Red Cross needs €85 million for Pakistan

Mr David Andrews, Chairman of the Irish Red Cross said that the death toll in Pakistan has risen to more than 40,000 and tens of thousands more people are at risk now.

“This is a major crisis and we are again calling on the generosity of the Irish people to help raise the sufficient money to help these people. As winter takes hold in Pakistan these people will die of cold, hunger and disease in large numbers if we fail to help them,” he said
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“I also appeal to the media at home and abroad to continue to raise awareness of the terrible destruction of life and property in Pakistan to remind all of us of the need for help. The fact that we have been called on to help after the tsunami and the floods in New Orleans means nothing to the hundreds of thousands of people injured, sick and homeless and they need our help now,” he said.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1. How is the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement is helping the people affected by this earthquake?

The Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement is providing the following:
A. Providing 150,000 with food, shelter and medical materials to survive the winter.
B. Providing medical care to 60,000 people – so far 11,330 people have got medical attention.
C. Providing clean water and sanitation in heavily-populated areas.
D. Distributing 25,000 tents.
E. Reuniting people who have lost contact with family members (after the tsunami over 5,000 people were traced and re-united with their families in Sri Lanka alone)

2. How is the Irish Red Cross supporting this work by the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement?

A. The Irish Red Cross has sent €100,000 out of its own funds to the disaster zone.
B. The Irish Red Cross has sent aid delivery specialist, Willie Norton, to Islamabad to get aid in to the mountain villages by helicopter.
C. The Irish Red Cross is recruiting additional disaster specialists to send to Pakistan next week.

3. How has the response been to the appeal for donations?

A. To date the Irish Red Cross has received just over €250,000 in donations, mainly from the public but also from a limited number of corporate donors.
B. Internationally the appeal for €45 million was less than a quarter fulfilled by the beginning of this week.

4. You were looking for €45 million at the start of the week, this has now nearly doubled to €85 million, why?

A. The scale of this disaster is growing every day, with aid and assessment teams constantly discovering new areas where help is needed.
B. The Irish Red Cross is supporting the appeal by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for €45 million which was launched at the start of the week. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the association of all of the 182 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies that comprises the largest network of volunteers worldwide of over 100 million.
C. The Irish Red Cross is also supporting the appeal by the International Committee of the Red Cross for €40 million, launched today. The International Committee of the Red Cross has a particular role – laid down by the Geneva Conventions – in areas of armed conflict such as Kashmir.

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