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Geneva, 2 September 2019 – Hurricane Dorian has caused extensive damage across the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama in the Bahamas, according to rapid initial assessments from authorities and Red Cross officials on the ground.
According to these reports, Dorian’s ferocious category 5 winds and rains have damaged houses and other buildings, leaving many people without adequate shelter. As many as 13,000 houses may have been severely damaged or destroyed. On the island of Abaco, extensive flooding is believed to have contaminated wells with saltwater, creating an urgent need for clean water.
Sune Bulow, Head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) Emergency Operation Centre in Geneva, said:
“We don’t yet have a complete picture of what has happened. But it is clear that Hurricane Dorian has had a catastrophic impact. We anticipate extensive shelter needs, alongside the need for short-term economic support, as well as for clean water and health assistance.”
IFRC has this morning released 250,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to bolster the first wave of the Bahamas Red Cross’ response. About 500 families will receive emergency shelter assistance, including tarpaulins, blankets, kitchen sets, and solar cell phone chargers.
The same families will also be provided with unconditional cash grants, which will allow them to repair and replace what they have lost, while also helping to bolster local economies in the short term. IFRC deployed a disaster management coordinator to Bahamas ahead of Dorian’s landfall in anticipation of emergency response needs.
Hurricane Dorian is now heading towards Florida and the US’ eastern coast. According to the American Red Cross, 19 million people live in areas that could be impacted by the storm, with as many as 50,000 people in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina potentially in need of emergency shelter depending on its impact.
Hundreds of trained Red Cross volunteers, emergency response vehicles and more than 30 truck loads of relief supplies are being mobilized to help people living in the path of Hurricane Dorian.
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Nairobi/Geneva 27 August 2019—The availability of an effective vaccine against Ebola and the recent confirmation of two effective treatments do not negate the importance of building trust and understanding in communities affected by the outbreak, warns the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
This warning comes as the death toll for the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) approaches 2,000 and as the total number of cases reaches 3,000.
Dr Emanuele Capobianco, IFRC’s Director of Health and Care said:
“The importance of these new treatments – and the continued roll out of vaccines – are not to be underestimated. But alone they are not enough. Now is the time to double down on efforts to engage at-risk communities. For the treatments to work, people need to trust them and the medical staff who administer them. This will take time, resources and a lot of hard work.”
Continued high levels of distrust mean that many Ebola patients are delaying or avoiding going to health facilities. This reluctance significantly decreases their chance of survival, even with access to the newest treatments. It also dramatically increases the risk that the virus will spread to family members and other care givers. More than 42 per cent of alerts that Red Cross receives to bury a loved one are coming from a death at home.
IFRC’s Capobianco said:
“We are asking people to leave the safety of their homes when they fall sick to go to an isolated cell in an Ebola treatment centres where their lives are in the hands of complete strangers. We are asking communities to change the way they care for the sick and the dead in ways that go against their traditions. And we are doing all this in communities that have learned to distrust outsiders following decades of violence and unrest.
“This is our biggest challenge. It is a behavioural challenge, not a medical one. And unfortunately, there is no magic pill to change behaviours.”
Two new treatments that are hailed as an effective cure against Ebola are currently being administered in Ebola treatment centres all over North Kivu and Ituri. IFRC believes that if people understand that the treatment can save lives and can reduce the risk of transmission to their loved ones, they are more likely to seek health care early.
In addition to community outreach and engagement, Red Cross volunteers continue to carry out around 20 safe and dignified burials every day. Volunteers and other burial teams have responded to more than 11,000 safe and dignified burial requests across North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
IFRC is appealing for about 43 million Swiss francs to continue safe and dignified burials and to support 15.5 million people with community outreach, prevention, and preparedness measures. So far, just over half of the amount needed has been received.
Geneva, 22 July 2019 – Red Cross climate experts are available to discuss the potential humanitarian impact of this week’s European heatwave, as well as the simple and affordable steps that can be taken to protect lives.
Temperatures are expected to climb to record levels over the coming days, placing huge pressure on health and social welfare systems across the continent, and potentially threatening the lives and well-being of vulnerable people.
