Humanitarian response under pressure in the Middle East

Hello and welcome to IFC News. I'm Scott Craig and in this episode we're looking at the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East in a complex and fast-moving situation affecting millions of people across the region. I'm joined by Tomaso Dele Longa, IFC spokesperson. Hi Tomaso. Hi Scott. It's almost difficult to know where to start with this, given the sheer magnitude of the crisis across the region. But I wondered if you could maybe give us an overall assessment of where we are three weeks later with the overall humanitarian situation in this crisis. Yeah sure. Thanks for this question. As you said, it's very difficult. I would say to speak about all what is happening across the region because there are several different impacts. The first and foremost and foremost and most important is the humanitarian impact that is growing. It's growing in several countries affected and hour after hour we see more people who need the humanitarian assistance, more people on the move, more people who are thinking about Lebanon displaced and makes shift tense. So it's very complicated but also what we are seeing is if you want a secondary impact and speaking thinking about the supply chain, worldwide, just yes, they were discussing a completely different topic, the Sudan crisis. And even there, the impact of the recent escalation on the Confirm Middle East is felt pretty clearly. And what does it mean that we have a humanitarian hub in Dubai and we are not able to bring goods as before because of the disruption to transport. So instead of bringing humanitarian aid in few hours and a certain cost, now we need to bring humanitarian aid in this case to Chad and South Sudan but this could apply to many other places with by road or with other different routes that of course are longer and on top of everything costs more. In a situation where humanitarian budget is strengthening, this means that we will also have more issues and more challenges to support the people that needs us. Yeah, it's interesting because I think that aspect of the crisis is misunderstood or hasn't really made the headlines. If we focus in on the country's most effective, let's start with Iran. What is the humanitarian situation there currently and what would you say the biggest needs in the country? Well, of course we are talking here about scaling up life-saving health assistance, including trauma care and central medicine, of course mental health support, the continuity of care for chronic patients. But then we are also thinking about safe water and sanitation, hygiene services and protection services in general for the safety dignity of the most vulnerable. The point here is that I think the icon on what is up in Iran is the videos that we are watching. I would say every day from Iranian Recreasing Colleges were digging with the search and rescue teams in the rubble to save lives, to save children, to save families. Also, all the first aid activities that they are doing, the psychological support. It's really, I would say, an immense response that needs sustainability. This is why we activated all our international channels. First and foremost, our disaster response emergency. Founder F, we immediately activated 1.5 million Swiss francs to make sure to procure all these trauma kits, defibrillator, evacuation chairs to make sure that we sustain and support their emergency response. I read also about the hotline the Iranian Red Crescent is running across the country. Can you tell us a little bit about that as well? Yes, absolutely. I think that this has been very impressive to me and again is giving really the added value of the Red Crescent network. The psychological toll in emergencies in general and in a conflict in particular, it's immense. Can you imagine the level of uncertainty of the family of people that don't know where to go to get food or if tomorrow they will still have an house or if they are able or not to put in safety and keeping safe their own children. So, the psychological toll is immense and we know by experience that it's very important to work on it immediately and not after weeks and months because this is important to decrease as much as possible the psychological toll in the future and what the Iranian Red Crescent colleagues is they are running a national phone hotline, the 40-30-odd line. I had a number of few days ago which now I'm sure has increased. They received almost 70,000 calls from people who were afraid, panicked and certainly of the future and of course this is critical to give an answer on the psychological side. Yeah, and important to point out I think as well as in Iran as elsewhere across the Red Crescent movement, people who are themselves affected by strikes, by conflict, by crisis are then going out and helping to dig out others out of rubble often. I think it absolutely embodies the spirit of what the Red Crescent is all about. Oh, totally. I mean we have been saying and seeing this in every single crisis around the world. Of course these days are very painful for us because Iranian-recrescent colleagues were wounded. We had 10 colleagues who were wounded while saving lives. Then there was one colleague Amidreza, who sadly was killed during a certain risk operation the last eight of March and of course these days the icon of how much is difficult even for a humanitarian doing what humanitarian are supposed to do, save lives and alleviate suffering. Absolutely and as you mentioned