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1-01-2008    
ICRC operations in the Americas
A country-by-country overview of the ICRC’s work to provide neutral and independent assistance and protection for victims of conflict.

News published over the last 12 months
29-10-2009  News release
Lionel Messi and other celebrities back Our world. Your move. campaign
Geneva – Argentine footballer Lionel Messi is lending his support to the Our world. Your move. campaign – an initiative by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to raise awareness of today's humanitarian challenges and highlight the power of individuals to make a big difference.
(News)
8-10-2009  
Haiti: opening of Our World – At War photo exhibition
Port-au-Prince (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has teamed up with five of the world’s top war photographers to put on the Our World – At War photo exhibition.
(News)
1-10-2009  News release
Honduras: ICRC visits over 40 people deprived of their freedom
Tegucigalpa/Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has visited over 40 people who were detained following their removal from the National Agrarian Institute building yesterday by Honduran security forces. The premises had been occupied since 28 June.
(News)
26-9-2009  News release
Honduras: ICRC enters Brazilian embassy
Tegucigalpa/Geneva (ICRC) – Yesterday, Friday, an ICRC delegate entered the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa and was able to meet all those on the premises and check on their condition.
(News)
18-9-2009  News release
United States: video link between Guantanamo detainees and families
Washington/Geneva (ICRC) – Thanks to a programme initiated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United States military, detainees at the Guantanamo Bay naval facility are now able to communicate with their families by video-teleconference calls.
(News)
27-8-2009  News release
Peru: Mortal remains of 92 people returned to families and community after 25 years
Ayacucho (ICRC) – The families and neighbours of 92 people who disappeared 25 years ago amid internal conflict in Peru, and whose mortal remains were discovered in a common grave in Putis, in the Ayacucho region, are finally going to be able to bury their loved ones with dignity in their own community.
(News)
20-8-2009  News release
Brazil: ICRC president meets senior officials to discuss humanitarian challenges
Brasilia (ICRC) – The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jakob Kellenberger, is in Brasilia for meetings with Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, Justice Minister Tarso Genro, Defence Minister Nelson Jobim, President of the Senate José Sarney and other government officials.
(News)
20-4-2009  News release
United States: ICRC president holds talks with senior officials
Geneva / Washington (ICRC) – The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jakob Kellenberger, has arrived in Washington for talks with senior officials.
(News)
15-4-2009  News release
Colombia: civilians continue to pay a heavy price for the conflict
Bogotá / Geneva (ICRC) – The armed conflict in Colombia continues to take a heavy toll on tens of thousands of civilians enduring death threats, direct attacks or the threat of forced recruitment, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned today.
(News)
3-4-2009  News release
Colombia: ICRC assists indigenous population displaced by violence
Bogotá (ICRC) – In Chocó department, western Colombia, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has distributed food and other items such as hygiene articles, cooking equipment and hammocks to around 600 indigenous people.
(News)
6-3-2009  News release
Paraguay: the ICRC steps up its cooperation with the police
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the National Police of Paraguay have renewed an institutional cooperation agreement whose purpose is to incorporate the relevant human rights across the board into the body of instructions issued to the police force. The agreement was signed on 4 March in Asunción.
(News)
12-2-2009  News release
Brazil: ICRC thanks Brazilian government for logistical support
Brasília (ICRC) – On 10 and 11 February, delegates from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) met senior Brazilian government officials to express their gratitude for the logistical support Brazil provided during a recent humanitarian mission in Colombia.
(News)
6-2-2009  News release
Colombia: additional information concerning the release of four members of the police and armed forces on 1 February
Bogotá (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) would like to provide some further information concerning the handover of four members of the police and armed forces by the FARC in a rural area of Caquetá department on 1 February.
(News)
5-2-2009  News release
Colombia: former lawmaker Sigifredo López is released
Bogotá (ICRC) – On Thursday 5 February, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) released Sigifredo López, a former lawmaker of the Valle del Cauca assembly.
(News)
4-2-2009  News release
Colombia: another hostage freed under ICRC auspices
Bogotá (ICRC) – On the morning of 3 February, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) freed Alan Jara, the former governor of Meta, and handed him over to Colombian senator Piedad Córdoba and delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a rural area of Guaviare.
(News)
1-2-2009  News release
Colombia: FARC releases three police officers and one soldier
Bogotá (ICRC) – On the afternoon of 1 February, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) released police officers Alexis Torres Zapata, Juan Fernando Galicia and José Walter Lozano and William Giovanni Rodríguez of the armed forces. The FARC handed the four men over to members of Colombians for Peace and delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a jungle area of the department of Caquetá.
(News)
27-1-2009  News release
Brazil: Red Cross photo exhibitions at World Social Forum
Brasília (ICRC) – At the ninth World Social Forum, held from 27 January to 1 February in the northern Brazilian city of Belém, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is exhibiting a series of photographs that illustrate three themes: its work in Colombia, the dangers of landmines, cluster munitions and explosive remnants of war, and the presence of antipersonnel landmines on Latin American soil.
(News)
23-1-2009  News release
Colombia: Brazil ready to support ICRC humanitarian operation
Bogotá (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirms that Brazil is ready to provide the organization with logistics support to facilitate the release of Sigifredo López, Alan Jara and four members of the Colombian police currently being held by the FARC.
(News)
17-12-2008  News release
Mexico: technical support for restructuring of short-term detention facilities in Federal District
Mexico (ICRC) – At the request of the prosecution service of the Federal District, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been providing technical support for the restructuring of short-term detention facilities (known as galeras, or galleys) annexed to the prosecution service’s facilities.
(News)
26-11-2008  News release
Peru: government experts from the Andean region discuss the use of force in internal disturbances and situations of violence
Lima (ICRC) – On 25 November, twenty government experts from Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador and specialists from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) concluded a two-day debate in Lima on using force and protecting people in situations of violence.
(News)
11-11-2008  News release
Paraguay: help for farmers detained in Ciudad del Este
Buenos Aires (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross today delivered aid to 70 farmers held at Ciudad del Este regional prison in Alto Paraná department. Another 700 inmates also benefited from the delivery.
(News)
15-10-2008  News release
Colombia: ICRC assists over 1,600 displaced persons
Bogotá (ICRC) – As armed conflict continues to rage in the departments of Antioquia and Cauca, more families are being forced to abandon their homes in search of safety.
(News)
13-10-2008  News release
Haiti: ICRC continues to help flood victims
Port-au-Prince (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) continues to support the efforts of the Haitian National Red Cross Society to help victims of the tropical storms Gustav, Hanna and Ike, the damaging effects of which are still visible in many cities in the country a little over a month after the storms struck.
(News)
©ICRC/V.Louis/co-e-00200
The ICRC’s key objectives in the Americas are to promote respect for the rules of international humanitarian law (IHL) and to protect and assist people affected by conflict and armed violence.

