Who is the woman? [originaltext]M: Today we welcome Alvaro Solomou, one of the 1

M: Today we welcome Alvaro Solomou, one of the 1, 200 relief workers with the ICRC, who is going to talk about the ICRCS approach to giving assistance. Welcome to the programme, Alvaro.
W: Hello, thank you for inviting me.
M: Alvaro, can you tell us about how the ICRC assists victims of famine and drought, and other natural disasters?
W: Well, we should remember that all too often natural disasters happen in areas where there’ s already some other sort of problems, such as economic crisis, or a period of political instability. We’ re the only agency to get through the front lines and deliver aid to where it’ s most needed. We usually offer tents, water, and sanitation kits to the refugees. Where necessary, we charter helicopter to get supplies to villages in remote areas. Winter survival packs contain the best combination of food, blankets and plastic sheeting needed to get a refugee family through the winter.
M: I imagine that different contexts also create extra problems, how’s that done?
W: We use what’ s called the ’ Assistance Pyramid’. This establishes that preference must be given in any relief situation to the foundations of the pyramid, in other words, to food, water, and essential goods, before anything else is done.
M: What about health care? Isn’t that a priority?
W: Hygiene and medical care take second and third places in the pyramid.
M: Does the ICRC only assist when there’ s a crisis?
W: No, not at all. In fact, in recent years it has been the policy to provide help in developing countries once a crisis has passed, or even before one has occurred.
M: How’s that actually done?
W: Well, for example, the ICRC identifies priorities in a region in order to provide the best possible assistance.
M: Isn’ t it true that millions of people across the world have difficulties gaining access to water?
W: Oh yes, that’ s absolutely true, and of course in many places the water that’ s available is actually extremely unhealthy, and may carry waterborne disease. The ICRC has a programme of assistance which includes construction, engineering and providing access to water, along with hygiene and environmental protection, thus ensuring that water is clean and safe to use.
M: Is it dangerous working for the ICRC?
W: Well, in any crisis situation there’ re dangers, but all of us are strongly motivated by humanitarian work, hopefully we can all cope with stress and the pressures which are bound to exist.
M: Alvaro, thank you for giving us such an interesting insight into the work of the ICRC.