Armed Conflicts: Stakeholders Seek Budgetary Allocations, More Volunteers For Red Cross

As armed conflicts and other natural disasters take their tolls on humanity, concerned stakeholders have called for a holistic action to curb the threat to world peace.

At a World Red Cross Day summit held at the Women Development Centre (WDC), IBB Way, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the particpants stressed the need for team work to salvage humanity from the burgeoning conflicts and wars threatening world peace.

Addressing the forum, Elder Sam Ikon, chairman of the state branch of the Red Cross, who spoke on the theme; “United in Humanity”, noted that the task of peace building remains everyone’s business and urged governments at all levels, citizens, corporate organisations and non-state actors to be in the vanguard of peace promotion.

He applauded Governor Umo Eno, for interventions in the areas of job creation, empowerments, health, essential infrastructures and other human – oriented policies and programmes aimed at dousing tensions and insulating citizens from conflict situations.

Hon. Ikon, whose term as chairman was on the verge of ending, listed his achievements to include assistance to 700 flood – affected families – 200 households in Ibesikpo Asutan, 300 in Ibeno, 200 in Eastern Obolo local government areas.

Besides, Ikon said during the era, skills and vocational empowerments were offered to the less – privileged drawn from eight LGAs with starter packs and disbursement of relief materials and health interventions programmes working in collaboration with the State government, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and several other intervention efforts to save humanity in dire need of salvation.

Stressing the need for advocacy to enhance awareness of Red Cross vision and mission, Ikon noted that “Many citizens are still unaware of the full range of Red Cross services,” and called for the expansion of public awareness and engagements as essential in the recruitment of volunteers.

In the same vein, the keynote speaker, Prince Idiong, a Development and Human Affairs Consultant, described the works of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, as enormous all over the world.

He therefore, extended his hands of fellowship for more volunteers to embrace the association’s effective interventions in conflict situations.

Also, he enjoined governments to devote percentage of their annual budget to funding the Red Cross and the Red Crescent as it’s done in the Scandinavian country of Norway and other advanced economies of the world

The State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, office of the State’s Head of Service, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, and other government agencies noted that the administration of Governor Eno, has intervened in the areas of free shelter to hundreds of less – privileged widows, the aged, orphans across the 31 LGAs.