President of the Netherlands Red Cross visits ERCS Project Activities
A high-level delegation led by Mrs Heleen Kersten, President of the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) visited the NLRC-supported project activities and operational capacities of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) Somali Regional Branch from August 1-2, 2026.
Upon arrival, the delegation was warmly welcomed by leadership and staff of ERCS Somali Regional Branch, receiving a briefing on the branch’s institutional capacity, income-generating initiatives, key areas of operation, and the scale of its humanitarian response efforts, as well as the challenges it currently faces.
During the briefing, Ato Dires Desyibelew, ERCS Deputy Secretary General for Programs, highlighted the significant impact of NLRC-supported interventions in nature-based community resilience building, ecosystem restoration, and climate action across the region.
He noted that the NLRC is a strategic partner of ERCS and emphasized the importance of sustaining and strengthening the long-standing partnership between the two sister National Societies in order to reach more people in need with life-saving and resilience-building support.
At the end of the visit, Mrs. Heleen Kersten, President of the NLRC, said that she had observed and gained a clear understanding of the significant impact of the projects being implemented by the ERCS in helping communities gain access to water and build resilience, appreciating the effective and sustainable nature-based solutions of the project.
She also expressed her satisfaction with the community’s hospitality and welcoming culture, underscoring the importance of scaling up the successful practice of water-spreading weirs to benefit more communities.
The delegation toured solar-powered water pumping and ecosystem restoration projects implemented by ERCS with financial support from NLRC since January 2025 in Gerba Harre Kebele, Awbarre Woreda, and Dudafi Kebele, Shabelle Woreda, in the Fafen Zone of the Somali Region. The projects help local communities build resilience, improve access to water resources, and adapt to climate change.
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