icrc-annual-report-2013

treatment for worms. Prison staff learnt how to treat mentally illinmates from an ICRC expert.Federal and regional prison health officials, including some fromthe SRS, tackled the challenges faced by the prison health systemand identified solutions through a workshop organized by theFPA/ICRC. Following an assessment of the health and prisonauthorities’ capacity to curb the spread of TB, the ICRC studiedways to support an existing national TB-control programme in lieuof initiating a pilot project in two prisons.Over 10,000 inmates of nine regional prisons and some 13,000 atfederal prisons had healthier living conditions following improvementsto their water supply, sanitation, ventilation, and kitchen facilities.In Maychew regional prison, female detainees enjoyed greatersecurity following the completion of separate cells for them. At federalprisons, inmates and staff used fuel more efficiently after receivingfuel-saving stoves and training. ICRC-distributed household,hygiene and recreational items eased detainees’ living conditions.Training courses and donations of equipment further enhancedfederal prison authorities’ ability to maintain infrastructure. Inconsultation with the ICRC, Oromia prison managers reviewednew standards for prison design and construction.After their release, 49 detainees had their transport costs homecovered by the ICRC.WOUNDED AND SICKPeople with disabilities improve their prospects forreintegrationOver 7,700 patients, many of them wounded during armed conflictsor episodes of violence, received treatment at seven physical rehabilitationcentres supported by funding, materials, equipment, on-thejobsupervision and training from the ICRC. Their transport, foodand administrative costs were covered as well. Refugees and residentsin Ethiopia’s western border areas stood to benefit from threecentres being set up in Assosa, Gambella, and Nekemte. Besides providingphysiotherapy services and prosthetic/orthotic devices, staffat these centres assembled wheelchairs in accordance with internationalstandards. ICRC-distributed sport wheelchairs enabled membersof disabled people’s associations in Amhara and Tigray to playbasketball, which had a beneficial effect on their self-confidence.Twenty-three prosthetic/orthotic technicians, who graduated inMay from a nationally accredited three-year diploma course run bythe ICRC, returned to their respective regions, adding to the poolof skilled local personnel at centres in those areas. Twenty-fourstaff members were selected for introductory/advanced training.The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, with technical advicefrom the ICRC, continued to work on plans to implement anational physical rehabilitation strategy, which included establishinga training structure for prosthetic/orthotic technicians at anexisting college and developing a national supply chain for orthoticand prosthetic materials.AUTHORITIES, ARMED FORCES AND OTHER BEARERSOF WEAPONS, AND CIVIL SOCIETYAuthorities and community leaders familiarize themselveswith the ICRC’s mandate and workGaining access to conflict-affected communities in the SRS andto detainees at places of temporary detention required regulardialogue with the authorities (see Civilians and People deprived oftheir freedom) and members of civil society, to ensure their understandingof and gain their support for the ICRC’s neutral, impartialand independent humanitarian action. In violence-prone areasacross Ethiopia, more than 950 local figures of authority – religiousleaders, representatives of community-based organizationsand volunteers – learnt about IHL and the Movement at NationalSociety/ICRC dissemination sessions. Drawing on ICRC pressreleases, website updates and a consultative session organized withthe National Society, journalists published media features on variousevents, such as the ICRC president’s visit to Ethiopia and therevival of the national IHL committee.Authorities agree to revive national IHL committeeTo further their knowledge of IHL, mechanisms for its domesticimplementation and the Movement’s work, 45 federal parliamentariansand 40 representatives of federal ministries, along with350 judges and prosecutors, participated in seminars organized bythe ICRC or in cooperation with regional judicial training centres.Government officials added to their expertise in IHL implementationat seminars in Ethiopia and Kenya (see Nairobi). During aNational Society/ICRC-organized seminar, the authorities decidedto revive the national IHL committee – which was to be composedof 14 government institutions led by the Ministry of ForeignAffairs, with the Ethiopian Red Cross serving as the secretariat.Police forces take steps to incorporate international humanrights standards in training and operationsTo facilitate the incorporation of international human rightsstandards and humanitarian principles in their doctrine/training/operations, some 1,000 members of the federal and regional policeforces (including female officers) from across Ethiopia attendedtraining sessions organized jointly with the regional police trainingcentre. Instructors took train-the-trainer courses.Meanwhile, 125 members of the Ethiopian Air Force attended atraining course before their deployment to Sudan, to help ensurecompliance with IHL during peace-support missions.Universities help future decision-makers add to theirknowledge of IHLSome 500 senior law students and 50 instructors from five universitiesenhanced their understanding of IHL and their ability to doresearch on related subjects at dissemination sessions organizedjointly with their respective law faculties. To encourage furtherstudies, these institutions were also given IHL reference materials.Students demonstrated their knowledge of IHL during a nationalmoot court competition; a team of three students also took partin a regional moot court competition in the United Republic ofTanzania after being sponsored by the ICRC.RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT MOVEMENTNational Society raises public awareness ofMovement activitiesThe Ethiopian Red Cross worked with the ICRC to assist vulnerablecommunities, provide family-links services and promote IHLand humanitarian principles (see above). It reinforced its capacitiesin these areas with the help of ICRC training and financialand logistical support. It underwent a structural review and drewon ICRC expertise to improve its management, particularly inthe areas of human resources, logistics, monitoring and evaluation.It enhanced its ability to respond to emergencies through theacquisition of 60 ambulances imported with ICRC assistance, theETHIOPIA | 149