(WAM) — Dr. Fawzi Amin, Head of the International Federation of the Red Cross delegation, IFRC, and Red Crescent Societies in the Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC, said that the Red Crescent societies in GCC perform a tremendous role in supporting national, regional and global efforts to combat the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic, indicating that the IFRC recorded many positive practices by these societies.

“Although the pandemic presented an uncommon and emerging challenge to the theories and applications of relief and humanitarian work, the GCC’s Red Crescent societies were able to provide a prompt response and the efforts of the societies had a significant impact in reducing the negative effects of the pandemic,” Dr. Amin added.

He drew attention to the various initiatives undertaken by GCC’s Red Crescent Societies, including volunteering initiatives to support the health sector and fulfil its urgent needs, distributing in-kind aid, spreading awareness about the virus and precautionary measures to prevent it, organising blood donation campaigns, and providing financial support for global relief efforts.

“Many of the GCC’s Red Crescent societies made generous donations to the IFRC and the Red Crescent, which supported it to improve the provided services around the world in light of coronavirus crisis. Most of the GCC’s Red Crescent societies assumed their full responsibility in preparing quarantine places and food catering especially to foreign labour,” Dr. Amin confirmed.

The Head of the IFRC delegation pointed out that the GCC Red Crescent societies have accelerated their steps towards the use of modern technology in their relief and humanitarian work, by providing more electronic channels to communicate with the public, collecting and providing donations, and other aspects of providing relief and humanitarian services.

“These societies continue their work and activities. All the routine tasks that the societies carry out, such as first aid training and natural disasters’ preparedness and training and many others, are related to the coronavirus crisis, so these societies continued to provide volunteers, training them and building their capabilities. In the event of a disaster, it becomes important to provide volunteers to the responsible government agencies.” Dr. Amin explained.