Red Cross Blogs

Worldwide disaster response round-up

By Ellie Matthews
September 23, 2011 at 11:52 am

Worldwide disaster response round-up

We recently launched our Pakistan Floods Appeal. Here’s a brief round-up of some of the ways the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is helping people in Pakistan and in other countries around the world.

Pakistan: In Pakistan, monsoon rains and floods are causing widespread destruction. Over five million people have been affected. Families have lost their livelihoods, and overcrowded and unsanitary conditions in temporary relief camps mean many people risk disease.

Some of the areas affected are still recovering from last year’s flooding, including Sindh province, which is once again one of the worst-hit areas.

The British Red Cross worked with the Pakistan Red Crescent and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to prepare for this year’s monsoon rains. A grant of £1.7 million from the Department for International Development (DFID) enabled the Red Cross to pre-position emergency stocks in the country.

The Pakistan Red Crescent – with support from the Red Cross – is now providing health support, producing clean water, and distributing food parcels and other aid.

Read more about how we’re helping in Pakistan

Donate to the Pakistan Floods Appeal

Middle East and north Africa: The Red Cross is helping people in many countries across the Middle East and north Africa.

As front lines shift in disputed areas of Libya, the ICRC is working with the Libyan Red Crescent to provide medical assistance, visit hundreds of detainees and deliver aid.

Violence in Syria continues to escalate. Recently, a Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteer died – and two more volunteers were injured – when their ambulance was caught in heavy fire while evacuating an injured person to a hospital. The unprecedented levels of violence have caused the ICRC to call upon the authorities, demonstrators and all others involved to respect human life and dignity at all times.

Donate to the Libya & Region Appeal

East Africa: As famine, drought and conflict in the Horn of Africa continues, the Red Cross movement is helping people across the region. In Somalia, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) remains one of the few humanitarian agencies able to work in the southern and central parts of the country.

Over the past 18 months the British Red Cross has provided £1.2 million for programmes across East Africa. It recently released a total of £2.25 million to support people in southern central Somalia.

The Red Cross is also helping support food security in the region through longer-term projects, including maintaining local water supplies, running school feeding programmes, providing healthcare and promoting sustainable farming.

Read the World Disasters Report 2011, which highlights the growing pressure of food insecurity and malnutrition on populations across the globe.

Donate to the East Africa Food Crisis Appeal

Japan: Six months ago, an earthquake and tsunami devastated huge areas of Japan. To date, Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies worldwide have received donations totalling £323 million – including more than £13 million to the British Red Cross.

Appeal funds are supporting the Japanese Red Cross relief and recovery programme, which includes providing medical care and psycho-social support to survivors. The Japanese Red Cross also plans to build temporary hospitals.

Read more about how appeal funds will help Japan recover

Nepal, India and China: On 18 September, a deadly earthquake struck the Himalayan region bordering north India and Nepal. The earthquake measured 6.9 on the Richter scale and killed at least 100 people.

Teams from the Red Cross National Societies of Nepal, India and China have been mobilised and some are working on the ground, providing emergency relief and medical support to survivors in their respective countries.

Read more on how the Red Cross is helping

*The Movement is made of 186 National Societies (including the British Red Cross), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

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Tags: China, disaster, disaster response, East Africa, East Africa Food Crisis Appeal, Horn of Africa, India, International, International Federation, Japan, Japan Tsunami Appeal, Japanese Red Cross, Kenya, kenya red cross, Libya, Libya & Region Appeal, Nepal, Pakistan, Pakistan floods, Pakistan Floods Appeal, Somalia, Syria

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This entry was posted on Friday, September 23rd, 2011 at 11:52 am 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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