red Cross.

With its staff principally from regional sources, the Regional Delegation relies on covering regional coordinator salaries from its programme funding. Despite the recognized added value of this approach to re-sourcing in the region, this funding structure is not easy to secure and is a constant source of concern for the RD.

Operational developments

During the reporting period, post flood operation in Romania has continued with the focus on distribution of food and hygienic parcels, shelter solution and water and sanitation assistance to those affected by floods. Regional Disaster Response Team (RDRT) was supporting the Romanian Red Cross during the months of June and July with its relief and water sanitation experts. Since August, Romanian RC is managing the floods operation on its own. The Federation funding through the Emergency Appeal will concentrate on completing food parcel distribution by the end of January 2007 with focus on Dolj and Tulcea counties, as they are the counties with the biggest number of affected persons.

A referendum in Montenegro about the future of the republic in the state union of Serbia & Montenegro ended in a vote for independence. After the referendum both National Societies went through the process of re-recognition. Representatives of Joint Movement Statutory Commission visited both National Societies in order to reassess ten conditions for the recognition of National Societies as well other aspects of high importance for the future. Both the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Federation have decided that Serbian Red Cross will continue its membership as a National Society in the Red Cross Movement as an organization that inherited status of the Serbia and Montenegro Red Cross. During the Governing Board meeting that will take place in the end of October this issue will be on the agenda. The Montenegrin Red Cross had been re-recognized by the ICRC as well and they will be provisionally admitted to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on the forthcoming session of the Governing Board until the next General Assembly next year when this decision will be confirmed.

European Union (EU) accession continues to be a key issue for debate in the region. Bulgaria and Romania have clarified timeframes for accession. However this pre-accession status means that funding previously open to the countries and channeled through EU member governments has now dried up. Other mechanisms are now open to these countries nationally, but are in the process of development. National societies are being encouraged to work closely with the relevant ministries and state representatives to access these new funding sources, and to lobby for recognition of the Red Cross as a leader in the humanitarian field. National societies will need further support in lobbying nationally and in order to understand how these mechanisms can work. The experience of the last group of accession states to the EU is invaluable in this, as well as the 'older' EU members, who are now regularly accessing EU funding sources nationally or through the commission in Brussels.

For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:

In Regional Delegation Budapest, Sune Follin, Acting Head of Regional Delegation, sune.follin@ifrc.org or Branimir Knezevic, Acting Head of Office, branimir.knezevic@ifrc.org; tel: + 36 1 248 3300, fax: +361 248 3322

In Geneva: Regional Department, Erja Reinikainen, Regional Officer, Erja.Reinikainen@ifrc.org Phone + 41 22 730 4319; Fax + 41 22 733 03 95

All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response in delivering quality and accountable assistance to the most vulnerable.

For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for a full description of the national society profile, please access the Federation's website at http://www.ifrc.org