Kate Forbes Speaks of Importance of Humanitarian Aid and IHL During ARCAN Webinar

By Roger Lowe, ARCAN Board Member and CoChair of the Communications and Marketing Committee

Kate Forbes, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), called on all parts of the Movement – societies, staff, volunteers and alumni – to become more active in talking about the importance of humanitarian assistance and international humanitarian law at a time of rising challenges across the world.

Speaking to more than 100 people in a webinar hosted by the American Red Cross Alumni Network (ARCAN,) Kate said she believes that the Red Cross is too quiet about what it does, too quiet about the importance of international humanitarian law and too quiet about its global impact, which is more than any other organization.

She urged current and former Red Crossers – staff and volunteers – to speak at schools and community events about humanitarian issues, international humanitarian law, the work of the Red Cross, and the need for lifesaving assistance in so many places across the world.

Kate, who has more than 40 years of experience with the Red Cross and Red Crescent, was elected IFRC President in December 2023; she is the second woman to hold this position.

She said that in the years ahead, a big challenge will be keeping pace with the growing humanitarian need, including food insecurity and access to safe water. She spoke of the Cox’s Bazar camp in Bangladesh with over 1 million refugees from Myanmar and where there are no schools and far too little food. 

Kate also noted that climate change is another big challenge as well as simultaneously addressing crises in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran while dealing with critical ongoing needs for humanitarian assistance and programs in places such as Syria and Africa that are not getting as much attention. 

At the same time, Kate spoke about being inspired by volunteers and staff, such as classes in Jordan that teach women sewing, hair styling and other skills, a group of trained refugees that created a first aid response unit in a refugee camp, and rescue dogs that were part of a Mexican Red Cross response.

Asked whether there were any unexpected surprises about her three years as IFRC president, she said that she did not expect that she would spend so much time – about half her time as IFRC president – being a diplomat and talking with government leaders in places such as Ukraine, Russia, Egypt, Israel and Palestine. More recently, she was pleased with the positive reception in Congress and the Administration for her requests for more financial support to combat the Ebola outbreak in Africa.

Kate is seeking reelection as IFRC president in November. She initially said that she would serve only one term, but decided to seek a second term to try to bring about additional governance reforms for the organization and provide more support to smaller national societies. 

ARCAN is grateful for her willingness to share her time, experiences and insights with past and present American Red Cross staff and volunteers.