A delegate exclusive from Ukraine
Life in Kyiv Life for Louise in Kyiv is very different from Budapest. Strict security regulations control when and where she can go to certain places. The team stay in hotels approved by security and in locations away from soldiers to avoid being targeted. Currently, the conflict is mostly confined to the front line around fiercely contested areas in the eastern Donbas region. Louise can only be driven from Budapest to Kyiv because there is no air traffic. The dangerous trip takes two days and passes by many destroyed buildings on the outskirts. In an unexpected contrast, Louise points out that life goes on as normally as possible in Kyiv’s inner city. “If you and I walk to work now, it is like any other city. The only difference is there are sandbags around windows, many statues are boarded up so that they don’t get damaged in a strike, and a curfew is in place. And metro stations and bomb shelters are safe havens when airstrikes are underway.” The role in Budapest Louise organises, facilitates, and manages high-level and strategic international partnership meetings from Hungary’s capital city. Louise explains a recent example of her work “We’ve brought everyone together, the senior management of Ukraine Red Cross and all the other country managers, ICRC and us, to talk about where to from here.” Much of the discussion focuses on the evolving humanitarian situation – what sort of things could happen from here, and if they did would it be catastrophic? How would the Movement respond to mass evacuations, another Kakhovka Dam disaster, or a strike on a nuclear facility? Louise adds, “We’ll talk about how we as a Movement should be responding, how we should be coordinating, how we should be working together. Always with Ukraine Red Cross at the centre.”
What’s next for Ukraine? Louise knows there’s a big job ahead and that the conflict seems far from over. The reconstruction of Ukraine is going to be huge, not just physically but emotionally with many challenges. For example, 10 million people have had to leave their homes to seek safety elsewhere: some 3.7 million people are internally displaced inside Ukraine and over 6 million people have fled from Ukraine and now live in other parts of the world. How do we support displaced Ukrainians to return to their homes? What jobs will be available, where are they going to live and how will the psychosocial impacts of conflict affect people and communities? For the Ukraine Red Cross, IFRC and all supporting National Societies, we know the humanitarian response here will continue well into the future.
Australian Red Cross delegate Louise McCosker has been a part of the Ukraine operation since 2023.
What makes Red Cross unique? In a long and impressive international career with Australian Red Cross, Louise’s admiration for the Movement remains strong. “The Red Cross is the most extraordinary Movement. I think to have volunteers on the ground who today will be going around where missiles have come down and doing what they can to support people and bring in relief, and at the same time humanitarian diplomats advocating for the most vulnerable at the highest levels in Geneva and New York… that sets us apart. We’re an international organisation and a national organisation and a local organisation that has an auxiliary relationship with government by law. So that’s highly distinguishing. That gives us a voice at a table that many others don’t have.” Localised humanitarian action Louise’s role is supporting efforts to find ways to do what’s needed better, collectively and without duplication. This means looking at all the different needs, such as psychosocial support, clean water, access to basic health care, and emergency relief. Then, working with Ukraine Red Cross and sister National Societies to respond to these needs, based on the expertise of all the different players. “We’re looking at a concept of shared leadership. No one organisation can do it all. You want authorities to understand and respect the role that the National Society has and how absolutely fundamental it is to the fabric of society. And you want for the rest of the Movement to be there for Ukraine Red Cross when it needs it.” Localisation is central to Louise’s work and nothing happens without approval from the Ukraine Red Cross. Louise has been humbled many times by the strength of the local team and points out that they know what’s best for their people and communities, “Ukraine is not a developing country; it is very sophisticated with highly capable and well-educated people.”
Louise, with her colleagues in the bomb shelter at their office in Kyiv.
The first Australian Red Cross mission Louise was deployed to was Banda Aceh on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2004. After returning home to Australia, Louise completed a Master of International Law. A series of short-term missions followed and then a three-year stint in Geneva with ICRC. Back in Australia, Louise took on the Humanitarian Diplomacy lead role at Australian Red Cross, before being deployed to Afghanistan with the ICRC for a year - just as the Taliban came into Kabul. Coordinator for the IFRC where she spends half her time in Budapest - Hungary and the other half in Kyiv - Ukraine. According to Louise, “The role is working with the Membership – the many National Societies who are supporting Ukraine and the impacted countries – to make sure we’re working as effectively as we can to do things in a collective and unified way.” Louise is committed to a localised approach that draws primarily on the knowledge, skills and experiences of the local National Society, and complements this with capacities at regional and international levels to create better outcomes for Ukrainians experiencing vulnerability. March 2023 to April 2024 Today, Louise is the Regional Membership
A Red Cross Volunteer with a Ukrainian local. Image: Italian Red Cross
A final word from Louise The passion Louise brings to her role day after day in some of the most challenging environments has remained undiminished. “I think what I love the most is going into work and just having conversations with our local staff, their optimism, tenacity and resilience is incredible. They’ve been up all night with the air alarms, often with very young children, and family members are probably caught up in the fight somewhere and wow they’re so resilient - blows me away every day.”
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