Its main operation in the region is in Colombia. Elsewhere, it visits detainees and tries to help families who are desperate to know the fate of relatives missing because of conflict. As a strictly neutral intermediary, the ICRC maintains contacts with governments, regional organisations and opposition groups.

The ICRC encourages governments to put the provisions of IHL into national law, helps to improve the training of military personnel in IHL and urges its adoption in university courses. It works closely with the national Red Cross societies of the region, giving support for activities such as IHL promotion, emergency preparedness and restoring family links.

The ICRC delegation in Washington covers Canada and the United States. It is the organization's interface with the US authorities over humanitarian issues arising from the so-called "global war on terror", including regular visits to detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. The ICRC, which has observer status to the United Nations, maintains a permanent delegation to the UN in New York.

Key data on the ICRC’s global operational budget for 2009


The country and region names used herein are intended to facilitate reference and have no political significance.
Key document
    26-10-2009
    Persons detained by the US in relation to armed conflict and the fight against terrorism – the role of the ICRC
    This document explains the purpose of the ICRC's visits to places of detention run by the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the procedures that the organization follows.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\United States)
    Operational update

    10-7-2008
    The ICRC in Latin America and the Caribbean
    In many Latin American and Caribbean countries, people are suffering the consequences of armed conflict and other situations of violence. In other countries, a conflict may have ended decades ago, but people are still struggling to rebuild their devastated lives. Maria Dos Anjos Gussing, the ICRC’s head of operations for Latin America and the Caribbean, details the organization's efforts to meet humanitarian needs in the region.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas)
    Interview Includes Photo

