Attachments
NATIONAL SOCIETY PLAN
The Tanzania Red Cross National Society was established in 1962 through an Act of parliament, as a voluntary and independent humanitarian organization to act as an auxiliary to the public authorities during peace time and when disasters occur. In 1963, the National Society fulfilled the requirements for membership to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Today, it has a network of more than 700 branches and sub-branches and more than 60,000 volunteers, of which 52 per cent are young people. Since its formation, the National Society has gained respect from the Government and is one of the preferred disaster response partners in Tanzania.
The National Society is a first responder in emergencies, and its staff and volunteers are regularly engaged in search and rescue operations, the provision of first aid (including psychological first aid), pre-hospital care and medical evacuations, and the safe and dignified management of the dead. Trained staff also provide skilled psychosocial support to affected people.
The Tanzania Red Cross remains prepared to immediately respond to crises by maintaining emergency stocks and equipment. A 600 sq. metre warehouse in Dodoma, central Tanzania, contains a stock of non-food items to cater for 1,500 families. The National Society also remains a key operator in the ongoing refugee operation in western Tanzania, and carries out longer-term interventions that address the multiple resilience-related needs of vulnerable communities.
The Tanzania Red Cross will continue to focus on two priority areas: health and disaster risk management. Health programmes significantly contribute to addressing key public health challenges, including HIV/AIDS, nutrition, malaria, the availability and safety of blood donations, non-communicable diseases, epidemic control, the provision of first aid training and services, supporting people living with disabilities, access to safe water, and the promotion of water, sanitation and hygiene. In the second priority area, disaster risk management, the National Society works to build its institutional capacity to effectively prepare and respond to emergencies and disasters, while building community resilience.
This includes developing a comprehensive emergency response, cash transfer programmes, food security and livelihoods, restoring family links, climate change adaptation and environmental preservation, and other hazard-specific interventions.
The Tanzania Red Cross also has a set of long-term organizational development priorities, which were identified in its June 2017 Organizational Capacity Assessment and Certification self-assessment. The assessment identified its priorities for governance and leadership, branch and volunteer development, humanitarian diplomacy, organizational culture and accountability, and partnerships.