The
is seeking 18 million Swiss francs (USD17.5 million) to boost its humanitarian efforts in the disaster-stricken countries of Indonesia, Samoa, Vietnam and the Philippines. "Across these four disasters in Asia and Pacific, trained volunteers have played a vital role in saving lives, but international assistance is needed to support their actions to continue carrying out relief and recovery," said Michael Annear, the societies' disaster management coordinator in Asia and Pacific.