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The flood disaster that befell our communities in the North-West and North-Eastern parts of our country earlier this year could have reached catastrophic proportions has it not been for the assistance and intervention by members of the public and the business community. It is against this background that I wish to applaud the business community for their continued support to the humanitarian work of the Namibia Red Cross Society, which has in turn changed the lives of many community affected by poverty and disease. Ladies and gentlemen, the network of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, with their 97 million extra ordinarily dedicated volunteers, present in every corner of the world are often the first on the spot when disasters strikes, as well as the last to leave. I believe that the Namibia Red Cross is one of those strong and committed national societies which has since its establishment been able to step in and assist the poorest including those living in the most inaccessible areas and completely out of reach due to poor roads and lucking basic infrastructure. Master of Ceremony, the Namibia Red Cross Society being auxiliary to the Namibian government, has been responding to disasters and crises for over 16 years. Responding to annual floods in the northern parts of the country and other natural disasters, horrific accidents on our roads, assisting those infected and affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, giving social assistance to the vulnerable members of our society such as orphans and the elderly as well as reuniting families separated by wars and conflicts in their countries, NRCS has done a great deal over the years in its programme and service delivery to the most vulnerable nationwide. It will be recalled that during the beginning of this year, Namibia experienced heavy flooding that paralyzed several parts of the country, destroying roads and leaving thousands without shelter and food after all their crops were left submerged. More than 200 000 people were affected by the flood, while 65, 000 were displaced. In all these circumstances, the Namibia Red Cross staff and volunteers worked around the clock with dedication and commitment to provide relief services to the most vulnerable. The national society and its national and international partners like you dispatched thousands of relief items such as tents, blankets, mosquito nets, water makers, jerry cans, bar soaps, plastic buckets, kitchen sets, tarpaulins, clothes and tons of food that was distributed to the affected communities. It is really inspiring to see the response of members of the Namibian public to the plight of their fellow men and women. The impact of the floods and other disasters and challenges facing the nation cannot be tackled by government alone. The participation of development partners and other stakeholder is very important and the spirit of togetherness and joining of hands shown during the flood relief operation should be applauded and maintained at all times. Keep up the spirit of supporting; we salute your commitments and dedication. I hope your generous support will be the first of the many to help the organization to run even more effectively in the future because we need more like them. As Namibians we have to make long-term commitments and always be prepared for disasters and minimize the risks of future disasters. We all have the responsibility to help not only times of a crisis but also before it happens, that will truly make the difference. It is indeed this that will truly make the difference. I know that the Society can continue to count on your support over the next years and the government of the Republic of Namibia is looking forward to working with you all to achieve that goal. I thank you. |
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I am deeply
honored to have been invited to this important occasion
today, because I am one of those people who greatly admire
the work of the Red Cross movement in Namibia in particular
and throughout the world. Firstly may I commend the Namibia
Red Cross Society for convening this important gathering of
a diverse group of deeply committed people and organizations
from all walks of life for a common goal of improving human
dignity.