Annual Report
Event
Feature
    11-11-2009
    A displaced mother who lost 2 sons: "you never get over it"
    Millions of people have been displaced over decades of armed conflict in Colombia, and tens of thousands are missing. Cruz del Carmen faces a triple tragedy: her husband was killed, two of her children are missing, and she was displaced from her farm twelve years ago.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Colombia)
    Feature Includes Photo

    29-5-2009
    Guatemala: putting an end to the pain of uncertainty
    The 1960-1996 internal armed conflict in Guatemala left tens of thousands of people dead and missing. The authorities, victims’ relatives, and various organizations are still searching for the remains of many of these people. Once found, they must be identified. The ICRC offers technical advice and material assistance to the Guatemalan organizations that are pursuing these efforts, and supports the families through the legal proceedings.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Guatemala)
    Feature Includes Photo

    6-4-2009
    Peru: overcrowding fuels tuberculosis infection in prisons
    Tuberculosis is a disease which is transmitted from person to person. For this reason, it spreads easily in prisons marked by overcrowded conditions. In Peru, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) took part in training health promoters to detect possible cases of infection in order to obtain immediate treatment for them.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Peru)
    Feature Includes Photo

    3-4-2009
    El Salvador: "Safer Access" model successfully put into practice during 2009 elections
    In order to be able to respond quickly and effectively to any possible incidents during the presidential elections in March in El Salvador, the Salvadorean Red Cross implemented its Elections 2009 Contingency Plan, with the technical and financial support of the ICRC. The ICRC supported the National Society's prevention work and ensured that its operational and security guidelines were followed.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\El Salvador)
    Feature Includes Photo

    2-4-2009
    Peru: new hope for the relatives of missing persons
    After 25 years of waiting, relatives of 61 persons who disappeared in Huanta, Ayacucho, in 1984 took part from 9 to 23 March in exhumations and the taking of DNA samples to identify the remains of 50 victims that can later be returned to their relatives.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Peru)
    Feature Includes Photo

    6-3-2009
    Mexico: the importance of supporting prisoners’ families
    Women often face major problems when a member of their family is imprisoned, especially a man. Eva learned all about this when her husband was arrested for taking part in demonstrations in the Mexican city of Oaxaca during 2006. She agreed to tell us her story, recounting with great dignity her suffering and the difficulties she faced during this period of separation.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Mexico)
    Feature

    4-3-2009
    Haiti: midwives bring solace to women in Haiti’s slums
    Midwives Marie Joseph and Françoise understand the suffering of women in Cité Soleil. Marie Joseph’s daughter and Françoise’s niece have been victims of the rampant sexual violence in Haiti’s sprawling waterside slum. Trained by the Red Cross, the two midwives help evacuate pregnant and sexually abused women to hospital.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Haiti)
    Feature

    2-2-2009
    "United against dengue": the Red Cross and the residents of Rio join forces to prevent the disease
    The ICRC and the Brazilian Red Cross (BRC) mounted the campaign "United against dengue" in seven "socially vulnerable" districts of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city in Brazil. As part of the campaign, more than 80 community workers, members of the health profession and BRC volunteers received training so that they could explain to the population how to avoid a dengue epidemic.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Brazil)
    Feature Includes Photo

    3-12-2008
    Policing and protection of the individual
    The ICRC undertakes a range of activities in Mexico and Panama that focus on integrating human rights and humanitarian principles into the training of law-enforcement personnel. The aim is to prevent human rights violations by police and security forces, and to ensure that individuals are protected.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas)
    Feature Includes Photo

    18-11-2008
    Colombia: surviving a mine accident
    Although Juan still suffers from severe headaches and back pain and has trouble sleeping, he feels lucky: he is a mine survivor. He is one of the 2,000 civilian victims of accidents caused by improvised explosive devices and anti-personnel landmines in Colombia between 2002 and 2007.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Colombia)
    Feature

    1-9-2008
    Guatemala: a young man’s search for his identity
    According to the report published by the Historical Clarification Commission, around 5,000 children became separated from their families during the internal armed conflict in Guatemala. Sebastián Max was one of them. After 28 long years, he has finally learned his true identity.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Guatemala)
    Feature Includes Photo

ICRC Publication
International Review of the Red Cross
    31-12-2008
    Interview with The Hon. Sergio Jaramillo Caro, Vice Minister of Defence in Colombia
    The Honourable Sergio Jaramillo Caro is Vice Minister of Defence in Colombia. Prior to this, he held several diplomatic and governmental positions, including adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (where he was in charge of diplomacy for peace), Political Counsellor of the Embassy of Colombia in France, and Adviser for Political and Strategic Affairs of the Ministry of Defence.
    (Info resources\International Review\2008 - No. 872)
    International Review of the Red Cross Includes PDF

