Iceland review - 2014, Page 72

70 ICELAND REVIEW
SoCietY
ing of clothes donated by the public in
second-hand stores in iceland. Clothes—
around 1,600 tons last year alone—are
also sent abroad to those in need.
The icelandic red Cross has also
long sent delegates to work abroad. We
are currently cooperating on projects
in the Caucasus; Palestine; afghanistan;
Malawi; Somalia; Sierra leone, where we
have two specialists working on helping
to prevent the spread of ebola; in South
Sudan, where an icelandic nurse is treat-
ing wounds of war; and in Belarus work-
ing on anti-trafficking initiatives.
ZR: What is driving the demand for
the Red Cross’ services here in Iceland?
Ho: This is connected to the changes in
icelandic society, the change from being
a society of farmers and fishermen to a
modern society with an aging population.
and the work we do abroad, in for exam-
ple Palestine and South Sudan, is part of
our global commitment. i think the fact
that people come to the red Cross for
services also has to do with our history.
The icelandic red Cross turns 90 this
year. The red Cross is very visible here,
it’s very close to people, and there is a lot
of trust in it as an institution and in that
we provide good services.
ZR: Have there been any changes in
the types of services the Red Cross has
been offering since the economic crash
in 2008?
Ho: Both yes and no. We have managed,
bit by bit, to work our way through the
difficult times. We don’t have as large
funds as before but nevertheless we have
tried to economize and find a way to
offer the same services as we did before.
However, it was unavoidable that the
crash would have an impact because [the
value of] our funding was halved due to
the currency collapse. as a result, many
of our projects abroad had to be scaled
down, so it all has an impact.
ZR: What is the largest emergency that
the Red Cross has had to respond to in
Iceland?
Ho: Well, there was of course the erup-
tion in vestmannaeyjar (the Westman
islands) [in 1973]. Many people from
the red Cross assisted with that. Then
there was also the eyjafjallajökull and
vatnajökull [Grímsvötn] eruptions in
South iceland [in 2010 and 2011, respec-
tively]. Unfortunately, we are also being
called out two, three, four times a month
to provide psychological support. Just
this week [in mid-July], we had to pro-
vide counseling at a school and to tourists
who were in a bus accident. These are the
types of situations that come up about
once a week, and when that happens we
have to open our service somewhere and
speak with people. This has also changed
and is growing fast with the growth in
tourism.
ZR: What specifically is the role of the
Red Cross during a disaster in Iceland?
Ho: We can put it like this: iCe-Sar
search and rescue workers find the peo-
ple and bring them to the red Cross.
The red Cross then receives them and
provides them with food, clothing, shel-
ter and, when necessary, psychological
support. in terms of providing shelter,
we might have to clear a building, for
example a school or a church, which we
then need to transform into a temporary
shelter. our job is also to ensure that
there are blankets, sleeping bags, food,
water and the other basics that people
need. it’s also very important that the
red Cross keeps a record of who has
arrived at the site—their names, where
they are from—so we know straight away
if someone is missing. This is the legally
defined role of the red Cross during a
disaster.
ZR: There are currently around 3,000
volunteers in Iceland. How does that
compare to other countries?
Ho: it’s very similar, perhaps slight-
ly more [proportionally] than in other
countries. Because it’s such a small com-
munity here in iceland, it’s perhaps a lit-
tle easier to recruit volunteers. icelanders
tend to join together when something
terrible happens and both give money
and ask whether there is something they
can do to help. This is something that i
feel is part of the national character.
ZR: What are the biggest challenges for
the Red Cross working in Iceland? Are
they the same challenges that the Red
Cross faces in other Nordic countries?
Ho: no, they are not the same as in
other countries. Firstly, the disaster pre-
paredness function is not the same every-
where. in a country where volcanic erup-