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American Red Cross Worker Joins Effort to Rush Aid to Quake Victims in Mountain Regions
Carol L. Miller, Special to Redcross.org
Tuesday, November 15, 2005 — American Red Cross international relief worker Jim Stephenson arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan, Nov. 6, where he joined hundreds of others carrying out the mission of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), providing life’s essentials to earthquake survivors in the northeast as they brace for the bitter cold winter ahead.
American Red Cross international relief worker Jim Stephenson will spend his 60th birthday and much of the winter holiday season half-a-world away from family and friends serving the relief efforts in Pakistan. Earlier this year, Stephenson deployed to Sri Lanka to support relief operations after a tsunami devastated the communities there.
(Photo Credit: American Red Cross)
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Stephenson, a retired fire fighter from picturesque Mendecino County north of San Francisco who will turn 60 in early December, will spend his birthday on assignment at a base camp in the mountainous north or northeastern region of Pakistan. There he also will spend the better part of the holiday season away from family and friends during his six week assignment as a relief delegate with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (the Federation).
“I'm running the side of the relief function which is supplying items to remote locations by helicopter,” said Stephenson. He explained that the current process involves dropping two teams with supplies into remote areas to perform two-day assessments. The teams are then picked up by helicopter and return to base camp. The following day, they fly back with the appropriate and adequate supplies for the distribution.
“We're focusing on the highest elevations first to keep ahead of the weather,” he said. “Using a mix of locals – men and women – along with Regional Disaster Response Teams (RDRTs) from Malaysia & the Philippines for the teams.”
When asked what aspect of his assignment he believes will be most challenging, Stephenson said that he expects it will be getting the relief supplies to those who need the help. His summation is on target with what has challenged most relief workers responding to this tragedy. Due to the terrain, weather conditions and earthquake damage – including subsequent aftershocks long after the initial quake – access to communities by road, air and any other means has thwarted relief efforts thus far, prompting a rush to reach as many villages as possible before the snow sets in.
Red Cross and Red Crescent assistance has reached many families suffering losses due to the earthquake in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The main focus at the moment, however, is on accessing the hardest to reach communities where earthquake survivors’ lives are at great risk if winterized tents, blankets, food and other essentials do not reach them in time.
Stephenson’s work will focus on helping teams move relief supplies arriving from Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies around the world into the hands of earthquake survivors who will so desperately depend on the aid to make it through winter. One of the most urgently-needed items is winterized tents. Due to the number of disasters and other humanitarian crises this year, production of the specialized tents has barely kept pace with demand. A donation of $1 million made by the General Electric Foundation earlier this month will allow the American Red Cross to purchase 1,600 tents, which will provide warmth and temporary shelter to earthquake survivors. The tents will be rushed with supplies provided by other partners in the Movement to mountainous areas before snow further hinders access.
The GE Foundation donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to purchase 1,600 winterized tents, like this one, which are desperately needed by earthquake survivors to provide shelter from near-freezing temperatures and rain, sleet and snow. "We are grateful to General Electric for their expedience in giving, which will allow us to move the tents quickly. The need is immediate and substantial as we and our partners race against time to save lives in this extremely complex relief operation,” said Nan Buzard, Director of International Disaster Response for American Red Cross.
(Photo Credit: Courtesy of Rofi.com)
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Some 11,000 tents, 11,000 tarpaulins and 80,000 blankets have already been distributed by Federation/Pakistan Red Crescent teams to mountain areas around Balakot, Batagram, Gahri Habibullah and Mansehra in Pakistan. More than 27,000 people have received medical care from Red Cross and Red Crescent medical teams and field hospitals, and approximately 20,000 people have been provided access to clean water in Batagram, Maira and Balakot. The Pakistan Red Crescent has distributed some 7,500 tents and 47,000 blankets and provided medical aid to more than 16,000 people.
“The death toll may rise considerably over the course of winter from totally preventable causes such as injuries and exposure to cold because of lack of appropriate shelter,” said Markku Niskala, Secretary General of the Federation, as he visited the earthquake-struck areas on Nov. 6 and 7. “Less than half the money we need to help the people of Pakistan has been received from the international community.”
To date, only 40 percent of the $117 million for which the Federation appealed has been secured. Further funds are urgently required to meet the critical needs of hundreds of thousands of earthquake survivors as temperatures continue to drop daily. Continued delivery of adequate aid supplies to remote mountain communities, particularly in northern Pakistan, is critical to prevent further loss of life this winter.
“Right now, shelter and health care are our key priorities,” Said Jahandad Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society. “This operation is about saving lives.”
Carol J. Miller is the Communication & Marketing Lead for American Red Cross International Services at its national headquarters in Washington, D.C.
A Note Regarding In-Kind Donations
Please remember that the American Red Cross is not able to accept small, individual donations or collections of items for emergency relief supplies. The decision to transport bulk donations from the U.S. is based solely on the needs identified by the relief operation and the availability of local resources. If you represent a company wishing to offer supplies in bulk, please contact your local Red Cross chapter.
You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year, crises like the Myanmar Cyclone and China Earthquake, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation by either contacting 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish), or mailing your donation with the designation to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or to your local American Red Cross chapter. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
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