icrc-annual-report-2013

with US government representatives emphasized the humanitarianneeds of internees at the US internment facility at the GuantanamoBay Naval Station in Cuba and concerns related to medical ethics,particularly during hunger strikes, as well as the US’ residualresponsibility for inmates previously in its custody. Althoughprogress remained slow owing to other government priorities, theICRC backed penitentiary reform efforts, including health careinitiatives, in Haiti. In El Salvador, it provided direct support andhelped mobilize international bodies to address problems relatedto poor living conditions in prisons.EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIAICRC operations focused on the needs of people affected by pastor low-intensity armed conflicts and ongoing violence, and ofvulnerable migrants. As the situation evolved, the organizationadapted its approach in some contexts.In Tajikistan, households affected by past clashes spurred theireconomic recovery through income-generating projects usingICRC grants. Medical supplies and training helped healthfacilities in affected areas handle emergency cases, while trainingin Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan prepared health professionals torespond to emergencies. Civilians in Armenia and Azerbaijanaffected by the unresolved Nagorny Karabakh conflict, and familiesin Georgia still recovering from the effects of past conflicts,developed/started livelihood activities with ICRC assistance.Water-supply and shelter rehabilitation projects also improved theirliving conditions and safety. Despite reducing and, in some cases,suspending its humanitarian activities in the northern Caucasus,the ICRC was still able to assist some of the most vulnerable peopleaffected by past conflicts. The beneficiaries included victims ofmines/explosives remnants of war, while technical and financialsupport helped governments/National Societies carry out mineawarenessand victim-assistance programmes in the Caucasus,Central Asia and the Western Balkans.of 4,603 people remaining unaccounted for in relation to theNagorny Karabakh conflict.In coordination with Movement partners, the ICRC sought todevelop dialogue with policy-makers in Europe and with regionalbodies regarding the situation of vulnerable migrants. It alsodisseminated information about the Movement’s family-linksservices. Movement meetings and peer-to-peer support betweenNational Societies helped strengthen such services for migrants;in Greece, the ICRC temporarily took over the implementation offamily-links activities from the Hellenic Red Cross.People detained/interned in 18 contexts, including migrants,people detained on security-related charges, and people held inEuropean countries under the authority of international tribunalsreceived ICRC visits. Drawing on ICRC technical support, theauthorities in Kyrgyzstan continued to facilitate TB screening andtreatment for inmates; meanwhile, those in Georgia sustained theimplementation of a primary health care programme in prisons,which was initiated with ICRC support in 2011.In the Western Balkans, the ICRC was able to reduce or phase outdirect support to several National Societies that had demonstratedtheir capacities to conduct humanitarian activities independently. Itprovided support to the Ukrainian Red Cross, which administeredfirst aid and evacuated the wounded after protests broke out inKiev in November.As a neutral intermediary, the ICRC helped people in Georgiaobtain medical treatment or reunite with family members acrossthe Abkhaz and South Ossetian administrative boundary lines.It facilitated family contact for POWs and civilian internees inArmenia and Azerbaijan, the repatriation of civilian interneesto Armenia and the recovery of human remains from theno-man’s-land.As part of its efforts to clarify the fate of missing persons, theICRC facilitated meetings of a working group in Kosovo 1 andSerbia, and of two coordination mechanisms involving Georgia,the Russian Federation and representatives of the de factoauthorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. A new workinggroup, in which it participated as an observer, paved the way forincreased coordination between Croatian and Serbian governmentrepresentatives on this issue. Dialogue within the frameworkof these mechanisms resulted in the recovery and identificationof human remains and their handover to the families for properburial. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the efforts of all concerned ledto the resolution of 649 cases of missing persons; however, over11,600 such cases remained unresolved throughout the WesternBalkans. In Armenia and Azerbaijan, preparations continuedfor DNA-sample collection from families to help clarify the fate1. UN Security Council Resolution 1244356 | ICRC ANNUAL REPORT 2013