PRCS’ Relief Team Responds to All Needs

By: Radwa Al Helou

In line with PRCS’ principles and its role as a relief and aid organization, the Society has developed and strengthened its Relief Program in an effort to build the resilience of marginalized communities to help them adapt to emergencies. The program also aims at providing relief services to persons affected by both natural and man-made disasters.

Implemented by the Disaster Management Department, this key PRCS’ program focuses on the provision of relief aidto affected families in the oPt, including in Jerusalem, to respond to their difficult conditions. The program offers non-food assistance such as tents, mattresses, covers, hygiene kits, kitchen utensils, tarpaulin sheets and heaters. Aid beneficiaries include families whose homes were demolished by the Israeli occupation, persons affected by floods, fires and extreme weather conditions, as well as underprivileged families. Relief teams distribute aid following an assessment of the situation by trained personnel in cooperation with the Society’s Regional Coordinator and under the supervision of the Disaster Management Department.

Moreover, the Department has created a National Disasters Response  Team comprising trained PRCS’ volunteers from all Governorates. This high-readiness team is trained to respond to disasters, assess damage, evacuate affected populations and provide relief as needed. Training is provided at an annual camp organized by PRCS near Bani Na’im (Hebron Governorate) to build the capacities and polish the skills of team members. It covers a number of fields including water and sanitation, provision of shelter, food and nutrition, rapid assessment and response, communications and health during emergencies. Several field exercises also take place in an effort to put theory into practice.

According to Basheer Al Ahmad, Head of the Disaster Management Department, “the program was designed to cover needs at the national level. As a National Society, PRCS supports the work of government bodies by enhancing the strengths and resilience of local communities. It was also officially tasked by international organizations to provide relief services to populations affected by man-made and natural disasters.

The program helps people whose homes, tents and makeshift houses and warehouses are demolished by Israel, as well as those affected by natural disasters such as bad weather conditions. It provides shelter and relief aid that allays suffering and builds resilience so other organizations can offer rehabilitation and recovery services and enable communities to return to a normal life. The program runs two main warehouses for relief items at PRCS’ HQ in Ramallah and in Gaza City, in addition to 16 smaller warehouses in all PRCS’ branches in the West Bank. This allows for swift interventions and a quick access to affected populations”.

ICRC is a key program partner while several National Societies also provide support to the program. IFRC, on the other hand, cooperates with PRCS to offer relief to populations affected by natural disasters.

45 587 families (308 183 individuals) have benefited from program services in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 2015. Assistance included relief items, shelters and rapid response to victims of floods and torrents.

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