Emergency Architects Australia – Annual General Meeting

Michael Raper presenting at the Emergency Architects AGM, spoke about some of the alarming figures showing there are more than 72 million people that are living as forced immigrants in 2012, of that figure 42.8 million had fled their homes due to conflict – ranging from people displaced in Central Africa to Afghan refugees – while 14.9 million others had been displaced by natural disasters. More than 20 million people forced into migration are trapped in long-term displacement, living in camps or in unplanned parts of cities.

The living conditions and the welfare of the people living in these circumstances require and ongoing support, better protection and more assistance in helping to integrate them into their new homes and communities.

Michael Raper has served as the Director of Services and International Operations with the Red Cross since September 2008. He lead a number of Red Cross operations at both national and international scale. The international issues that Red Cross addresses are compiled in the World Disaster Report 2012

HH hopes the new EAA board can follow the lead of the Fondation des Architectes de l’Urgence and tackle the types of problem so well defined by Michael Raper at the AGM last night in Sydney.