Coordinating Humanitarian Assistance in Times of Crisis:
Lessons Learned from the Tsunami, Afghanistan, and the Sudan

Thursday, April 6th @ 7pm
Irvine Auditorium

Monterey Institute of International Studies

499 Pierce Street, Monterey, CA

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Fred Polk
Mr. Polk is a Senior Advisor to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) of the United Nations in Geneva and a Senior Consultant to Swiss Development and Cooperation (SDC), the humanitarian arm of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. His responsibilities include the research and analysis of relief operations, assessments of humanitarian assistance programs, development of policy options and positions, and the training of coordination in humanitarian emergencies. He was involved in the establishment of the Military and Civil Defense Unit and the design of Military and Civil Assets database currently used by United Nations. He was engaged in the revision of the Oslo Guidelines for the use of military and civil defense assets in humanitarian emergencies. This effort involved all UN member states, agencies and major NGOs, and the Red Cross Movement.
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Sponsored by the Monterey Institute of International Studies’
American Red Cross Club, United Nations Club &the Monterey Center for Humanitarian Assistance, Development & Security

with the United Nations Association of the USA, Monterey Chapter

The American Red Cross Club of the
Monterey Institute of International Studies
PRESENTS:

Humanitarian Law in the midst of conflicts
Thursday, April 20th @ 7pm
Irvine Auditorium
Monterey Institute of International Studies
499 Pierce Street, Monterey, CA

Simon Schorno,

International Committee of the Red Cross
Mr. Schorno is a delegate for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), currently based in Washington D.C. Prior his work with the ICRC, Mr. Schorno worked as a Lebanon-based journalist covering the Middle East. As an ICRC representative, Mr. Schorno has carried out missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and the Occupied Territories among others. As a member of the ICRC Washington D.C. Delegation, Mr. Schorno regularly visits internees held at the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Sponsored by: The Monterey Institute of International Studies’
American Red Cross Club
United Nations Club
The Conflict Resolution Association
and the
American Red Cross Monterey-San Benito Counties & Carmel Area Chapters
United Nations Association of the USA, Monterey Bay Chapter
Global Majority

A day in Jabalia camp

26-10-2004 Stories from the field

The situation in northern Gaza has been of grave concern since the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched their operation "Days of Penitence" at the end of September. The ICRC, in collaboration with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, has been trying to help by delivering emergency aid and medical assistance.

by Simon Schorno (The ICRC worldwide\Middle East and North Africa\Palestine)

Hunger Still Prevalent Among Hurricane Victims
December 16, 2005 - The NewStandard
Many victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes continue to rely on food assistance for their survival, with demand at food banks running three times the pre-hurricane rate in some areas, says a recent report by America’s Second Harvest, the largest national food bank network. There is concern that food banks may come up short if there is no increase in support in the near future.

President of Red Cross Resigns; Board Woes, Not Katrina, Cited
December 14, 2005 · President Marsha J. Evans, who was brought in to help restore the reputation of the American Red Cross after the Sept. 11 attacks, said yesterday that she was resigning as president of the organization, which has been barraged by fresh criticism over its response to Hurricane Katrina.

Red Cross, Crescent Consider Logo Rebrand BBC
Delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are meeting in Geneva in an attempt to adopt a new logo for the coalition of national relief agencies, replacing its familiar red cross and red crescent logos with a more neutral but still recognizable emblem. For decades there have been disagreements in the Middle East and elsewhere over the religious symbolism of the two official logos, while the ICRC has feared that too many logos would dilute the emblems’ significance. more...

Pakistan Aid Worker’s Diary
BBC
With winter imminent in the mountains of northern Pakistan, aid agencies are working with earthquake survivors to distribute supplies and organize basic shelters. In this BBC article, Isabelle Giasson of the International Organization for Migration sends a dispatch from the mountain villages where quake victims are scrambling to prepare for the winter cold. more...

Read the December 2005 National Geographic feature that includes a photo gallery, interactive image, sights & sound, and other resources...
HOPE IN HELL: From the Gulf Coast to Uganda--the Reach of Humanitarian Aid.

Please click on the below link to read the most recent online edition of the International Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine. Also available in Spanish & French:

For those of you who are considering going to the hurricane affected area over the winter break to help out in the relief effort, I thought I'd share the following NPR stories with you in case you haven't had the time to closely follow the situation there. YES, they are still in need of Red Cross volunteers!

Teen Life Left Adrift After Katrina
November 23, 2005 · It's been almost three months since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, destroying homes and businesses, and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. Teen-agers who have been uprooted face unique challenges. They are trying to fit into new schools and don't know what will happen to their ambitions to go to college. They wonder whether the closely held traditions will continue: the prom, the yearbook, the school ring. They've been separated from their best friends, and in many cases, their parents and family. A talk about how teens are coping with disaster.

FEMA Extends Hotel Deadline for Katrina Survivors
November 22, 2005 · Under intense pressure from hurricane evacuees and local officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is extending the deadline for moving displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors out of hotels until Dec. 15. The original deadline was Dec. 1.

Suicide Attempts Increase in Katrina's Aftermath
November 16, 2005 · The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has taken a heavy emotional toll on people throughout the Gulf Coast region. In Jefferson Parish, just outside New Orleans, an apparent increase in the number of suicide attempts is one sign of the psychological strain. We have the second of a series of reports on mental health after the storm.

Rebuilding Lives from a Mississippi Shelter
November 16, 2005 · Months after Hurricane Katrina hit, some along the Gulf Coast are still stranded in shelters. Mississippi residents who've been housed at the D'Iberville civic center are wondering why they've had to wait so long for help.

Mental Health Risks for Hurricane Survivors
November 15, 2005 · Added to Katrina's physical damage was accompanied by mental strain. Throughout the Gulf region, health officials and health workers say that depression and other disorders will affect the region's future. We have the first part of a series on mental health in Katrina's aftermath.

Hurricane Recovery Spending Difficult to Monitor
November 14, 2005 · Congress has provided $62 billion for the cleanup and recovery from Hurricane Katrina, but it's not easy to find out just how the money is being spent. That is leading to frustration among those who want to make sure the money is well spent.

Nagin Holds Meeting for Displaced New Orleanians
November 8, 2005 · New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin held a meeting Monday night with some of his constituents, but he had to travel to Baton Rouge, La., to do it. Nagin met with displaced New Orleans residents who have been living in Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans Weighs Options for Rebuilding Schools
November 3, 2005 · Hurricane Katrina dealt a knockout blow to New Orleans' public schools, which were already in poor condition. Now, city officials are tasked with rebuilding schools, or handing over many to private ownership.

Celebrating Saints, Souls in a Ravaged New Orleans
November 2, 2005 · November 1 is All Saints Day and November 2 is All Souls Day in the Roman Catholic calendar. Traditionally, the Catholic faithful of New Orleans spend those days cleaning and decorating the tombs of their loved ones. Eve Troeh reports on this year's observations, the first since Hurricane Katrina devastated many of the city's cemeteries.

Tough Choices Ahead as New Orleans Rebuilds
October 28, 2005 · Will some New Orleans neighborhoods hit hard by Hurricane Katrina fade away? Will the school system change? R. King Milling, president of Whitney Bank tells Steve Inskeep New Orleans faces difficult options as it rebuilds.