Sudan Celebrates International Red Cross/Crescent Day

“For Our Environment, let’s Volunteer”

Haffiya Abdalla

Sudan and the world society celebrated Red Cross Day known as Red Crescent Day is celebrated on May 8 every year. This date marks the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, who is the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). He is also the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was born on May 8, 1828.

It is an annual celebration of their principles. The day is celebrated by the Red Cross society across all the countries. It works for the welfare of people. World Red Cross Society provides for food shortages, natural disasters, wars as well as diseases and epidemics.

Member of the Transitional Sovereign Council, Chairman of the Higher Committee for Health Emergencies, Dr. Abdul-Baqi Abdul-Qadir Al-Zubair affirmed the transitional government’s commitment to all international agreements, including the Geneva Convention.

Activities of the International Day of the International Movement of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies the voluntary movement was established with a lofty and noble aim for the sake of

Working with vulnerable communities to strengthen their capabilities and resilience to address those disasters that occur in the world, adding that the world has witnessed many crises and disasters in the recent period, and these voluntary organizations had a prominent role in addressing these crises.

Al-Zubair explained while addressing the celebration of the International Red Cross/Crescent Day at Police Club, Burri, explained that this year’s celebration comes and the National Assembly is making changes.

It is clear and radical to keep pace with other world associations, noting that this keeping pace makes them have a strong incentive and calls for everyone to do a lot of work, especially the protection of the environment.

Al-Zubair added that the presence of the Higher Committee for Health Emergencies has helped coordinate local efforts and mobilize capabilities to help the affected people in all parts of the country, explaining that they will work to support and develop the committee to carry out its role and it’s a great task.

President of the Sudanese Red Crescent, El Fadel Amer, said that The Steering Committee has embarked on a process of extensive restructuring at the administrative level to ensure the creation of a national society that enjoys the respect and trust of partners, and strictly complies with all the rules of good governance as represented in accountability, answerability & transparency. In accordance with the principle of integrity, and a participatory manner, a new draft law for the SRCS has now been prepared; the SRCS Statute has been drafted; as well as bylaws and policies on youth, volunteerism, governance, membership, and elections. A code of conduct has been put forward to ensure that everyone is subject to the principle of rights & duties. To ensure the greatest self-reliance, a Resource Mobilization & Development Committee has been set up, which has opened a door for communication with the London School of Business to develop the society’s capabilities & property.

Amer stated that the strategy of the society has, in addition, been reviewed & operationalized. Accordingly, I would say with full confidence that the committee has completed more than two-thirds of the tasks assigned to it by its constitutive decree.

In this regard, I would like to confirm that the membership of the society is open to all Sudanese people according to the form prepared by the Membership Affairs Committee. From this forum, I would like to appeal to everyone who wants to join the membership of the society to go to the branch located in his/her area of residence to fill out the respective form to ensure his/her right to membership in this pioneer society.

“We at the Sudanese Red Crescent Society decided that the slogan for our celebration this year of the birth of our international movement is (For our environment, let’s volunteer) to make our environment viable and sustainable. And in that is a message that we must broadcast from this pulpit, which is to give some of our effort and time, each according to his ability, to preserve the integrity of our environment as it is the place where we live & from which gain our subsistence “, he said.

Amer pointed out that assigning the Central Steering Committee of the Sudanese Red Crescent in accordance with the Council of Ministers` decree, 197 of 2020, was a real challenge for us to accomplish the tasks provided for in the decree, which, in their entirety contribute to turning into tangible reality the aspiration to create an effective national society that is capable of performing its tasks with all professionalism.

He explained that the strategy of the society has, in addition, been reviewed & operationalized. Accordingly, I would say with full confidence that the committee has completed more than two-thirds of the tasks assigned to it by its constitutive decree. In this regard, I would like to confirm that the membership of the society is open to all Sudanese people according to the form prepared by the Membership Affairs Committee. From this forum, I would like to appeal to everyone who wants to join the membership of the society to go to the branch located in his/her area of residence to fill out the respective form to ensure his/her right to membership in this pioneer society.

“It is with gratitude here that I would like to extend my sincere thanks & appreciation to all my brothers, sons, daughters, volunteers & employees of our society who gave & spared nothing in their quest to serve our community. I also extend special thanks to our partners in the International Movement of the national societies represented & residing with us, namely (the Dutch Red Cross, Spanish, Swiss, Danish, German & Turkish Red Crescent), as well as to the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies & the International Committee of the Red Cross, who have been providing support & assistance to our society in all fields, whether at the level of projects implemented in various states of Sudan that are related to climate change, or those concerned with building the resilience of our communities in various fields, or in technical assistance”, he added.