Intercross The Podcast

To mark World Humanitarian Day, in this episode podcast we have Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, Richard Albright. Within the US State Department, he’s responsible for humanitarian policy, advocacy and assistance programs, and directing nearly $2 billion US dollars for humanitarian response. The ICRC works with a lot of donors as a neutral and independent humanitarian organization which includes the United States through PRM. Mr. Albright has held many different titles around the world working for the US government. He has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations at the Department of Defense as well as roles as Coordinator for Economic and Development Assistance at U.S. Embassy Islamabad, Senior Humanitarian Coordinator at U.S. Embassy Baghdad, and as PRM’s Director for the Office of Asia and the Near East. We discuss humanitarian donorship, crisis response and th

More than 700,000 people have died from COVID worldwide—and that number goes up every day. Accompanying these deaths is grief, but the normal methods of mourning are often not available to family and loved ones. Memorials are held virtually, often those dying do so with only health care workers by their side. People are experiencing grief in different ways, many of which are unique to this moment in history. To discuss dealing with grief in a time of COVID, on this episode of the podcast we have Dr. Valerie Cole. Dr. Cole is a clinical psychologist and the Director of the Integrated Condolence Care Program at the American Red Cross. We discuss providing mental health support in disasters, and specifically pandemics, the American Red Cross’s new virtual family assistance center, and ways to deal with loss in this challenging time. Hosted by Niki Clark.

This year marks the 60th birthday of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For the last 25+ years, the country has been embroiled in conflict due to the massive refugee crisis and spillover from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The armed conflict and violence in the DRC has affected thousands of families and created a deteriorating humanitarian situation. Brutal clashes between groups has had very serious consequences for people: many have been killed, wounded, or traumatized, villages have been burned and fields destroyed and there has been massive population displacement. In addition to conflict, DRC has had to deal with pandemics, and not just COVID. In June, the country declared its eleventh Ebola outbreak since records began, following the revelation of new cases of Ebola in the northeast. This occurred less than two years since the last outbreak of the disease ended there. That outbreak ended up being the worst ever documented in DRC and the second-largest Ebola outbreak recorded anywhere. Of course, all of

In conflict and post-conflict contexts, access to assistance and protection is constantly contested, particularly for vulnerable populations such as the internally displaced. With the additional challenge of COVID19, this access is even more complicated, challenging the ability of humanitarian actors and creating second effects for those fleeing. In this episode of the podcast, a follow-up conversation from a recent Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and ICRC webinar, we are joined by NRC’s Central and West Africa Regional Director Maureen Magee and ICRC’s Global Advisor on Internal Displacement Angela Cotroneo. We discuss the interplay between COVID19 and armed conflicts and the resulting double crisis, how humanitarian organizations are adapting to ensure they can continue to reach IDPs and durable solutions going forward. Hosted by Austin Shangraw.

Mali sits in the middle of West Africa, with most of the country situated within in the Sahel desert. It is a key operation for the ICRC, where we’ve worked since 1982 and held a delegation since 2013—falling typically within the top 15 largest global operations budget-wise, and top 5 in Africa. Since 2012, the country has experienced escalated conflict and a resulting dire humanitarian situation. In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Jean Nicolas Marti, the outgoing head of delegation in Mali and Judith Oputu, ICRC’s Diplomatic Advisor for Africa. We speak about the continuing instability, conflict dynamics, and operational impacts as well as diplomatic interventions and why the situation continues to deteriorate despite efforts. We also discuss the implications of a global pandemic on an already precarious situation and COVID19 policy efforts in country as well as the exacerbating effects of climate change in the Sahel, and the policy work and conversations trying to mitigate the results. Hosted

To say that COVID19 has had global reaching impacts is an understatement. But for those living in Syria, the pandemic reaches the country at a time when ten years of destructive conflict has led to mass population displacement, and a once strong health system is in a precarious state. Half of all health facilities are now out of service or partially functioning. The country has experienced an economic decline as a consequence of the conflict, sanctions, and a regional downturn generating further hardship for many vulnerable Syrians. On this, our 100th episode of the Podcast, we are joined by Issa Ahmed Dahir, the hospital project manager at the Al Hol camp. The camp, in the North East of Syria, currently holds around 65,000 people, the majority of whom are children and women. We discuss the challenges facing Syria’s health systems in the time of COVID, what it’s like not only serving on the surgical frontlines in one of the world’s most dire situations but to also lead a team of 200+ others in such a situatio

