This is the Red Cross’ top five priorities for whoever ends up governing Northern Ireland after the election

Working for the Red Cross, our long global history of providing impartial humanitarian support to people who rely on us being there helps put things in perspective.

For 150 years the Red Cross has been a constant, supporting people when crisis strikes, and we continue to do so today.

From getting people home safely from hospital to equipping young people with the skills to save a life and reuniting refugee families, we work to support people in some of life’s most vulnerable situations.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Red Cross has reached more than 330,000 people in Northern Ireland with practical and emotional support, food parcels, and other essential supplies.

With our partners Volunteer Now and the Ulster GAA, we helped hundreds-of-thousands of people get their vaccinations; with hundreds of volunteers contributing thousands of hours.

At the same time, we’ve continued our business-as-usual services:

l Working to help refugees, vulnerable migrants and those seeking asylum;

l Responding to emergencies like flooding and house fires;

l Assisting people to be discharged safely from hospital and supporting the Ambulance Service;

l And helping people overcome loneliness through our Community Connector services.

Every single area of our work has been affected by the pandemic, and the last 18 months have seen voluntary agencies and the public and private sector working more closely than ever before.

As we look to overcome and recover from Covid, we’re keen to work with the next Executive, and as we approach the upcoming elections, we are asking it to prioritise:

l Human-centred emergency response, placing individuals and communities at the heart of emergency planning, response and recovery, and ensuring that people’s humanitarian needs are fully met in an emergency;

l Tackling the humanitarian impacts of climate change with strategic plans and policy agendas to protect people and communities;

l Health and social care to ensure everyone can access timely, personalised care that addresses clinical and non-clinical needs;

l Tackling loneliness so that people are supported throughout their lives to have meaningful social connections;

l Helping refugees and people seeking asylum to access support to meet their basic needs and to rebuild their lives.

These policy asks are no well-intentioned-but-unrealistic wish-list. They are drawn from our century-and-half of operational work, and the lived experiences of those we work with today.

We believe adopting these priorities will help to ensure people in crisis get the support they need no matter who or where they are.

They are not only achievable, they are essential, and we urge all parties and candidates to incorporate them into their planning for the year ahead and beyond.

A world where everyone gets the help they need in a crisis is within our reach only if we choose it to be.

l Sharon Sinclair is area director for British Red Cross, Northern Ireland

The publication British Red Cross Policy Priorities for the next Northern Ireland Executive is available on our website at: www.redcross.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/we-speak-up-for-change/british-red-cross-policy-priorities-for-the-next-northern-ireland-executive

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