Red Cross Blogs

Disasters update: How the Red Cross is responding

By Katrina Crew
January 25, 2011 at 4:29 pm

This post was written by our writing team intern, Nayo Hunt.

In the aftermath of severe weather, health epidemics and civil unrest, Red Cross volunteers around the world are helping their communities. Here’s how their response is saving lives.

Sri Lanka

Flooding in eastern, central and northern Sri Lanka has disrupted the lives of more than 1 million people since rains began in November. Forty-three people have been killed and 30,000 homes damaged or destroyed. Up to 400, 000 people are seeking shelter in camps. Aid workers have voiced concerns over possible outbreaks of dengue fever and cholera and fears that landmines left over from the country’s civil war may have become dislodged by floodwaters. (Source: AlertNet)

Since November, the Sri Lankan Red Cross has helped 98,000 people, providing drinking water, dry rations, non-food relief items and setting up medical camps. Bob McKerrow, IFRC head of delegation in the floods zone, said: “Volunteers have worked hard to pump putrid water from soiled wells, and distributed vital food, blankets, mosquito nets, mattresses and hygiene kits to those in need. But more hard work lies ahead.”

Find out more about how the Red Cross is responding to the floods in Sri Lanka

Brazil

Over 800 people have been killed and at least 300 are still missing following flash floods and mudslides in Rio de Janeiro’s mountain region.  The disaster began after the equivalent of a month’s rain fell in 24 hours, making this one of Brazil’s worst natural disasters on record. The death toll is predicted to rise.

Around 20,000 people have been displaced or made homeless. Poorer residents who lived in insecure housing bore the brunt of the disaster and hundreds are believed to remain at risk of fresh mudslides. (Source: AlertNet)

Carmen Serra, a spokeswoman for the Brazilian Red Cross, said: “It’s a mess! The mud-flow swept away houses; it moved cars – picking them up, standing them on their ends at 45-degree angles, and burying them. The ground is so saturated and unstable, it could shift at any time and the risk will remain for several weeks.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross has provided satellite phones to the Brazilian Red Cross to help families contact their loved ones, as many communities are still isolated. Volunteers have collected 250 tons of clothing, 450,000 litres of water, 35,000 litres of milk, 250 tons of food and 50,000 hygiene and cleaning products for distribution.

International Red Cross specialists are also providing specialist advice to the Brazilian Red Cross.

Australia

Australia’s biggest floods in a century struck in December, killing 20 people and leaving 53 missing. Officials have warned the threat of cyclones and fresh rains could last until March and are urging people to stay out of floodwaters, which have been washing snakes and crocodiles into homes and shops.

The Australian Red Cross has been supporting the rescue and recovery effort. In Queensland they have set up 14 evacuation centres, conducted outreach in ten areas, assisted with recovery in five areas, and are supporting with information centres in two areas.

In New South Wales, the Red Cross has been airlifting stranded people to safety and organising emergency accommodation for those displaced by the floods.

In Victoria, the Red Cross in partnership with the Victorian government, has launched the Red Cross Victorian Floods Appeal 2011 to support individuals, families and communities in areas affected by the floods. More information and donations can be made on their website.

The Australian Red Cross is also operating a national registration and inquiry system to help people affected by the floods to reconnect with family and friends countrywide.

Colombia

Colombia remains in a temporary state of emergency due to heavy rain which has battered the Andean nation in one of its worst natural disasters ever. The severe weather has uprooted around 2.2 million people and killed more than 300 since April 2010.

The ICRC has distributed relief in areas where it was already providing help to people caught up in Colombia’s armed conflict. Supplies have been delivered to 15 remote communities. In Chocó one month of food rations has been handed out to 10,000 people, along with rice and corn seed. (Source: AlertNet)

In December the British Red Cross made a £60,000 Disaster Fund contribution to provide emergency relief items to the regions worst affected.

Polio in the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville)

At least 524 people have been infected and 219 have died as a result of Congo’s polio outbreak. Although the numbers of new cases have fallen, the epidemic still has a high death rate and as such, the population of the entire country has to be vaccinated.

The British Red Cross first gave £20,000 from our Disaster Fund in November, but last week we gave a further £30,000. The Congolese Red Cross will help some 4 million people for six months through an immunisation campaign. Volunteers are also helping with hygiene promotion activities.

Violence in the Ivory Coast

Violent clashes have been erupting in the Ivory Coast since the presidential election in November, leading to thousands of people being displaced or fleeing over the border to neighbouring countries. The IFRC has been helping the Red Cross National Societies in the affected countries to provide water and sanitation, hygiene promotion, health services, and relief items to thousands of displaced people and the communities they’re staying in.

The British Red Cross gave £75,000 from our Disaster Fund to support people affected by the unrest.

Be prepared for disasters
You never know when a disaster will strike. Read our tips on preparing for disasters – from floods to flu.

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Tags: australia, brazil, Colombia, conflict, Congo, disaster fund, floods, Health and social care, internally displaced people, Ivory Coast, polio, refugees, Sri Lanka

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 at 4:29 pm and is filed under Emergencies, International. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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