Each year, armed conflict disrupts millions of lives. It also disrupts the infrastructure that makes daily life possible, such as damage to water supplies. The protracted conflict in Libya, now going on 9+ years, has made clean water a luxury for many. Close to 70 % of the Libyan population depends on the Man Made River, a gigantic water supply pipeline that draws water from the aquifers in the south of the country and brings it up north. Even before the added complexity of COVID, the tasks at hand were enormous, and the resources, shrinking. In this episode of the podcast, we have Hamza Oun, a water and sanitation engineer with the ICRC in Tripoli, Libya. Hamza is part of the ICRC field team responding to the Covid-19 pandemic in Libya, leading disinfection campaigns for Internal Displaced Persons shelters. We discuss the current situation, the additional challenge a global pandemic has created, and how there is hope in Hamza’s new Chlorine app, which allows people to take matters into their own hands. We al

International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. In non-global epidemic times, nurses and medical workers make up the backbone of our country’s health care system. But particularly in this age, their role has been nothing short of critical. In this episode of the podcast, we have Linda MacIntyre, the chief nurse of the American Red Cross. She heads up a network of some 16,000+ nurses and other health professionals, both volunteers and staff who bring relief to disaster victims, work in military hospitals, and collect lifesaving blood. We discuss a little of the history of nursing at the American Red Cross, bring it forward to the role of nurses today and how they are helping on the frontlines of COVID. We also hear from Jaime Burgoyne, an emergency nurse with the Canadian Red Cross who was deployed to assist Canadian travelers quarantined after returning from Wuhan, China. Hosted by Niki Clark.

By 2030, it is estimated that up to two-thirds of the world’s extreme poor will live in countries characterized by fragility, conflict, and violence. The global fragility landscape has worsened significantly: There are now more violent conflicts globally than at any time in the past 30 years, and the world is also facing the largest forced displacement crisis ever recorded. As these numbers increase, addressing them becomes even more mission-critical for the World Bank Group, which has been supporting development efforts in such settings countries since its origin in the post-conflict reconstruction of Europe after World War II. In this episode of the podcast, we have Franck Bousquet, the World Bank’s Senior Director for Fragility, Conflict and Violence, a position he has held since July 2017. As Senior Director, Franck mobilizes expertise and supports operational teams across the Bank in close collaboration with humanitarian-development-peace partners. He’s also led the development of the World Bank Group’s

More than 175,000 people in the United States have recovered from COVID19. Once a person recovers, his or her blood contains antibodies in its plasma that can possibly fight the virus. Those antibodies can be obtained from a donor’s blood and given to a severely ill patient via transfusion. The hope is that these antibodies can help patients recover. The use of convalescent plasma—or plasma extracted from those recovering from a certain illness—has a long history, dating back even to the Spanish Flu in 1918 and used more recently in patients with polio, measles, and SARS. In late March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new initiative to collect plasma from those who have recovered, partnering with the America Red Cross to help identify prospective donors and manage the distribution of these products to hospitals treating patients in need. In this special World Red Cross Red Crescent Day episode, we speak with both George Tzagournis, a recent convalescent plasma donor, and Dr. Erin Goodh

The Coronavirus is having an impact on absolutely every element of our lives. For people living in war-zones, the virus is just one more threat when you’re already dealing with so much suffering. Faced with immediate threats to life, such as gunfire, shelling and bombings, and lack of life-saving health care, it’s a real challenge to prioritize how you’re going to deal with it all. So with this episode, we are starting a new series of shorts that hear from different ICRC delegations and focus on how a global pandemic affects some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. We’ll begin with a look at the threat of a new pandemic entering detention centers, where once inside, it is very difficult to contain. Hosted by Niki Clark.

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we discuss Lake Chad. Situated in north-west Africa, what is known as the Lake Chad region – Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Chad – has been ripped apart by conflict. Civilians are regular subject to direct and/or indiscriminate attacks, including bombings in populated areas, as well as sexual violence, forced recruitment, and abductions. Over 2.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes, while millions more are in need of food, water, shelter and access to health care. We are joined by Patrick Youssef, ICRC’s Deputy Regional Director of Africa and discuss the region’s chronic fragility and the impact on communities after a decade of violence. In addition, we chat about the shortage of health care workers (1.3% of the world's total) on a continent that experiences 25% of the global disease burden. Patrick first joined the ICRC in 2005 and has worked in contexts as varied as Chad, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. He was the deputy head of operations for the Near and Midd

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we sit down with Massimo Marelli, Head of Data Protection Office for the ICRC. Massimo discusses how the ICRC approaches data protection and why this is a vital aspect of the ICRC’s humanitarian action in an increasingly digitally-connected world. He provides an overview of the ICRC’s data protection policies, such as the ICRC Rules on Personal Data Protection and the ICRC Policy on the Processing of Biometric Data, and highlights how the ICRC developed and implements these policies. Massimo also previews the new technologies and themes that will be examined in the updated Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action, which is set for release later this year. Hosted by Austin Shangraw.