the IFA was launched an emergency appeal to scale up those operations in Iran. Let's turn to Lebanon where there's also severe needs, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced. What can you tell us about the humanitarian situation there and the role that the Lebanese Red Cross is playing? Well the humanitarian situation is rapidly evolving as everywhere else. Neds are increasing a minute after minute. We're looking at a country that again and again is suffering conflict where vulnerabilities are increasing where we are seeing an entire portion through the evacuation over the central portion of the country moved from one side to another. Colleges from Lebanon are telling us shocking stories of people living in makeshift tents living in Beirut on the beach trying to find some some safety and of course these I mean when hundreds thousands of people are on the move this means that these hundreds thousand of people will need everything. We need food, we need water, we need shelter, we need health assistance and this is what the Lebanese Red Cross is doing also with the of course as in the case of Iran with the IFA C with the IFA C support. The Lebanese Red Cross is as the Iranian Red Cross is a very strong national society present all around the country. The Lebanese Cross is the main provider of ambulance services in the country but also the Lebanese Cross means blood, blood bank. If there is blood transfusion in Lebanon and stinks to the Lebanese Cross and the Lebanese Cross is very well respected all across the country in every situation and of course this also means that that ambulance hope for the people and means protection and what they are doing is also looking at relief items, relief centers and just to give you an example in the stadium in Beirut where internal displaced people are trying to seek shelter and protection. This this site which is pretty big is completely managed by the Lebanese Red Cross. And tell us a bit more about the IFA C support. You touched on the IFA C as well as you've been scaling up support for Lebanon and the Lebanese Red Cross. Yes absolutely. What we did is again as it happened for Lebanon we immediately used the money of our emergency found and this is a response emergency found with a family on Swiss franc and then we extended the emergency appeal that sadly we already have in Lebanon because of the other recent escalation in the Middle East so basically we are relooking at the new needs and again and again asking to partners to support our our operations. We know that humanitarian budget is shrinking but without the international solidarity in Lebanon in Iran and all the other countries affected it will be impossible to serve the communities. And in Israel, Magan Davida Dom is the first responder and the aftermath of attacks in Israel. Tell us a bit more about the work that they're doing there. Well again David Davida Domini is there it's another very strong and present all across the country, national and society. They mobilized thousands of tap almost full Banki za jedni št ficouoš mato bolješne. Pr calidad sa bež استikovala ste terrorist obel Forum na kit, asi� marijuana paogaases da je otratlja medkna. Selenja stve s pranitima ganericegaja bahola, ječa je veliki operati zdjeoglu splatjam, što je se Olsano Belvajnoj. Nečakamo v Kristirav serpent, regedika alt palavrač ohhke, i stveимся bilo šeg. jad je psychologično. Značo, že je spajrne, kako je znači positično, na medlju, na to je stradna situacija, ječa, že in jad je všeljih, kako je je svoj, ne Sna on Barej gentan anger, že degrašale tarenu ekon�를 hverel pri brought不到 to嫁oruje. Že gain je 똑같ivistimo prostate, by jedne stva najemov englicant steč potrly na kom���nik. Zavidala se por какие הם endeavorčnote Hidden - ta t discovering prvpeče., Kako ti smugamo in u Turnooooo i primji pedlu oso pa samo vas sporeuboj, deb elektricka lj immigrants j 000, na kolik pa dobinu bilo, ridge degrees te moаботuječ, bilako bor upadajsoundom sa Če in taj da mi počeni. Hveniraj酒, ka mo Four espatz ko soci livregesirm November ma lahko. Kako je je in taj da mi odmijem izvržaj in Iran, ma nekaj je in vse pa medicovni libanizarek je je skildati na 5. march. Zršelj je je in sve reskjupereši, kaj je in vrši vundi. Ljbanizarek je je vrši tem, i je zelo injorek je in je zelo injorek je. Prämisis na nasj jaz načinja na taj da mi načinja na taj da mi načinja na taj da mi odmijem izvržaj na izvržaj na misljubni. Kako je in vrši prämisis na izvržaj na iran, sam je je in vrši damačni. Kako je in vidite vrši stopni, še to je vzelo in vrši vrši, prvo tečna v izvržaj, uj humanitarijem vzelo, se obvjelj, zambuljaj, zelo in sve. Brcie gummyuljaiko se, od Nikki Familiej Meatseju, il koncijama tudi pri i mezošav Darät. Poslomali korstvuσηe mascarajima pri na nju smjelojiko uma ی Excepti, zame zna aerogljowa šod meteorjal. Aha sa so nitorzi to Innovation. A jedna znač - va ljudnju honesti? Jeste god kurikel da sem historije. Fajna znača kuri, ale da je nekaj vradi. Kako je vradi komušnji, kako je vradi komušnji, kako je nekaj vradi. Kako je vradi je sve in laban on, kako je vradi komušnji, kako je vradi komušnji, kako je vradi komušnji, kako je vradi komušnji, kako je vradi komušnji, je vradi komušnji. Sve sem tudi začeku, to je vradi komušnji. Fajnji, to je vradi komušnji. Vradi komušnji, je vradi komušnji.org, kako je vradi komušnji.org, kako je vradi komušnji.org. Kako je vradi komušnji, kako je vradi komušnji.org. Vradi komušnji.org. kred kredšanj operacijati našim kredšanj.