IFRC

News stories from Africa

15 May 2012

Oroukia and the Red Cross create an oasis of hope in the Sahel

by Sarah Oughton In Niaptana, Burkina Faso, the Burkinabe Red Cross Society has set up two women’s groups with community gardens where they grow vegetables that provide a lifeline for families struggling with severe hunger. Niaptana is a remote rural community which can be reached with a long journey through the dusty, arid Sahel. When...
Health centres stretched as infant malnutrition rises
10 May 2012

Health centres stretched as infant malnutrition rises

Faye Callaghan “Each year the number of children we see goes up,” says Mahamat Abacar, health focal point at Mao hospital in northern Chad. “In 2010 there were around...
A family’s fate rests on a few chickens and hope for rain
8 May 2012

A family’s fate rests on a few chickens and hope for rain

By Faye Callaghan, in Burkina Faso Bazam Adizeita is putting all her hope in four scrawny chickens. As they scratch around under her bed in the straw hut, it’s hard to...
Gambia Red Cross youth use power of music to increase access to health care
2 May 2012

Gambia Red Cross youth use power of music to increase access to health care

Young people from the Gambia Red Cross Society have put together the “Humanity Band,” a project aimed at developing the musical talents of young volunteers.
Thousands affected by heavy rains and floods in Rwanda
1 May 2012

Thousands affected by heavy rains and floods in Rwanda

The Rwandan Red Cross Society is currently assisting displaced people in flood-affected areas of the country, including Musanze in Northern Province, and Nyabihu and ...
Liberia: a new bed net protects a new life
24 April 2012

Liberia: a new bed net protects a new life

We are on the outskirts of Zwedru in south-eastern Liberia. After a few minutes’ drive, we arrive in Sarah’s village. Sarah is 18, but looks 13. When we arrive, ...
The drive for universal bed-net coverage in Cross River State, Nigeria
24 April 2012

The drive for universal bed-net coverage in Cross River State, Nigeria

In Cross River State, the dirt road into Bazohure village seems hardly passable, but Awara Rekpene Sunday and his team of Red Cross volunteers are making their way ...
Time is running out to save young lives in the Sahel
18 April 2012

Time is running out to save young lives in the Sahel

An occasional flutter of his eyelids is the only sign of life in Kinda’s frail, tiny body. At eight months he should weigh around nine kilos. Kinda weighs just five.
Ouilimatou’s story: young and hungry
5 April 2012

Ouilimatou’s story: young and hungry

Ouilimatou Diko, 21 months old, knows little about the bad rainy season, drought and insect infestations which led to poor harvests in the Sahel region of Burkina ...
Children’s lives hang in the balance in Niger
30 March 2012

Children’s lives hang in the balance in Niger

Two malnourished boys sit still in the blazing sun. A slightly older boy comes along and gives them a bag of cookies.
Red Cross scales up response to food crisis in Burkina Faso
29 March 2012

Red Cross scales up response to food crisis in Burkina Faso

Before mid-morning it is already hot in Tin Akoff and Mohamed Ingouda, 46, stands patiently in line waiting for his Burkinabe Red Cross food voucher.
Rising food prices and sporadic rains spell trouble for farmers in Niger
19 March 2012

Rising food prices and sporadic rains spell trouble for farmers in Niger

By Kalle Lindberg in Niger Boureima Garba from Kourtéré village in Niger, is fortunate. He has land close to the river, can read and write, and has good access to loca...
Even those with farms find the cupboards bare in Niger
16 March 2012

Even those with farms find the cupboards bare in Niger

By Kalle Lindberg in Niger For a farmer in a poor country, Boureima Garba who lives in Kourtéré village in Niger, is fortunate. He has plenty of land. He has gone to...
Sleepless nights for Malians facing severe food crisis
13 March 2012

Sleepless nights for Malians facing severe food crisis

With more than three million people in Mali currently facing a severe food crisis, Kati Traore, chief of Sakabala village, is not the only one having sleepless nights.
Families preparing for the hungry season across the Sahel
2 March 2012

Families preparing for the hungry season across the Sahel

In a remote, dusty village in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso, Hadjatou Diko is cradling Issa, her six-month-old son.
An oasis of hope in the Chad desert
27 February 2012

An oasis of hope in the Chad desert

Death lingers in the air in northern Chad. A flock of enormous vultures feast on a donkey lying at the side of a track. Its search for food and water was futile in ...
Struggling to feed children in the Sahel
24 February 2012

Struggling to feed children in the Sahel

The Sahel is a stretch of sandy, arid scrub land on the edge of the Sahara that creeps across the north of the African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the ...
Madagascar Red Cross responds to the cyclone Giovanna
16 February 2012

Madagascar Red Cross responds to the cyclone Giovanna

Accompanied by high winds and heavy rain, intense tropical cyclone “Giovanna” landed in the district of Brickaville, in the East coast of Madagascar.
Chadians in crisis as migrants return home during drought
16 February 2012

Chadians in crisis as migrants return home during drought

Sara Mohammed has five children at home and no way to feed them. Her husband died and her two eldest sons are on their way back to Chad from Libya.
Mozambique floods: Cholera fears amid depleting stocks
15 February 2012

Mozambique floods: Cholera fears amid depleting stocks

Following the cyclone and floods that ravaged Quelimane town and its outskirts, health officials have raised concern over the possibilities of cholera, malaria and ...
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The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, with 187 member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. About this site & copyright