Empress Shôken Fund: helping national societies respond today, plan for tomorrow

In 2009, the Empress Shôken Fund will grant more than 148,000 Swiss francs (US$130,000 USD/€98,000) to four projects carried out by Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies on four continents.

The awarded projects range from healthcare in the Comoros Islands, community-based risk reduction in Panama, cultural orientation of migrants in Malta and strengthened financial systems in Kazakhstan.

Preparing for disasters in Panama

In the DRR field, the awarded project comes from Panama. There, the local Red Cross Society has responded to many disasters in recent years, including floods, landslides and earthquakes. The humanitarian impact of such disasters is compounded by a high population density in urban areas, poor territorial planning and persistent social and economic problems.

In an effort to save lives as well as livelihoods by ensuring that communities are aware of the risks that they face, and are prepared to respond to their own needs as well as those of neighbouring communities, the Red Cross is initiating an education programme on disaster preparedness and risk reduction. The programme will include learning how to assess vulnerabilities and capacities, school protection workshops and disaster response courses for the community.