Attachments
This report covers the period from 1 January to 31 December 2010
In brief
Programme outcome: In 2010, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) as the leading humanitarian organization with the assistance of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) played the essential role to reach the people during the time of disaster to address their emergency need of food, recovery and medical assistance.
BDRCS aligned its work with IFRC’s global agenda goals giving priority on disaster management, health and care, and organizational development. To save lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen recovery from disaster and crises, BDRCS and IFRC’s disaster management (DM) divisions have worked together to improve the ability to predict and plan for disaster risk mitigation activities to reduce the impact of the disaster on the community people who are exposed to natural calamities like cyclones, floods, earthquakes and adverse effects of climate change which may lead to unconventional weather conditions. Therefore besides focusing on the regular DM programme last year, BDRCS and IFRC gave special focus on the adaptation activities of climate change and prepared the community on the adverse effects of climate change.
To enable healthy and safe living, BDRCS health department is working with the direct support of IFRC. The health programmes mainly focus on reducing the mortality and morbidity from immunizable diseases like malaria and measles through assisting the government in implementing their immunization campaign. As road accidents is one of the leading causes of death in Bangladesh, thehealth department is continuously working to implement risk reduction measures in the targeted communities.. But as disaster and health related issues are interlinked, an integrated approach has been taken by the health and care programme where the communities will be able to cope with disasters and health challenges through community-based integrated health and first aid activities.
To respond to socio-economic vulnerabilities and the gradual onset of disasters, BDRCS has also started a new community-based development initiative (CDI) in eight impoverished communities from mid-2010. This programme takes an integrated approach to address the holistic needs of the targeted communities so that the communities as a whole will be developed, stronger and more resilient to future disasters.
In all its emergency disaster management, health and recovery activities, BDRCS has always practised the Code of Conduct of disaster relief, seven principles, and through its activities promotes social inclusion and a culture of non-violence and peace.