Behind the scenes: The emergency campaigns for Libya & Morocco

In a world increasingly affected by natural disasters such as the recent earthquake in Morocco and the storm in Libya, rapid response to emergencies is crucial. Our Emergency Campaign is an example of efficient and coordinated action in times of crisis. Partner organizations tell their stories. But first I would like to summarize what exactly happened in the affected areas.

But how does a campaign like this work? In this article, I would like to present the planning, the objectives of the relief operation and the milestones achieved by our campaign.

Earthquake in Morocco: a disaster of historic proportions

The earthquake in Morocco is a profound tragedy. The fact that particularly remote and poorer areas have been hit the hardest emphasizes the importance of targeted aid measures and the provision of resources. In such times of crisis, it is of the utmost importance not only to share information, but also to actively provide support.

What happened in Morocco?

On the night of Saturday, November 9, 2023, a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 shook Morocco. This natural phenomenon, reported by Swiss Radio and Television (SRF), marks an unprecedented event in the country's history. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) confirms that it is the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Morocco.

Facts & figures about the earthquake

The effects of the earthquake are tragic. Thousands of people lost their lives and the destruction is widespread. Many people died, especially in the mountain villages of Morocco. According to reports in the NZZ, this is due to the geographical location of these villages and the greater poverty that led to delays in relief efforts in these remote regions. This illustrates how natural disasters often hit the most disadvantaged and least prepared communities the hardest.

An appeal for help

The situation in Morocco following the earthquake is an urgent reminder of the fragility of our lives and the need for global solidarity. Any form of support can make a difference, and it is crucial that the international community comes together to stand by the people affected during this difficult time.

The devastating storm in Libya: A battle against the forces of nature

The events in Libya remind us of the destructive power of nature and the vulnerability of human settlements. This tragedy clearly shows how important it is to respond quickly and effectively to natural disasters and to provide support. It also emphasizes the need to invest in preventive measures and in strengthening the resilience of communities to such events.

What happened in Libya?

On November 10, 2023, a massive storm hit northeastern Libya, a natural disaster of unimaginable proportions. Strong winds and heavy rainfall led to massive flooding, some of which washed away entire neighborhoods. This event is remarkable not only for its intensity, but also for the devastating impact it had on the population and infrastructure.

Facts & figures about the storm in Libya

The storm brought much suffering and destruction. According to the Swiss Red Cross, entire residential areas were destroyed by the floods. Unicef reports that around 11,300 people lost their lives in the masses of water. There are also numerous injured and many people are still missing today. These figures illustrate the scale of the disaster and the urgency of the help that is needed.

The tragedy & its impact

The storm in Libya poses an extraordinary challenge, not only in terms of the immediate rescue and relief operation, but also in terms of reconstruction and long-term support for the affected communities. The fact that so many people have lost their lives, are injured and many are still missing underlines the severity of this natural disaster.

The tragedy in Libya and its far-reaching effects highlight the importance of rapid and targeted relief efforts. In this critical phase, the partner organizations presented below and we as Raisenow have a key role to play, acting as a link between the need for rapid support and the implementation of effective measures to provide aid to those affected. In cooperation with our partner organizations, we initiate emergency campaigns aimed at providing support as quickly as possible. This network of helpers makes it possible to respond to an extraordinary challenge such as the storm in Libya with a coordinated and rapid response. The tragedy has not only necessitated immediate rescue and relief operations, but also underlines the importance of reconstruction and long-term community support. The staggering facts and figures about the storm in Libya highlight the scale of the disaster and the urgent need for aid.

In view of this urgency, we have launched our Emergency Campaigns, which are based on a well-structured and specialized team. In the following, I would like to present this campaign to you in detail.

Our emergency campaigns - support as quickly as possible

Our approach is based on a well-structured and specialized team with clearly defined roles. This ensures that every step of the campaign is implemented quickly and efficiently.

• Step 1: Decision-making & coordination with TWINT: The campaign starts with decision-making. We immediately contact TWINT to jointly assess whether an emergency spotlight can be launched. This decision is crucial, as it lays the foundation for further measures.
• Step 2: Contacting the organizations: Once the green light has been given, we contact targeted organizations from our predefined pool. These organizations meet specific criteria that ensure they are suitable for the emergency situation in question. An overview of these criteria can be found in our knowledge base article.
• Step 3: Act quickly for maximum impact: The primary goal of our emergency campaign is to get online as quickly as possible. The urgency to act quickly is underlined by the need to start collecting donations immediately. In crisis situations such as those in Morocco and Libya, every second counts in order to be able to provide aid as effectively as possible.

