GRCS EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

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GRCS EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
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BRIEF INTRODUCTION
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• Russian invasion
• Conflict in Georgia on the territories adjacent
  to South Osetia
• Georgia the state of emergency
• Qualification given as an international armed
  conflict

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FIRST ACTION
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• On August 10, 2008 at GRCS HQs
• Upon the decision of the General Assembly
  Presidium
• Task Force (composed of 9 people) was established
  at HQs
• The terms of reference of the Task Force was
  developed
• Roles and responsibilities were assigned to its
  members.
• GRCS has introduced emergency working plan
  (concept paper for emergency response to the
  needs of displaced people)
• Main operational directions were defined as
• Health and care,
• Disaster Management,
• Communication and
• Capacity Building.

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FURTHER ACTIONS
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• At the Movement level
• ICRC had been recognized as the Lead Agency in
  accordance with its mandate under Seville
  Agreement
• GRCS acted as the primary partner to the Lead
  Agency
• International Federation provided technical
  expertise and support through DREF
• Partner National Societies delivered
  humanitarian aid

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GRCS CAPACITY
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• GRCS auxiliary role to the State authorities in
  humanitarian field
• Staff of 69 (35 out of them at HQ level in
  Tbilisi) and number of recruited volunteers 1000
  (450 out of them at HQ in Tbilisi)
• Central office and network of local branches in
  most parts of Georgia (totally 23 local
  branches)
• 70 per cent of branch leadership being newly
  elected
• 11 GRCS local branches, active in conducting RC
  activities and providing services to IDPs.

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VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• Volunteer Mobilization campaign through the NS
  web-site (www.redcross.ge)
• Volunteer groups were established
• Social group - included the mobile assessment
  sub-groups which were visiting the collective
  centers settled by the displaced people
• Communication included establishment of new
  contacts with local organizations and donors,
  local authorities and promoting the donation
  phone number 8064 and account number for GRCS,
  collecting information on implemented RC
  activities
• Logistics included humanitarian aid collection,
  transportation and distribution

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GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• Fundraising group-used groups of volunteers to
  raise funds in the city using GRCS mobile
  donation boxes
• GRCS volunteers did fundraising through
• donation boxes placed in different parts of
  Tbilisi
• different activities which aimed at attracting
  the funds from the local donors.
• Displaced people were supported through collected
  funds mainly in Tbilisi and surrounding areas.

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COORDINATION
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• With
• Movement components
• Tripartite meetings
• Working meetings (MCTF)
• State authorities
• Coordination meetings
• Direct relations
• International institutions

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HUMANITARIAN AID FROM PNSs
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• Turkish Red Crescent Society
• On August 11, 2008 delivered the humanitarian aid
  including tents, beds, blankets, water and food.
  Relief was distributed
• 4000 food parcels, 3 000 with the support of the
  Kutaisi branch and 1000 with the support of the
  Gori Branch.
• distributed 720 mattresses with the support of
  Kutaisi Branch
• 1 683 kitchen sets were distributed by GRCS
  Branch in Rustavi and Gardabani.
• on August 14, 2008 GRCS and Turkish Red Crescent
  organized the setting up of a tent city for the
  internally displaced people located in Rustavi
  city.

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GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• Italian Red Cross Society
• On August 18, 2008
• Joint humanitarian aid of Italian Government
  and Italian Red Cross received
• The humanitarian aid contained tents and blankets
  for affected. The team of 25 Italian Red Cross
  representatives arrived, among them personnel
  involved in providing the service of soup-kitchen
  as well. The Italian Red Cross team started food
  provision for IDPs in Tbilisi.
• Italian Red Cross representatives were preparing
  approximately 3400 hot meals on daily basis,
  which were distributed to collective centers in
  Tbilisi by GRCS volunteers.

