7 Sept 2004
The Irish Red Cross has launched an urgent appeal today to raise funds to help the victims of the tragic hostage taking in a school in Beslan, North Ossetia last week, which has left more than 300 people dead, many of them children, and hundreds more traumatized.
Carmel Dunne Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross, said that Irish people can help by donating money to the Irish Red Cross to enable their Russian counterparts to provide urgent medical assistance to the injured and run psychological support programmes for victims and their families.
“We are calling on the generosity of Irish people to give what they can to help alleviate the suffering caused by this terrible tragedy. You can make a donation over the phone by calling 1850 50 70 70 or by posting a cheque to the Irish Red Cross, 16 Merrion Square, Dublin 2,” she explained.
All funds raised from the Irish Red Cross appeal will be donated to the Russian Red Cross in Beslan. The local branch of the Russian Red Cross in Beslan, headed by the chief doctor of the central district hospital, has been directly involved in providing assistance on the ground, while 25 psychologists and 60 nurses from the Russian Red Cross have been mobilized and are providing assistance to distraught relatives.
The Russian Red Cross has set up an operational group at its headquarters in Moscow to coordinate workers and volunteers, and the distribution of humanitarian aid if necessary. In the North Ossetian capital, Vladikavkaz, the Russian Red Cross has established a team to organise assistance for the hostages and their relatives.
Surgical materials, bandages and medicines have been sent to the Beslan central hospital by the Russian Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross from Moscow.
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