The Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations work to provide services in a variety of humanitarian situations. One area that they provide assistance is to refugees and migrants (Red Cross, 2020). They state that they provide assistance in multiple capacities, across all stages of a migrant’s journey (pre-migration, transitory, and post-migration). They provide services worldwide, including first aid, medical services, shelter, food, water, hygiene supplies, baby supplies, clothing, and “comfort” (Red Cross, 2020). It is not elaborated on what is meant by comfort. From my volunteer work with the Red Cross, I know that they provide disaster mental health services, and spiritual health services. Another important task is that of working to reconnect families who have been separated as a result of a crisis. $2.6 million has been committed to providing support in Syria and surrounding countries, and an additional $1.2 million towards refugee aid in Europe as a result of the Syrian refugee crisis. They maintain a network of information and resources across all branches to maintain coordinated efforts and consistency in their work, while utilizing local branches firsthand knowledge of situations in their areas.
The Red Cross and Red Crescent state that they apply 7 core principles to their work. These are: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality (Red Cross, 2020). They take care to meet many of the standards through these values of the Core Humanitarian Standard (2017). For example, the branch network can use local Red Cross chapters in providing “assistance appropriate and relevant to their needs” (Core Humanitarian Standard, 2017, p. 10), and in a timely fashion.
One area that the Red Cross and Red Crescent seems to be lacking in is the feedback from the community. I do not see any details about how “communities and people affected by crisis have access to safe and responsive mechanisms to handle complaints” (Core Humanitarian Standard, 2017, p. 14) nor that they “can expect delivery of improved assistance as organisations learn from experience and reflection” (p.16). Additionally, they do not provide any clear information on most of the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership principles (2016). Many of these principles have to do with having feedback from beneficiaries and having a “framework of accountability to their stakeholders” (HAP-I, 2016), and “meaningfully involve beneficiaries in project planning, implementation, evaluation and reporting.” There may be processes that the Red Cross and Red Crescent use to do this, but they do not make it clear on their website, and in working with them, I have never actually seen such feedback being implemented.
My recommendations for an action plan for the Red Cross and Red Crescent would be to make it a high priority to include feedback loops with the people and communities they serve. Katharina Samara Wickrama discusses this problem at large in her TED talk (2012). She notes that there is a systemic failure to be accountable to the people that humanitarian organizations claim to serve. It is important to implement consultation and informed consent, give an opportunity to provide ongoing feedback from clients, and an opportunity to be part of process that decides if that project was a success. These strategies can save money, but also equitably distributes resources based on true needs, and improves sense of ownership by beneficiaries over the services, giving them back power, control, and dignity in their lives. It also makes sure the organization is always improving and tailoring its services for the best interests of the people they are serving, and not assuming that they should impose their own values and services of what they think is needed. The Red Cross should outline a commitment to this on their website and in their trainings with volunteers and staff, and have a clear process for beneficiaries to file complaints and feedback, with a commitment to taking action on these.
References
Core Humanitarian Standard. (2017). CHS Alliance, Groupe URD and the Sphere Project.
HAP-I. (2016). Humanitarian Accountability Partnership – International.
Red Cross. (2020). “Mission and Values” and “Migration and Refugee Crisis”. Retrieved from https://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/international-services/migration-and-refugee-crisis.html
TEDx Talks [username]. (2012). TEDxGenevaChange – Katharina Samara Wichrama – Accountable aid. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ep7RWMI0YbE