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GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• On September 2, 2008 Italian Red Cross installed
  a soup kitchen in tent city in Gori. 25
  personnel of the Italian Red Cross worked in the
  soup kitchen and were assisted by GRCS Gori
  local branch volunteers. The kitchen produced
  approximately 7000-9000 hot meals daily and
  provided IDPs located in Gori..
• Apart from the above mentioned IDPs located in
  the collective centers of Didube-chugureti
  district (Tbilisi) were still provided with 1000
  hot meals on the daily basis.
• GRCS volunteers actively participated in the work
  at the soup kitchen and assisted Italian Red
  Cross representatives in food distribution,
  provision and cleaning the kitchen.

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GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• Kuwait Red Crescent Society
• On August 29, 2008
• the humanitarian aid Air Bridge was opened from
  Kuwait to Georgia
• Kuwait Red Crescent Society started the shipment
  of humanitarian aid to Georgia. The delivered
  items included food parcels and baby food, beds,
  blankets, linen, clothes, etc.
• Donated 90 MT Non Food Items (NFI) containing
  beds, blankets, pillows, gas stoves, bed linen)

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GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• Magen David Adom
• On September 2, 2008
• 17 Georgian citizens wounded from the armed
  conflict were transferred to Israel for medical
  treatment.
• The representatives of Magen David Adom met the
  wounded Georgian citizens, located them in
  different hospitals and observed the process of
  their recovery.

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GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• Lithuanian Red Cross Society
• has organized a campaign for the victims of
  armed conflict in Georgia
• Latvian Red Cross Society
• has made donations both in cash and in kind to
  support Georgia Red Cross Society in response
  activities

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SUPPORT FROM LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• GRCS partners in assisting IDPs were
• Seacor company Pro credit Bank,
  Elite-electronics Nikora Georgian Airways
  The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
  inc Sokar company Sweet Country company,
  different local shops and private restaurants.

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ACTIONS AT BRANCH LEVEL
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• Through active volunteer mobilization and their
  valuable help and work the local branches were
  participating in
• collecting and distribution of different relief
  items to displaced people
• distribution of humanitarian aid provided by PNS
  to the people affected by the armed conflict
• assessing the living conditions and needs of IDPs
  in the collective centers and host families.

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PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• GRCS and Georgian Airways organized a joint
  humanitarian action in the tent city in Gori.
  Georgian Airways
• donated the playground equipment for children in
  Gori.
• also purchased markers, jigsaw puzzles,
  notebooks, etc. for the psychosocial work.
• GRCS tent set in the tent city, Gori with the
  children playground installed
• the playground was equipped with bouncy castles,
  mini basketball, colorful balls and jigsaw
  puzzles, etc.
• GRCS Youth organized an entertainment event for
  orphanage Satnoeba within the framework of a
  new youth project on Red Cross clowns.
• The Pro Credit bank and GRCS joint project on
  psychosocial rehabilitation for IDP children and
  their mothers
• conducted five ten-day camps
• approximately 500 IDP children and 130 mothers
  have benefited

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GRSC 90th ANNIVERSARY
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• On September 8, 2008
• GRCS Committee of Five celebrated the 90th
  anniversary of Georgia Red Cross Society together
  with the children of orphanage house Satnoeba
• GRCS volunteers brought new shoes for 48 children
• The above mentioned presents were purchased with
  the funds collected through the fundraising
  activity by Committee of Five.
• Committee of Five organized a small
  entertainment event for children.

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GRCS CAPACITY BUILDING
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• Volunteers received basic and thematic workshops
  related to the International Movement, the
  Georgia Red Cross Society and the various tools
  used by the national society while implementing
  the work.
• Volunteers have participated in the following
  events
• session on mine risk education (Gori, Tbilisi)
• Disaster Management workshop
• volunteer workshop in Gori
• training on clown techniques organized by GRC
  Youth
• induction course on RC/RC Movement and GRCS,
  volunteer policy and strategy, code of conduct
  for volunteers
• project planning process including techniques of
  project writing
• development leadership skills.

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HARMONISED OPERATIONAL PROGRAM
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• Two main components
• DREF supported by the Federation
• Extended budget extension supported by the ICRC

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TWO MAIN AREAS
GEORGIA RED CROSS SOCIETY

• Disaster Management
• Health and Care
• - First Aid
• - Psycho-Social Support