Article 11 May 2021 Libya
In Libya, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works to help families find loved ones missing due to conflict as part of its Restoring Family Links program. One ICRC humanitarian worker shares her experience.
As humanitarian workers helping reconnect families separated by conflict, the ICRC use jargon like tracing, re-establishing and maintaining family contact, family reunification, transfer of documents, and exchange of oral or Red Cross Messages.
The people who benefit from these services are often called beneficiaries who have been separated from their loved ones due to conflict, natural disaster, or migration. There is a constant grind, hum, and creak of these terms that can be easily evaluated, measured, tested, and finally reported as yearly statistics.
Yemen: Floods Final Report, DREF operation n° MDRYE009
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Description of the disaster
Since April, Yemen experienced heavy rains which caused flash floods in different governorates of the country requiring immediate assistance. On 21 April, a tropical storm hit the southern coast of Yemen with highest impact in Lahj, Aden,
Taiz, Ad Dali’, Abyan and Hadramawt, affecting at least 150,000 people across 13 governorates, including 64,000 internally displaced people. The floods destroyed roads, bridges, and blocked access to affected areas, which resulted in temporary disruption to humanitarian activates.
The situation was further compounded by the first case of COVID-19 reported on 10 April 2020 in the country, in addition, second peak of the COVID-19 cases in the country was witnessed on the first quarter of 2021. The flood-affected areas had witnessed increased conflict and displacement in the last few months. The floods lasted up until the end of August 2020.
Polikalepo Kefu
Photo: Supplied
Polikalepo Kefu was known for his work with Tonga s Red Cross, the local media association, and as a voice for youth.
He was also president of the local LGBTQI+ rights group who want to make sure his death is not brushed under the carpet.
Polikalepo Kefu, or Poli, was well recognised for his tireless devotion to a wide range of human rights causes.
The Red Cross described him as a shining star in the Pacific, and globally, who will be remembered and cherished for his dedication to equality for all.
Kefu s battered body was found in the early hours of Saturday morning near his home on Tonga s main island.
Philippines: Mindanao Returnees Final Report n° 1 DREF n° MDRPH040
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Description of the disaster
Since the 1970s, migrants from Mindanao have migrated to Sabah fleeing conflict and economic deprivation. Subsequent large-scale returns and deportations from Sabah, in response to the policies of Malaysian authorities, have been continuous for several decades. A large-scale movement of people from Sabah, Malaysia, to the Philippines recommenced on 30 June 2020 through which 5,300 Filipinos were expected to return in groups of up to 400 people in 15-day intervals. The first group of 395 people arrived by sea on 18 July 2020. Zamboanga City, where a PRC Chapter was present, served as a processing area for the returning Filipinos from Sabah (REFS). Returnees were tested for COVID-19 in Malaysia pre-departure and underwent quarantine upon their arrival to the Philippines. Quarantine was conducted in either Zamboanga City or in the returnee s home provinces. The Returnees had been i
Ten years of Conflict: Restoring Family Link Services for Syrian Refugees in Za atari Camp
Za’atari is 5.3 square kilometers and lies some 10 km east of the Mafraq Governorate of Jordan. It houses a refugee camp, established in July 2012, to accommodate those fleeing from the armed conflict in Syria. When it was first opened, it reportedly had 15’000 persons and in 2018, considered the worst year of the Syrian humanitarian crisis, its population was said to have hit 78’000. Today, the camp ranks as probably the largest for Syrian refugees anywhere in the world.
The ICRC provides various services to Syrian refugees in Jordan, in partnership with the Jordan Red Crescent Society (JRCS). One of these services is known as the “Restoring Family Links” program, popularly called RFL. It involves efforts made to locate persons missing due to an armed conflict and putting them back into contact with their loved ones. In the course of doing this, the ICRC and JRCS trace people, fa