Government urged to allocate budget for Red Cross

Accra, July 25, GNA - Mr. John S. Addo, a former President of the Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS), on Friday called on government to make budgetary allocation for the Red Cross Society to support its humanitarian services.

He said this was necessary to financially sustain the Red Cross to respond more quickly during emergencies. Mr. Addo, also a Member of the Council of State, made the call at the opening of the 4th General Assembly of the New Partnership for African Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (NEPARC) in Accra.

The three-day general assembly meeting has brought together about 60 representatives working with the Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies in 28 countries in Africa and Europe to discuss ways of improving humanitarian services under the theme: "Partnership for Sustainable Humanitarian Services". NEPARC was established in 2004 to develop coherent capacity building programme to address the relief and development challenges in Africa.

Mr. Addo suggested the establishment of a fund that would invest the budgetary allocation, so that the dividends accrued would be expended whilst the investments still held. Mr Abraham Dwomoh-Odoom, Deputy Minister of Health, on behalf of President John Agyekum Kufuor, who is the Chief Patron of the GRCS, recalled the assistance of the Red Cross Society gave to the flood victims in the northern part of Ghana last year. He said GRCS, together with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent assisted over 1,000 households with food and items and had recently also supported over 1,000 families at Bawku as a result of the conflict in the area.

Mr Dwomoh-Odoom, said lessons of the unfortunate history of conflicts and natural disasters across the globe, made it imperative for all to value the essence of humanitarian services and develop partnerships to fight for human survival.

"We need the support of faith-based organizations, private sector and indeed government to meet the increasing demands on us at this point in history of the world," he added. The Deputy Minister also charged the Societies to champion the campaign towards disaster and conflict management. "It is unfortunate that we hear of the Red Cross and Red Crescent only in times of wars, chaos and disaster. We must begin to realize that these demands are changing," he added.

Dr. Stephen Adei, President of the GRCS, observed that poor collaboration between Red Cross Societies and civil society had negatively impacted on their visibility and resource mobilization drive. He said the global climate change also called for increased partnership between the Societies and civil society to address, since its adverse effect was a threat to all. Mr Tom Buruku, President of NEPARC and Uganda Red Crescent, commended Kenya, South Africa and Mozambique Red Cross for doing well in preventing and managing disasters in their countries this year.