    30-6-2006
    Reflections on international humanitarian law and transitional justice: lessons to be learnt from the Latin American experience
    This article seeks to determine the influence of international humanitarian law on the transitional justice process. The author examines the specific experience of certain Latin American states that have been deeply affected by serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
    (Info resources\International Review\2006 - No. 862)
    International Review of the Red CrossElizabeth Salmón G. Includes PDF

Interview
    28-9-2009
    Honduras: "Red Cross must be able to work in safety"
    The ICRC and the Honduran Red Cross are working together to help people affected by the recent clashes between demonstrators and the security forces. Christoph Kleber, deputy head of the ICRC's regional delegation for Central America, describes Red Cross action on the ground in Tegucigalpa.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Honduras)
    Interview Includes Photo

    3-4-2009
    Colombia: providing access to water during armed conflict
    The lack of a reliable water supply is, for some communities, the result of isolation and poverty. Armed conflict can also limit people’s access to water. Honduras Motilona is a settlement in north-eastern Colombia, an area that has been severely affected by the conflict. Here, in 2008, the ICRC worked with the community and the local authorities to build an aqueduct. Paola Ximena Cárdenas, ICRC water and habitat specialist, describes the project in more detail.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Colombia)
    Interview Includes Video

    5-2-2009
    Colombia: emotions flow as released captives are reunited with their families
    The ICRC is helping to prepare the release of former lawmaker Sigifredo López, currently held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Patricia Danzi, ICRC head of operations for Latin America, describes recent missions that enabled five other people to return to their families.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Colombia)
    Interview Includes Photo

    30-1-2009
    Colombia: ICRC helps prepare release of persons held by FARC
    In Colombia, the ICRC is preparing to facilitate the release of six persons currently being held by the FARC. Christophe Beney, the ICRC's head of delegation, explains his organization's involvement in this mission.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Colombia)
    Interview Includes Photo

    30-6-2008
    Protecting people in situations of internal violence
    In January 2008, the head of the ICRC’s regional delegation in Buenos Aires, Michel Minnig, addressed the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs of the Organization of American States on the subject of internal violence. In this interview, he reviews the main points of his statement.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas)
    Interview

Official Statement
Operational update
    16-9-2009
    Colombia: ICRC activities from April to June 2009
    The armed conflict in Colombia is having a major impact on public health. Attacks on medical personnel are hindering community access to basic health services, and many of those injured are not receiving effective and appropriate medical attention. In response to these concerns, in April the ICRC took part in the first national seminar on the delivery of medical services in wartime.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Colombia)
    Operational update Includes Photo

    7-5-2009
    ICRC activities in 2008 in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay
    The ICRC strives increasingly to assist people caught up in internal violence and tensions, especially clashes in urban settings and strife related to social, indigenous and land issues in various parts of Brazil, Paraguay and Chile. It also promotes international humanitarian law and humanitarian principles throughout the region.
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Argentina)
    Operational update Includes Photo

    15-4-2009
    Colombia: humanitarian situation deteriorates
    An overview of ICRC activities in Colombia in 2008
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Colombia)
    Operational update Includes Photo

    26-2-2009
    Colombia: infrastructure projects to enhance the quality of life of victims of the armed conflict
    In Colombia, many communities affected by the armed conflict are contending with problems caused by the lack of infrastructure or by weapon contamination. In many places, the population struggles to obtain drinking water, basic sanitary services are lacking and access to education, health and the means of subsistence is obstructed. ICRC activities in Colombia, October - December 2008
    (The ICRC worldwide\The Americas\Colombia)
    Operational update Includes Photo

Photo Collection
    16-10-2009
    Colombia: more than 40 years on, the conflict continues – photo gallery
    The population of Colombia is still feeling the impact of a conflict that began in the 1960s. The ICRC continues to help ease the suffering of the most vulnerable – the injured, the displaced, detainees and families of missing persons. These photos were taken in February and March 2009 by war photographer Franco Pagetti, from the VII photo agency.
    (Info resources\Photos\The Americas)
    Photo Collection Includes Photo

Report


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25-11-2009