Attachments
This report covers the period 01/01/2008 to 31/12/2008.
In a world of global challenges, continued poverty, inequity, and increasing vulnerability to disasters and disease, the International Federation with its global network, works to accomplish its Global Agenda, partnering with local community and civil society to prevent and alleviate human suffering from disasters, diseases and public health emergencies
In brief
Summary:
This annual report focuses on the work of the team in the Asia Pacific zone office in 2008 to provide leadership and guidance to the International Federation efforts to increase the impact of Asia Pacific national societies' humanitarian activities. National societies throughout the region, with the support of partner national societies and other organizations, have continued to respond to multiple disasters, as well as to scale up their efforts to carry out programmes in line with the commitments in the International Federation's Global Agenda. Notable achievements in 2008 have included:
- Continued support including global coordination for Myanmar Cyclone Nargis disaster and China Sichuan Earthquake disaster operations, with the launching of three-year emergency and recovery revised appeals for both operations, and unprecedented visibility for the six-month commemorations of both disasters.
- Emergency appeals launched and support provided for the Philippines Typhoons, Nepal Floods, Viet Nam Floods and Pakistan Baluchistan Earthquake operations.
- Management oversight of CHF 129 million emergency appeal and CHF 26 million annual appeal programme expenditure across the Asia Pacific zone (excluding tsunami).
- Asia Pacific zone continued to be a key player in the development of the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction, at global, regional and country levels.
- New focal points for public health in emergencies, and water and sanitation based in the zone's disaster management unit.
- The hosting of a regional International Disaster Response Law (IDRL) workshop, improving understanding of the legal framework for disasters and sharing the draft legislative advocacy manual.
- Successful public communications for the launch of Global Alliances on HIV in all four Asia Pacific regions, covering 16 national societies.
- An avian and human influenza coordinator was appointed to work in the Asia Pacific Zone office, and support was provided to six national societies in preparation of programmes as part of the Federation's Global Human Pandemic Preparedness (H2P) Programme.
- A notable increase in the use of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement guidelines, policies and tools in national societies' efforts in capacity building and organizational development.
- The recruitment of a zonal security coordinator who has been active in providing security guidance and training to delegations and national societies.
- The 4-year global report on ongoing tsunami recovery programmes in Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Somalia and Seychelles - focusing on the huge achievement in construction of homes and community infrastructure.
- Asia Pacific-wide information systems support through nine country visits and continuous online assistance have improved information technology in regional and country offices in terms of hardware, software and systems that conform to International Federation standards.
Financial situation: The total 2008 budget was revised to CHF 782,717 (USD 730,510 or EUR 520,663), against which CHF 582,352 (74 per cent) was spent.In addition it should be noted that CHF 2.5 million of the International Federation's core budget was allocated to the staffing and running costs of the zone office (and an additional CHF 1.6 million to the four Asia Pacific regional offices).
See also Asia Pacific 0809 Appeal, and the regional and country programme updates covering the period July-December 2008.
Number of people we help: The Asia Pacific zone office provides support to the 37 national societies, four Federation secretariat regional offices and 15 country offices in the Asia Pacific region, to help strengthen their capacity to deliver more extensive and effective humanitarian services to vulnerable groups.
Our partners: Within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, there is close cooperation with many partner national societies and with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) supporting national societies throughout the Asia Pacific region. In addition, there are partnerships with many external organizations at all levels (community, national and regional levels), community-based, national and international organizations, UN, and other developmental agencies.
The zone office would like to especially thank the following partner national societies which have contributed this year in cash or kind to the Asia Pacific zone appeal: Australian Red Cross/Australian government, Finnish Red Cross/Finnish government, Japanese Red Cross, New Zealand Red Cross, Norwegian Red Cross, Spanish Red Cross and Swedish Red Cross/Swedish government.