Principles of American Red Cross Disaster Response Amy

Principles of American Red Cross Disaster Response Amy Mintz American Red Cross Washington, DC Dec. 8, 2010

The American Red Cross Mission Statement The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, will provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. 1

ARC Overview u Congressional Charter 1905 n Specifies Nationwide System Of Disaster Relief u Independent from government u Independently Funded u Volunteer Board Of Governors u ~600 Branches u 35, 000 Employees, 1 Million Volunteers 2

Each Year in the United States, the American Red Cross Responds to an Average of: u 75, 000 Emergencies u Single Family Fires to Hurricane Katrina u Between 200 and 300 Major Disasters 3

When Disasters Occur What We Do: u Feeding, sheltering u Distribution of emergency supplies u One-on-one casework/assistance u Health services u Mental health services u Family connectedness u Community recovery u Blood and blood products 4

When Disasters are not Occurring Readiness / Preparedness u u u u 5 Capacity building and risk planning Community based preparedness Pre-positioned supplies, shelters Volunteer recruitment & training Disaster Plans & Drills Planning & engaging key partners Community outreach & mobilization 5

2005: Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma A new kind of challenge • • 3. 5 million affected by all 3 storms 1. 4 million families displaced 400, 000 homes destroyed 90, 000 square miles affected 6

An International Effort u The Red Cross received over 200 international response experts n n n Logistics Relief Media u We received assistance from National Societies, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, and the International Committee of the Red Cross u $115 million in cash contributions from 70+ countries 7

Initial Strategic Issues Scope Brought Unique Challenges • • Receiving end vs donor end Capacity to handle outpouring of international offers Offers outside our scope of assistance Relationships • • Mandated roles don’t define limits of expectations Common Standards and Process 8

5 Steps to Improve international support 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Risk / Needs based planning Working with Government & Non-Government partners to prepare ahead to avoid barriers to relief Coordination planning on cross boarder / regional cooperation and coordination Process for accepting Staff – VISAs, qualifications Process for accepting goods (customs, regulations) Procedures in place, plans in place & test often 9