Review of the aid campaign: what we achieved together

Our recent emergency campaign in response to the earthquake in Morocco and the storm in Libya is a good example of effective emergency aid. Here we take a look at the donations achieved and the organizations involved.vThe campaign was a great success, with an impressive total donation volume (TPV) of CHF 843,216.23. This sum represents the generosity and commitment of donors to respond quickly to emergencies.

We were able to talk to some of our participating organizations, the SRC and the ICRC, to give you a deeper insight into what was achieved and how. Stay tuned!

Swiss Barakah Charity: Fast & targeted help

Swiss Barakah Charity was one of the first organizations to be ready for action. They were immediately involved in providing relief supplies, food and shelter to the affected families. Their continuous reporting, exemplified by a video on Instagram on 01.11.23, shows their ongoing commitment in Morocco.

UNICEF Switzerland & Liechtenstein: Focus on water & hygiene

UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein has shown specifically how the donations have been used. Their focus was on providing clean drinking water and sanitation facilities to prevent life-threatening diseases. They also distributed hygiene kits containing soap and water purification tablets.

Swiss Solidarity: Rapid response & impressive level of donations

Since the first hours after the earthquake, various Swiss Solidarity partner organizations such as Frieda, the feminist peace organization, have been tirelessly supporting the affected population by distributing water, blankets and tents. These organizations are doing everything they can to ensure access to the remote villages in the mountains that were hit particularly hard by the earthquake.

Thanks to the impressive solidarity of the Swiss population, Swiss Solidarity has now received over CHF 3 million for the affected population in Morocco.

Swiss Red Cross (SRC) & International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

The SRC helped in both Morocco and Libya. They supported the rescue teams and provided emergency shelter, psychological support, first aid, drinking water and food for those affected. An impressive video on their website shows how the SRC is helping in the affected countries.

The ICRC is a key pillar of international humanitarian aid, based on the principles of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. As an impartial and neutral organization, the ICRC focuses on protecting and supporting people affected by war and armed violence. To give you an even better look behind the scenes of the work of the SRC and the ICRC, we were allowed to ask the team a few more questions.

Our interview with the SRC/ICRC

RaiseNow: How would you describe your organization in a few sentences, what is your primary area of activity, what makes you special?

SRC/ICRC: The SRC and ICRC are part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (hereinafter: the Movement), the largest humanitarian network in the world. The Movement also includes the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (International Federation) and its 192 National Societies (including the SRC). All of the Movement's organizations are committed to protecting human life, health and dignity while adhering to the Movement's principles - above all impartiality, neutrality and independence.

The Swiss Red Cross (SRC) is the oldest and largest humanitarian organization in Switzerland. We are committed to helping people in need in the areas of health, integration and rescue. We are represented throughout Switzerland and are active in around 20 countries.

The ICRC supports people affected by armed conflict or other situations of violence around the world and works extensively to improve their situation and protect their lives and dignity, often in cooperation with Red Cross and Red Crescent partners. The ICRC also strives to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening international humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles.

The ICRC provides life-saving assistance in crisis situations, including the provision of food, water, sanitation, shelter and health care. The ICRC also helps to reunite families separated by conflict and to ensure the appropriate treatment of detainees through prison visits. The ICRC works closely with local people to understand their needs and provides its experience and knowledge to respond quickly, efficiently and impartially.

RaiseNow: How do you proceed in the event of an emergency? What is your internal procedure?

SRC/ICRC: When a disaster strikes, the SRC contacts the International Red Cross Federation and the Red Cross Society of the affected country to assess the needs and possible deployment of the SRC. What do people need most urgently now? How can we provide the most targeted help? While the relief operations are being set up, we take care of fundraising in Switzerland.

Responding to emergency situations is one of the ICRC's daily tasks. The organization strives to respond quickly and efficiently to help people affected by armed conflict, but also when disasters occur in conflict zones, because the impact of a disaster is magnified when a country is already at war. The ICRC coordinates emergency measures with the other partners of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The ICRC's role and activities depend on the nature of the situation. Operational command and response is coordinated within the Red Cross Movement and the IFRC. When a natural disaster occurs in an armed conflict, the ICRC will be proactive and take the lead. Teams will be deployed to the affected areas to conduct a needs assessment together with the communities. The assessment criteria for launching an emergency operation include, for example, local needs and operational relevance. After the assessment, the ICRC takes immediate action and asks for the support of its donors.

