Monthly Update
September 2017

Southeast Asia Red Cross Red Crescent Leadership Meeting in Hanoi

Last month, the leaders from 11 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Southeast Asia together with IFRC and ICRC met in Hanoi for the 14th annual meeting, to discuss on several issues, including One Billion Coalition for Resilience, engagement with ASEAN and the preparations for the upcoming Statutory Meetings in Turkey this November. Within the meeting, a signing ceremony on humanitarian cooperation was held among the Red Cross Societies of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Click here to read more

ASEAN moves to strengthen regional resilience through legal preparedness

ASEAN Member States, Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies and key partners came together last month in Bangkok at the ASEAN Disaster Law Mapping Consultation to discuss how to strengthen preparedness and response through law and policy. The consultation collected feedback on the research draft of the “Institutionalization of AADMER in Domestic Law and Policy in ASEAN: Regional Synthesis Report”. Click here to read more

Building Urban Resilience in Southeast Asia (ECHO funded)

This month has seen many updates from the regional program, including public awareness and education campaign in Laos to disseminate key messages of disaster preparedness, in Vietnam and Cambodia on fire prevention and response. In the Philippines, progress includes setting up of school disaster risk management teams and trainings. Click here to read more

Southeast Asia Youth Network Annual Meeting

Early last month, the youth network held its 5th annual meeting in Manila, Philippines, to revise the network terms of reference, election of youth leader and draft the action plan for next year. The meeting was followed by youth empowerment in community programme. Click here to read more and download the report

The Rights of Migrants in Action Global Consultative Meeting

The global meeting held in Brussels, Belgium, from 26-28 September 2017, gathered the project’s 43 partner civil society organizations, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies from implementing countries, IFRC, European institutions and external actors. The meeting aims to: enhance regional and inter-regional cooperation and networking, share best practices and lessons learned,  validate the draft Global Findings on Human Rights of Migrants, Human Trafficking and Domestic Labour Migration, and explore mechanisms to translate policy recommendations into practice. Click here to read more

Water and sanitation in emergencies training in Laos

A training of trainers on water, sanitation and hygiene promotion in emergencies was held last month in Oudomxay province, one of the most disaster-prone provinces in Laos, for the Lao Red Cross staff, who then trained the Lao Red Cross volunteers in water and sanitation in the following meeting. After these two training, the AP700 Man-Packs (water filtration system) were placed in the province Red Cross Branch to support emergency responses for the neighboring provinces. Click here to read more

One thousand five hundred volunteers from all over Indonesia gathered in Bogor, Indonesia

The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) conducted a gathering of 1500 volunteers with the theme 'Building community resilience' last month. The event was packed with sharing and learning activities which build on community resilience successes across different sectors. Click here to read more

First batch of Red Cross Chapter facilitators ready to advocate and raise awareness on disaster law in the Philippines

The Philippine Red Cross and IFRC recently concluded a training of Chapter facilitators on disaster law in the Philippines. This was made possible through the Regional Resilience Initiative (RRI) funded by Global Affairs Canada through Canadian Red Cross. Philippine Red Cross Chapter Administrators and technical staff coming from 20 Chapters across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao were provided an orientation on disaster law basics and facilitation tools and skills to carry out the orientation. Click to read more

Singapore Red Cross committed US$20,000 worth of relief items to communities affected by conflict in Rakhine

Due to the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine, Myanmar, Singapore Red Cross (SRC) launched a public appeal for donations to support the affected communities in Bangladesh and Myanmar on 8 September. In addition to assistance provided recently to Rakhine, SRC will further commit US$20,000 worth of relief items to be distributed to those affected by the current clashes in Rakhine, including those currently residing in internally displaced persons camps in Rakhine. Click to read more

Singapore Red Cross advocates first aid learning online and in heartlands on World First Aid Day

To commemorate World First Aid Day, the Singapore Red Cross launched InstaSave - a series of step-by-step first aid videos on Instagram - at a community outreach. Themed “First Aid Is For Everyone”, the annual outreach is part of the humanitarian organisation’s ongoing efforts to demonstrate the importance of first aid in building community resilience. Click to read more

Singapore Red Cross International Bazaar returns to bring the world together for humanity

Hundreds of representatives from diplomatic missions, local and international enterprises, schools, and volunteers banded together for humanity at the Singapore Red Cross International Bazaar 2017,  on 23 September. Aptly themed ‘Together for Humanity’, the bazaar was a truly global extravaganza featuring international cuisine, local delights, traditional goods, and more. Click to read more

Grab taxi drivers training on basic first aid in Bangkok

A total of 18 Grab taxi drivers participated in the basic first aid training last 19 September. This training was the 7th held by Grab taxi in collaboration with IFRC and Thai Red Cross. It covered 6 key topics on both technical and practical standard basic first aid for 6 hours, including basic first aid procedures, bandaging hands, feet, head and arms sling, choking, stroke, heart diseases, CPR-cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and referral and transportation to hospitals. Click here to read more

