January 29, 2003 by Didier Cherpitel
Secretary General International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies .

This article was written for Aid & Trade, an annual exhibition that brings together humanitarian agencies, suppliers and governments, which opened this week in Geneva "It's been a quiet year for disasters", This sentiment has been expressed, incredibly, by many in the relief sector, some cynically referring to the lack of major earthquakes, landslides or perish the thought, wars, which swell the coffers of relief agencies and allow headquarters budgets to be replenished, For sure, we all need a structure, and this costs money, but this year, more than ever, has been a time for humanitarians to take a stand to reclaim the ethos of their organizations, A quiet year for disasters? Perhaps a year where disasters were overlooked, as the world focused on the One Big Story the will, it won't, it scenario surrounding Iraq. Meanwhile, millions of families in Southern Africa and the Horn of Africa face drought s of apocalyptic proportions, shadowed by a HIV / AIDS pandemic which is tearing the lifeblood out of communities, leaving the very young and the very old to fend for themselves, West Africa moved closer to the abyss, Central Europe reeled from once in a century floods, and the children of Argentina shrank visibly as hunger followed economic chaos.
The festive season has come and gone, but the images remain images which were chillingly similar to mid- 80s footage of famine in Ethiopia, or early 90s reportage from Somalia and Angola. Seventeen years after Band-Aid asked "Do they know it's Christmas" the question remains.
We are staring into 2003 knowing that even with our vast and collective humanitarian knowledge, with our refined logistics pipelines and our myriad declarations signed at a hundred conferences, the world is a more dangerous place than in the years of Cold War "certainties", Random acts of terror are increasing, diminishing our response to ingrained poverty as our threshold for feeling the pain of the suffering of faceless millions increases. New coalitions must be, and are being formed.
They, and only they, know how it feels to hurt, to go hungry, to lack life, saving drugs, to watch their daughters turn to sex work to feed children. They, and only they, know how to make a difference in their lives.
Relief is important, and relief is vital if Our challenge, and the challenge of all who would call
themselves humanitarians, in the world of aid, politics, and business To defend human dignity by bringing floodwaters. The means to deliver
their agenda to the doors of the United Nations, to the these relief resources, are of course of Red Cross Movement's International Conference, and huge value, but by themselves will not yes, to this Aid and Trade exhibition. solve the inequalities in our world. Relief is important, and relief is vital if these voices are not going to be snuffed out by hunger, or submerged by floodwaters. The means to deliver these relief resources, are of course of huge value, but by themselves will not solve the inequalities in our world. All relief must be done with a view to sustainability: more than this, relief must begin before disasters happen. Mechanisms for clean water, for better agriculture, for generating small businesses have to be in place, using appropriate technology, and technology that will survive any localized disasters.But most of all, a strong, inclusive, independent and nationwide Red Cross or Red Crescent Society is the surest way to ensure that those at grassroots level can bring I the concerns of their communities to national level. These Societies are often overlooked in the race to fly in rice, build dams, construct field hospitals, vaccinate the masses. Especially in times of insecurity, a weakened Red Cross network is further damaged by exclusion from the relief process. Conflict, as we see over and over again, results in movement of populations, destruction of the wage earning sector, the annihilation of commerce, and the failure of social coping mechanisms. Add a natural disaster such as a drought or epidemic and the mix is right for human misery. We urge all participants in Aid and Trade to work to ensure that they include national Red Cross and Red '\ Crescent Societies as they seek to improve communities with aid-related products. These Societies are on the ground, working in communities before disaster strikes, remain there during the confusion and shock and are there to help with the post' disaster recovery effort, including the resumption of economic activity. They are reliable partners in the development process, and they have the insights and the people to implement programs, to use resources in the most economic and culturally appropriate way. Most of all, they are the voice of the communities they serve, They know the needs, and they, with your help' can implement the solutions.