ReliefWeb

Overview

In line with Strategy 2020 of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Moldova Red Cross Strategic Plan 2010-2015, the priority directions that the National Society established for 2012 were the following:

• Disseminate humanitarian values and fundamental principles of the Movement.

• Implement anti-trafficking programme, including promoting social cohesion and addressing discrimination and exclusion.

• Increase preparedness and response capacities to respond to disasters, working with authorities and local communities.

• Provide social and health support to older people (visiting nurses program).

• Enhance volunteer capacities.

It was recognised that the Moldova Red Cross needed to further improve the sustainability of its programmes, mainly through building closer partnership relations with state authorities, national state enterprises and corporate sector, and through promoting commercial First Aid training courses as the obvious means to reduce the dependence on external donors.

The year 2012 was important for Moldova Red Cross in terms of strengthening the National Society’s legal basis. The new governance bodies have been elected by the XIX General Assembly in August 2012. The General Assembly adopted the Strategy for the next 5 years and amended the Statutes of the Moldova Red Cross which as later registered at the Ministry of Justice of Moldova Republic.

The main challenge that the country faced in 2012 was the combined impacts of poor rainfall and extremely high temperatures. The State Hydro-Meteo Service (SHS) reported that temperatures in June-July were 3.7-5.1 C° higher than annual averages and the number of days with maximum air temperature higher than 30 degrees was 39-62. (the norm is being 8-27 days). The surface water flow reduced by 30-50 % compared to the multiannual average. As a result Moldova suffered one of the most severe droughts in the recent history which caused huge reductions in yields and crop failure. Maize yields declined by 59% and sunflower yields declined by 53% compared to the multiannual average.

Although at the aggregated national level, the impact of the 2012 drought seemed to be less severe than the one of 2007, the impact of the 2012 drought appeared to be more intense in the southern and central parts of the country.

In September 2012 the Moldova Red Cross Society requested the Federation Europe Zone Office to support in assessing the situation caused by the drought. The International Federation assisted the Moldova RC in organising a drought assessment in early October 2012. The main objective of the assessment was to verify whether and to what extent the drought would affect the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of the society.

The needs of the target vulnerable groups were addressed by the National Society through the implementation of several humanitarian projects, supported by the International Federation and the Swiss Red Cross during 2012.