Typhoon Doksuri DREF Operation launched in Vietnam

Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in central provinces of Vietnam on Friday, 15 September 2017 causing serious floods, leaving at least 14 people killed, 112 injured and 4 other missing. Viet Nam Red Cross has launched a national appeal and requested for a disaster relief emergency fund (DREF) Operation in the amount of 236,580 Swiss francs to provide assistance to 3,600 households in two hard-hit provinces of Ha Tinh and Quang Binh. The assistance is in form of cash grant to 700 households and shelter tool kits to 2,900 families. Click here to read more

Gender and Diversity Mainstreaming in Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) Guidance in Vietnam

Viet Nam Red Cross held “Gender and Diversity Mainstreaming in Vulnerability and Community-based Capacity Assessment (VCA) Guidance of the Vietnam Red Cross” workshop on 19 September 2017 in Hanoi with the IFRC, French Red Cross, American Red Cross and the French Development Agency (AFD). This activity was a part of the “Gender-sensitive community-based disaster risk management project in ethnic minority areas of North-West Vietnam” implemented in Son La and Lai Chau between April 2014 and September 2017. Click here to read more

Breaking Dengue: Communities in Vietnam receive support and guidance on clearing mosquito breeding sites

Since early this year, Vietnam has seen over 100,000 reported dengue fever cases which killed 26 people. Over 76,800 people have been hospitalized, an increase of 42 percent compared to the same period in 2016. In response to this health crisis, the Viet Nam Red Cross Society recently joined city authorities and other agencies in a dengue prevention and response campaign which was held in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Click to read more

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For meteorological agency in the respective Southeast Asian countries, visit :Brunei Darussalam | Cambodia | Indonesia | Laos | Malaysia | Myanmar | Philippines | Singapore | Thailand | Vietnam

Upcoming events for October to November 2017
October	Various dates	Celebration of International Disaster Reduction Day / ASEAN Day for Disaster Management	Southeast Asia
	2-3	Strengthening convergences for Humanitarian Action in ASEAN: An AIPR Symposium on IHL	Philippines
	2-6	National Moot Court Competition on IHL	Philippines
	2-6	2nd Asia Pacific Civil and Military Relations Forum	Malaysia
	4	Big Communities of Practice on Community Engagement meeting	Philippines
	9-13	Red Cross Red Crescent Induction as part of the AHA Centre Executive (ACE) Programme	Semarang, Indonesia
	9-11	IFRC Gender and Diversity Network Training of Trainers and Sexual and Gender based Violence in Emergencies	Malaysia
	10	World Mental Health Day	Various countries
	11	Disaster Law Housing, Land and Property Rights Roundtable	Philippines
	12-13	NASHA write shop for the HASAP Project (Select PRC Chapters)	Philippines
	12 – 13	Disaster Law Dissemination, Know your 3Rs ToT	Viet Nam
	15	Global Handwashing Day	Various countries
	16	World Food Day (Theme: Food Security and Migration)	Various countries
	16-20	ACDM meetings, including the ASEAN Day for Disaster Management (ADDM)	Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
	16-21	Gender and Diversity in VCA field School	Cambodia
	18-20	National Climate Change Law Consultation	Lao PDR
	20-22	Resource mobilization training for VNRC headquarters and chapter staff	Viet Nam
	21	Million Volunteer Run	Manila, Philippines
	25-27	Philippine Red Cross Disaster Law Course for Chapters (Pilot)	Manila, Philippines
	26	Cambodia Disaster Law Road Map workshop	Cambodia
	26-28	PASSA training for Viet Nam Red Cross provincial chapters	Da Nang city, Vietnam
November	6-8	Canadian Red Cross monitoring visit / RRI technical working group meeting	Bangkok, Thailand
	12-17	DPRK RCS delegation Regional Visit (peer to peer learning exchange program CBHFA)	Philippines
	14-17	Violence Prevention Integration into CBHFA Training	Cambodia
	14-21	Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ERAT) Training	Thailand
	15-17	Asia Pacific Regional PMER meeting	Kuala Lumpur
	14-21	Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ERAT) Training	Thailand
	20-24	Basic WASH in Emergency Response Training	Philippines
	24-30	Regional Disaster Response Team (RDRT) training	Malaysia
	TBC	Official launch of Virtual Volunteer Application	Philippines
	Various dates	Advocacy events in selected countries for 16 days of activism against gender-based violence (Nov 25 – Dec 10)	Various countries

Mobile health teams treat thousands in Cox’s Bazar

In Hakimpara camp in southern Bangladesh, people are lining up every day to see a doctor at a mobile health clinic run by the Japanese Red Cross Society. The doctor listed some of the issues people are experiencing: skin infections, coughs and breathing problems and diarrhoea. Since early last month more than 515,000 people have crossed into Bangladesh, fleeing violence in northern areas of Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Many have health care needs. Click to read more

Hanoi Statement

Hanoi Statement was the outcome of the 14th Southeast Asia Red Cross Red Crescent Leadership Meeting held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 21 to 22 September 2017. The meeting covered a number of issues including the follow-up to the outcomes of the 13th Southeast Asia Red Cross Red Crescent Leadership Meeting, the One Billion Coalition for Resilience, the Red Cross Red Crescent strategy for engagement with ASEAN and the preparation for the Statutory Meetings in Turkey in November 2017. Click here to download