After a couple of months break, Intercross the Podcast is back. And we are returning with quite a compelling conversation. Our guest, Esperanza Martinez, ICRC’s head of health, first spoke with us back in November 2017. She joined the ICRC in 2001, then worked for other organizations (UN and donor agencies as well as the private sector) before undertaking her current role in the ICRC’s headquarters in Geneva in 2015. She is a medical doctor and general surgeon trained in Colombia, specialized in integrative medicine and international public health and with hands-on humanitarian experience in countries such as Colombia, Kosovo, Angola, East Timor, Nepal. In her current role, she oversees health operations across 80 countries. We talk about the consequences of conflict on health, the challenges of increasing humanitarian needs coupled with a shrinking workforce and dealing with coronavirus in an age of high human mobility. Hosted by Niki Clark.

From December 4-12 2019, the Statutory Meetings of the Red Cross and Red Crescent will bring together Red Cross and Red Crescent leaders from virtually every country in the world, as well as the International Federation, and the ICRC. Collectively known as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, it is the world’s largest and oldest humanitarian network, consisting of 192 National Societies, more than one million members and 14 million volunteers worldwide. Also joining the meetings are States Parties to the Geneva Conventions of 1949. Together they discuss and tackle today’s most pressing humanitarian issues, as well as set the future direction of the Movement. In this episode of the podcast, we have Celine Leonet, ICRC’s Cooperation Delegate in Washington. We discuss the history of the meetings, some of the themes to be addressed there—including the future of International Humanitarian Law, the humanitarian consequences of climate shocks and hazards, and the impact of declining trust on humani

December 3rd is the International Day of People with Disabilities. Celebrated globally since 1992, this year’s theme is "The Future is Accessible," meaning that we must all, together, look towards a future where the barriers which stand in people’s way no longer exist. According to the World Bank, one billion people, or 15% of the world's population, experience some form of disability, and disability prevalence is higher for developing countries. One-fifth of the estimated global total, or between 110 million and 190 million people, experience significant disabilities. In this episode of the podcast, we have Michael Rosenkrantz, Program Director of the Desert Ability Center, a nonprofit based in the Coachella Valley, California and whose mission to provide greater access to resources for people living with a disability by using sports as an entrée point to help them achieve their dreams. Previously, he has worked in India, Nepal, Arizona, and North Carolina. He also serves as a coaching consultant for the ICR

Since September 1, the ongoing fighting between armed groups has forced large numbers of people in Birao, in the north-east of the Central African Republic, to flee their homes. More than 25,000 people – almost the entire population of the town – were forced to flee empty-handed in a matter of hours to makeshift camps, leaving behind homes that have either been ransacked or burnt down. In addition to conflict it faces, the Central African Republic is identified as the most at-risk country in terms of population growth and climate vulnerability. In this episode of the podcast, we have Valérie Petitpierre, the ICRC Head of Delegation in the Central African Republic since 2018. She has worked in the ICRC since 2004 in such varied contexts as Israel and the Occupied Territories, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Yemen. We are also joined by Alejandra Portillo-Tayor, ICRC’s Policy Associate. Hosted by Niki Clark.

With armed conflicts taking place in so many parts of the Muslim world, the Islamic law of war is as indispensable as ever for the protection of civilians and others. Over the centuries, classical Muslim jurists have provided impressive legal literature, which, just as international humanitarian law (IHL), brings humanity in war. Emphasizing the universality of IHL’s principles, which transcend legal traditions, civilizations, and cultures, is absolutely essential for improving respect and protection for victims of armed conflict in the Muslim world. In this episode of the podcast, we have Dr. Ahmed Al-Dawoody, the Legal Adviser for Islamic Law and Jurisprudence at the ICRC. We speak about the intersection of international humanitarian law and Islamic law on operational impacts, including the management of the dead and the protection of children. Hosted by Niki Clark.

The war in Syria has lasted more than eight years and has led to massive destruction and loss of life. The human cost of this conflict is widely considered, in fact, without historical precedent among civil wars. Increasingly, there is doubt that the conflict will reach a resolution or political settlement anytime in the near future, resulting in a growing fatigue and frustration across the international community. This frustration has triggered an appetite among States, civil society and the international community for finite and concrete measures that can contribute to greater protection and compliance with international law. From this, a number of innovative protection responses have emerged to protect cultural heritage in the conflict which has engulfed Syria and spread to Iraq. In this episode of the podcast, we have Polina Levina from the United Nations in Geneva speaking in her personal capacity as well as our our Forum guest host Ellen Policinski. Hosted by Niki Clark.

On this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we are joined by Julie Arrighi, the Urban Manager and ICRC Partnership Lead at the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre. This year, the ICRC, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre, and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) are hosting a global policy roundtable series on “Climate Risk, Conflict, and Resilience,” with the objectives of better understanding the intersection of climate and conflict risk, examining the implications for humanitarian and development responses, and elevating the voices of people affected by the “double vulnerability” of climate and conflict risk. Join us as we discuss the main themes and takeaways from the roundtable series, the work of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre, and the climate-related happenings at the 2019 UN General Assembly week. Hosted by Austin Shangraw.