Honduras Red Cross needs help!

For 46 years, the Red Cross has provided uninterrupted service to the San Pedro Sula community and vicinity, however, it is now immersed in an economic crisis so serious that it could cause the institution to “disappear” from San Pedro Sula.  Hampered by the current circumstances, members of the Red Cross yesterday called a press conference to alert the public of the crisis.  In two months it will be impossible to continue their work in the industrial capital of Honduras if the financial issues of the organization have not been resolved.

Oscar Bardales, regional vice chairman of the Red Cross in San Pedro Sula, explained the difficult circumstances faced by the Red Cross there. “We have a deficit of one million five hundred thousand lempiras ($77,000 US Dollars). Just the electric bill alone that is past due amounts to 257,000 lempiras ($13,215 US Dollars); we also owe for our water supply and services.  We cut the budget to supply fuel for ambulances, so we often have to take money out of our own pockets and look for other ways that the vehicles can meet the emergencies that arise.  The institution can not go on.  If this is not resolved within two months, the Red Cross of San Pedro Sula will be closed. To avoid this, we need 2.5 million lempiras ($130,000 US Dollars), ” he said.

The institution has 26 permanent employees.  They have not been paid bonuses in 2010 or 2011, and are also owed payment of the fourteenth month, required by law, for 2011 and 2012; on top of that, they are currently owed four months worth of back pay.

“Just to make payroll each month we need 98,000 lempiras ($5,000 US Dollars), and the Red Cross has budgetary needs of 300,000 lempiras ($15,500 US Dollars) per month to operate.”

Aris Padilla, deputy director of the organization, referred to the shortcomings with which they must work on the medical side, “There are many emergency medical supplies needed, as well as the ambulances are run-down and some units are unusable due to lack of maintenance.  We need more boats, because the flood season arrived and we do not have enough vessels for emergency water rescue, among other needs.”

Marlon Lara, the liberal party congressman for the department of Cortes, promised to seek help for the Red Cross, “This institution does a great job.  I will submit a petition to the president of the National Congress and the Ministry of Finance to assign permanent support for this organization.”

Arturo Bendaña, Minister of Health, said his organization will seek ways to help the Red Cross.

“This is a very important institution.  We will investigate to see what we can contribute to prevent the Red Cross from having to close. This coming Monday we will establish communication with them to see how we can meet their needs,” said Bendaña.

To try to improve the finances of the Red Cross, its members are raffling off a brand new Toyota Yaris. Tickets are 100 lempiras ($5.00 US Dollars) and are being sold at the offices of Banco del País as well as the Red Cross offices, which are located in the neighborhood of El Benque, on 8th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.

Honduran Red Cross President’s Office: Email: presidencianacional@honduras.cruzroja.org, Address: 7ma Calle entre 1era y 2da avenidas, Comayaguela D.C. Honduras, Phone: + 504 2371800 / 2382214

International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies, Head of Zone for the Americas: E-mail: jose.garcialozano@ifrc.org, Address: Vicente Bonilla Avenue # 115 / 117, Ciudad del Saber, Panama City, Panama,
Phone: + 507 3800250 / 3800253 Fax: + 507 3171304