Venezuela: training in health care, humanitarian law and emergency preparedness
Newsletter May-August 2018
In the second quarter of 2018, the ICRC's activities in Venezuela and the CARICOM States focused on training health care professionals in treating emergency room trauma patients in hospitals. Additionally, hundreds of members of the Armed and Security Forces learnt about how to reinforce the integration and observance of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international standards on the use of force. Venezuelan Red Cross rescue workers continue with the preparation for emergency situations and first aid.
Highlights from this Newsletter:
- Health care professionals working in public and military hospitals in Caracas, Maracay and Valencia participated in theoretical and practical sessions on handling trauma injuries in the emergency room. In total, 78 professionals took part in practical sessions on medical conditions that endanger the life of the patient and require immediate medical attention. The participants from the hospitals received medical supply kits for treating approximately 50 trauma patients.
- A total of 44 members of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela (FANB) received training on international human rights law in police operations, with emphasis on the international standards of the progressive use of force and the code of conduct during law and order operations. By the end of 2018, over 2,800 members of the FANB will have received training.
- A total of 300 officers from the General Directorate of Military Penitentiary Service (DISPEMIL) received training on detention standards. To complement the training, volunteers from the Venezuelan Red Cross (VRC), supported by the ICRC, offered sessions on first aid for the DISPEMIL officers who attended these courses.
- A group of 45 volunteers involved in relief work from the Venezuelan Red Cross branches in the cities of Apure, Barinas and Mérida participated in a workshop on risk mitigation.
- The ICRC, in conjunction with the National Societies of the Caribbean Red Cross, is taking action to restore links between separated and missing family members.
- In Jamaica, over 70 students are benefiting from the programme to reduce violence through their Schools of Transformation. This programme offers Jamaican youth psychosocial support, sports, and life skills, in order to help them develop their conflict resolution and mediation skills.
- In Nassau, Bahamas, in June 2018, the ICRC organised two regional workshops on Restoring Family Links and activities in favor of detained migrants, with the participation of the National Red Cross Societies of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Curacao and the Bahamas.
- In the CARICOM States, the ICRC promotes the integration of international humanitarian law, international standards on the use of force in police operations and respect for the life and dignity of people displaced by armed violence and vulnerable migrants. The organisation was invited to participate in the 33rd Conference of Caribbean Police Commissioners, which took place in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in April 2018.