RaiseNow: How do you coordinate aid on the ground? How do you proceed in the countries?

SRC/ICRC: The SRC has a delegation on the ground in around 20 countries. If a disaster occurs in one of these countries, the delegation coordinates directly with the Red Cross or Red Crescent on the ground to provide the best possible assistance. If something happens in a country where we have no projects or delegations, we coordinate with the local Red Cross or Red Crescent via the International Federation - so we can provide aid as efficiently as possible.

The ICRC is active in over 100 countries and uses a systematic approach to coordinate aid on the ground in emergency situations. This includes assessing needs, working with local authorities and other organizations, mobilizing resources and deploying trained personnel to provide assistance. In a country affected by armed conflict or other situations of violence, the ICRC and the National Society of that country - the ICRC's main partner - coordinate their operational activities to ensure that the response to the needs of the affected communities is efficient and complementary.

Operational cooperation includes various activities such as the provision of first aid and health care, the distribution of food and the provision of other forms of humanitarian assistance, as well as the reunification of families. This type of cooperation may also include National Societies operating outside their own country in contexts where the ICRC is active. In this case, National Societies can contribute to ICRC operations:

• By carrying out their own projects in coordination with the National Society of the country concerned and other components of the Movement, including the ICRC -
• By collaborating on joint projects, providing complementary expertise and support
• By contributing financially to ICRC operations
• Through donations in kind
• Through the loan of personnel.

RaiseNow: Are there many volunteers or is it difficult to find supporters?

SRC/ICRC: Since the Red Cross was founded in 1863, volunteers have formed the backbone of the movement. In terms of volunteering, 14 million volunteers in 191 countries are involved in the Red Cross movement. Of these, 53 percent are women and 42 percent are young people. Together they form the largest volunteer network in the world. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in India, Iran, Japan and China have the highest number of volunteers.

The ICRC has a global network of supporters. These play an important role in various activities such as fundraising, advocacy and raising awareness of humanitarian issues. Essentially, the ICRC's supporters play a crucial role in mobilizing resources and public support for the organization's humanitarian mission.

RaiseNow: What specifically were you able to achieve with the donations generated during the Morocco/Libya emergency? How were they used? What was your focus?

SRC/ICRC: In Morocco, SRC experts were able to use the donations to provide emergency aid in the earthquake region. Many people have lost their homes or are afraid of aftershocks. We have therefore set up tents for them and insulated them for the winter. We are also informing the affected population about dangers and risks such as aftershocks and fires. In Libya, we provided financial support for the work of the ICRC, which has been working on the ground for some time.

The ICRC has been working with its partner, the Libyan Red Crescent Society (LRCS), to respond to humanitarian needs following the floods of September 10, 2023. Here you can find the more detailed report from October 15, 2023

RaiseNow: How successful is it for you to participate in a TWINT Emergency Spotlight Campaign compared to other measures?

SRC/IKRC: After our website redcross.ch, Twint has been the most successful way for us to collect donations. The average donation is lower on Twint than on the other channels, but this is compensated for by a high number of donors.

The Emergency Spotlight has proven to be a successful channel for the ICRC. We appreciate the quick set-up and response of the team/tool, which makes it easier for us to reach people directly. This makes it possible to generate income quickly.

RaiseNow: How long is an emergency supported and what are the factors that influence the "duration"?

SRC/ICRC: The first intensive emergency aid usually lasts three months. We constantly evaluate how great the needs of the people are, how quickly the aid is effective and which factors influence it. After a certain period of time, after one to two years at the latest, the emergency aid is completed and the next phase, reconstruction, begins. In some cases, a longer-term program will emerge.

RaiseNow: What happens if there are several emergency situations? Do you then have to prioritize?

SRC/IKRC: Unfortunately, it is hardly possible to respond to every single disaster. In every situation, we evaluate whether and how we can help or whether another organization might be better positioned.

Thank you for the interview!

Thank you for your valuable work

These results illustrate how important and effective quick and coordinated action is in crisis situations. Thanks to the joint efforts of all those involved, we were able to make a significant contribution to supporting the affected regions.

We would like to thank the participating organizations and are always impressed by what can be achieved together. Your work is of vital importance and represents great hope for many people.