May 16, 2013

Investing in peace: the Red Cross supports communities in Kenya

Signatures on the Choose Peace campaign
©Kenya Red Cross

The recent elections in Kenya saw millions of people queuing for long hours to vote, highlighting their commitment to influence social and political change.

Sadly, this ballot paper has often come at a cost. Election campaigns in the past decade have seen violence, loss of life and thousands of people forced to leave their homes.

Recently the Kenya Red Cross, funded by the Department for International Development (DfID), the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and other donors, has been working with communities to encourage a peaceful election and to prepare for potential unrest and violence, which has featured so frequently in the past. More

Alexandra Murdoch International, Resilience 0 Africa, conflict, elections, Kenya, kenya red cross, preparedness

May 13, 2013

Syria conflict: displacement on an almost unimaginable scale

Volunteers play with displaced children in Homs

©SARC – Homs

The UN now estimates that almost a quarter of Syria’s population – 4.25 million people – have fled their homes within Syria. Of these people, four out of five are living with host families. The rest are renting, or sheltering in vacant buildings, collective centres, parks, barns or caves.

Now try to imagine what would happen if more than four million people in the UK had to find somewhere new to live. That’s the equivalent of everyone living in Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Bristol, Belfast and Sheffield leaving their homes and not going back. More

Ellie Matthews Appeals, Emergencies, International 0 displacement, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, refugee, Syria, Syria Crisis Appeal, Turkey

May 10, 2013

Top five destinations of an international writer

I’ve taken many journeys to report on the international work of the British Red Cross; from the jungles of Sierra Leone, through Kyrgyzstan’s Tian Shan mountains and into the slums of Haiti to name a few.

I’ve often been asked which country I’ve most enjoyed visiting. Like being asked what your favourite all time song or film is – I find this almost impossible to answer.

The scenery is usually stunning, but as a humanitarian writer it is the people who interest me most. I’ve had the privilege of listening to many people who’ve given me the gift of their story. They are stories about overwhelming struggles with poverty, adversity and disaster. But mostly they are stories about the triumph of the human spirit.

This is my last day as international writer at the British Red Cross and so I’d like to share some of my favourite photos and stories from the past five years. More

Sarah Oughton International 0 Bangladesh, Haiti, international aid work, international writer, Sierra Leone, South Africa

May 8, 2013

The Red Cross reflects on a changing humanitarian landscape as it reaches its 150th anniversary

Red Cross volunteers carrying boxes of aid
©IFRC

On World Red Cross Red Crescent Day, the world’s largest humanitarian network celebrates 150 years of humanitarian action and a continued commitment to serve the vulnerable in today’s changing world.

Widely recognised for its neutrality, and with 188 National Societies worldwide, the Red Cross reaches millions of people each year through programmes in disaster management, health and social care.

Since its founding, the nature of crisis and war has continuously evolved, with the number of natural disasters increasing by 400 per cent in the past 40 years and conflicts making humanitarian access difficult in places.

Alexandra Murdoch International, News 0 Humanitarian work, Red Cross Red Crescent Day, Red Cross volunteers, Syria

Apr 30, 2013

Mali video: ‘I ran away because of the conflict’

In this video from the International Federation of the Red Cross, we hear the stories of displaced people living in the camp in Sévaré, a town in the region of Mopti, Mali.

The whole Sahel region of west Africa was severely affected by food crisis last year and many people in Mali still have difficulty accessing food. The situation has worsened as hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes because of fighting in the north of the country.

As well as launching an appeal to support the region, the British Red Cross has given £325,000 from its Disaster Fund to support the International Committee of the Red Cross’ work in Mali. The latest contribution of £200,000 in March 2013 will provide 17,520 people with food parcels containing rice, wheat, oil and salt for one month.

Help us support future crises by donating to our Disaster Fund

Ellie Matthews Emergencies, International 0 displaced people, food insecurity, Mali, Sahel, West Africa Food Crisis Appeal

Apr 26, 2013

A mother’s right: access to healthcare in Myanmar

Mother and baby with Red Cross volunteer

A woman giving birth alone in a forest is not an unusual story in Myanmar. But now a new Red Cross maternal and child health care programme is delivering much-needed change. More

Alexandra Murdoch Health, International 0 children, Health, Myanmar, resilience, South Asia, women

Apr 23, 2013

How I became an international aid worker: Aidan King

Aidan King gives the low-down on working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) after returning from a 14-month mission in Gaza:

1. What does your job involve?

I work as a detention delegate for the ICRC, which is a role that involves visiting both prisoners of war and civilians interned during armed conflict. Where possible, the ICRC also visits people detained in other situations of violence. More

Sarah Oughton Aid Work, International 1 aid work, career advice, charity worker, Gaza, international aid work, International Committee, NGO, overseas work

Apr 22, 2013

Photo gallery: helping people in Syria cope with conflict

Whether it’s providing blankets, food, first aid or just a little comfort, Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers are working round the clock to make life a little more bearable for people in Syria.

Donate to the Syria Crisis Appeal

Ellie Matthews Appeals, International 1