icrc-annual-report-2013

CONTEXTPresident Hugo Chávez was re-elected in the Bolivarian Republicof Venezuela (hereafter Venezuela), but was unable to begin hisfourth term owing to illness, and passed away on 5 March. NicolásMaduro won the presidential election held on 14 April; the oppositioncontested the results, and the ensuing protests led to casualtiesand arrests.Despite some reforms initiated by Maduro’s administration and theholding of municipal elections in December, economic and socialinstability persisted. The Venezuelan armed forces, particularly theNational Guard, were increasingly involved in law enforcementoperations alongside the police.Residents of Venezuela’s border states continued to feel the spillovereffects of the Colombian conflict (see Colombia). Many ofthese communities also hosted Colombians who had crossed overfrom conflict-affected areas.The States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) continuedto cope with high crime rates, violence in urban areas and theeffects of the global economic crisis. In an effort to curb crime,Trinidad and Tobago announced plans to grant the militarypowers similar to those of the police; the proposed legislation didnot pass the Senate vote.Migration remained an important concern, particularly in theBahamas and Belize, which were key transit countries for migrantsbound for the United States of America.ICRC ACTION AND RESULTSTensions and violence having increased, particularly in Venezuela,the Caracas regional delegation focused on supporting the region’sNational Societies in boosting their emergency response capacities.Training in first aid and the Safer Access Framework preparedthem to respond to the humanitarian consequences of social unrestand violent protests and, in Venezuela, to help residents of bordercommunities cope with the spillover effects of the Colombian conflict.The Venezuelan Red Cross organized medical brigades withmaterial/financial/logistical support from the ICRC, providingbasic health care to Colombian nationals who had fled fighting intheir home regions and to inhabitants of remote communities withlimited access to essential services.In Venezuela, dialogue and coordination with civilian and militaryauthorities proved challenging owing to changes related to thepolitical situation, but progress was made in disseminating IHLand other applicable legal norms among the armed and policeforces. The ICRC conducted training in these norms for armedforces and militia units stationed in border states and equippedVenezuelan army instructors to teach IHL. Such training alsomade headway in the CARICOM countries, particularly Belize andTrinidad and Tobago.Contacts with Venezuelan detention authorities were disruptedfollowing administrative changes at facilities previously visited byICRC delegates; as a result, visits to people held in these placeswere discontinued. Efforts to regain access to detainees have notsucceeded as of year-end.States ratifying the Arms Trade Treaty and eight others signing it.During a meeting in Trinidad and Tobago of national IHL committeesfrom the Commonwealth of Nations (Commonwealth),representatives of participating CARICOM States discussed thedomestic implementation of IHL.By fostering greater interest in and understanding of IHL-relatedand humanitarian issues among journalists and academics, theICRC helped to raise public awareness of these matters and of itsown role and activities. Coordination among Movement partnersenabled them to share operational experiences and mutual concerns,ensuring a coherent humanitarian response.CIVILIANSOn arrival in Venezuela, people who had fled the conflict inColombia received primary health care services and orientationto help them cope with their cross-border displacement. Thosewith critical health conditions or in need of specialized treatmentwere evacuated/referred to medical facilities. Around 300 peoplewho fled fighting in the Catatumbo region in Norte de Santander,Colombia, and took refuge in the Venezuelan state of Zulia forthree weeks, and other Colombians who crossed the border intothe Alto Apure and Guajira districts were among those who benefitedfrom such assistance, which was provided by local branchesof the Venezuelan Red Cross with material/financial support fromthe ICRC.A total of 10 communities in the districts of Guasdualito (Apurestate) and Maracaibo (Zulia state), which hosted many Colombiannationals, boosted their capacities to deal with outbreaks of violenceor other emergencies through first-aid training for 29 residents;they were also provided first-aid kits and medical supplies. Some300 people living in remote areas in Apure, whose access to basicservices was restricted by the presence of armed groups, receivedmedical consultations from health brigades organized by the localVenezuelan Red Cross branch with ICRC logistical support.Joint National Society/ICRC field missions to the border states ofAmazonas, Apure, Táchira and Zulia identified the humanitarianneeds of the people living there, including those arising from thespillover effects of the Colombian conflict; the findings served asa basis to plan further humanitarian activities. In parallel, dialoguewith armed/security forces units deployed along the border withColombia emphasized internationally recognized standards on theuse of force, thus helping prevent/minimize humanitarian consequencesduring violent incidents (see Authorities, armed forces andother bearers of weapons, and civil society).In Jamaica, 86 children living in violence-affected Kingston neighbourhoodscontinued to have opportunities for informal/alternativeeducation at the Jamaica Red Cross School, which started receivingICRC funding in 2012. The school’s administration conducted abaseline survey of students’ and parents’ attitudes to violence, witha view to strengthening the violence-mitigation components of itscurriculum.The ICRC’s efforts to promote the ratification and implementationof key IHL treaties contributed to four CARICOM member436 | ICRC ANNUAL REPORT 2013