Jonglei: Red Cross launches ‘membership drive’
January 22, 2012 (BOR) – In order to build the capacity of national society to respond quickly to several emergencies in Jonglei state, the South Sudan Red Cross on Sunday called for the registration of more members.
The Director of the Red Cross in Jonglei State, David Gai, told Sudan Tribune in Bor that their 240 volunteers across the 11 counties in Jonglei are not enough to respond to emergencies.
Over the last month, cattle raiding and revenge attacks have affected around 120,000 people in Jonglei, according to the UN.
There are only 50 paying members registered in Jonglei, Gai said. A member pays an annual subscription fee of 10 South Sudanese Pounds.
The state director said the lack of members meant the South Sudan Red Cross was slow to react and ineffective.
“We were not able to respond on time to assist the people in Duk Padiet last week partly due to lack of resources,” Gai said.
“We are launching the membership drive today and urges all the communities in Jonglei to register for the benefit of the people,” he says.
“There are non food item but these [items] cannot reach Duk county since we have no cars,” he added.
Overstretched by the Luo Nuer-Murle fighting in Jonglei state, Gai called on the state government and international humanitarian bodies to assist the body.
“We call upon the government of Jonglei state to assist us [Red Cross] with trucks to help on taking non-food items to Duk Padiet,” he says.
Duk Padiet is “most affected as huts were burnt to ashes and the people are exposed to extreme weather,” he says.
A member of Jonglei state assembly, Abiel Chan, says 300 huts were burnt and 20,000 people are displaced mostly to swampy areas where there is no access to basic needs such food and medicine.
South Sudan created the Red Cross organisation after independence from Sudan in July 2011 as the national humanitarian organisation, replacing the Sudanese Red Crescent. In Jonglei state, the Red Cross says it has reached hundreds of people affected by inter-tribal feuds in recent months.
The “membership drives” is open to all people, including foreigners, in Jonglei state without age limit from seven years and above, Gai said.
In a booklet outlining the calls for more members, the South Sudanese Red Cross says that a registered member will be able to play an active role in responding to emergencies and have a vote on the Governing Board among others.
(ST)