Red Cross experts can highlight some of the concrete measures that individuals and authorities can take to reduce the potential humanitarian impact of the heatwave. They can also discuss the clear links between climate change and heatwaves and share findings from the Red Cross’ recently released Heatwave Guide for Cities.
Available experts include:
In New York: Julie Arrighi, Red Cross climate expert and one of the authors of the Heatwave Guide for Cities.
In Geneva: Tessa Kelly, Climate Change Coordinator, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Budapest, 18 July 2019 – Hungarian Red Cross is helping 7,200 people affected by severe storms in late June, with financial and technical assistance from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
IFRC has contributed 230,000 Swiss francs (67.3 million Hungarian forints) from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to allow Hungarian Red Cross to assist 2,400 families with food, sanitary kits and construction materials.
The storm hit eastern Hungary on 27 June, causing serious damage in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, particularly in the settlements of Nyírmada, Nyírkarász, Pusztadobos and Rétközberencs.
2,500 rooftops were destroyed by the rain, and 30 families had to be evacuated as their homes became uninhabitable. The storm also ravaged kitchen gardens and crops, jeopardizing the livelihoods of many families.
Together with local authorities and civil society groups, the local branch of Hungarian Red Cross immediately deployed 30 staff and volunteers who helped remove debris and cleaned the roads.
István Kardos, Director General of the Hungarian Red Cross said: "With our network of volunteers on the ground we are able to help quickly and efficiently in such situations. Although the immediate needs were met, full recovery in the affected communities will require a lot more time and resources. Therefore, we are launching a fundraising campaign to help as many families as possible.”
With the IFRC emergency funds, Hungarian Red Cross will distribute one month’s supply of dry food as well as sanitary cleaning kits for 2,400 families. It will also supply construction materials for skilled volunteers to do temporary repairs to damaged roofs.
The humanitarian operation started today at Nyírmada, where Hungarian Red Cross volunteers and local government staff started the distribution of aid to the affected families.
Elkhan Rahimov, IFRC’s acting Regional Director for Europe said: “As a result of climate change, extreme weather events are occurring more frequently in Europe. This poses a challenge to humanitarian organizations as society’s most vulnerable are often the ones who are most exposed to forces of nature.”
Background information:
Photos of the damage are available here.
Those wishing to contribute to Hungarian Red Cross storm local appeal can do so here.
Hungarian Red Cross is a member of the IFRC. One of the key disaster management tools available for members is the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF). Following a disaster, within 48 hours, emergency funding can be applied for and distributed, enabling Red Cross staff and volunteers on the ground to respond quickly.
Vancouver/Geneva, 31 May 2019 – The global head of the world’s largest humanitarian network will highlight the deadly consequences of gender inequality in the wake of disasters and conflicts, during a high-profile plenary session at the Women Deliver Conference.
Elhadj As Sy, the Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), will take part in a plenary session entitled The Power of Lift: Stepping up to use power for good, on Wednesday 5 June. He will call for a major shift in power dynamics during humanitarian emergencies by involving more women in leading, planning, and implementing emergency response operations. He will also highlight the work being done by women across the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in humanitarian response.
Mr Sy is available for interviews between 3-5 June 2019. He can also speak on a range of humanitarian issues, including the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where women and girls account for roughly 60 percent of those infected.
Geneva, 16 May 2019 – The international community must urgently increase its investment in Ebola response efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo before the outbreak escalates further, warns the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Despite some successes in containing the outbreak, there has been an alarming increase in new cases in recent weeks. Twenty per cent of the 1,671 cases recorded up to 11 May occurred during the last three weeks, according to figures from the DR Congo Ministry of Health. Since the outbreak started in August 2018, more than 1,100 people have died, making this the second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history.
Emanuele Capobianco, IFRC’s Director of Health and Care, said:
“The Ebola response faces a double jeopardy of insecurity and critical underfunding. The security situation is complex, and will require a range of responses, including continued increased community engagement. However, the funding situation could be fixed. We need more investment now.
“We cannot afford for Ebola to become entrenched in North Kivu and Ituri, nor can we allow it to spread to urban areas where it will be much more difficult to control. And we cannot allow it to cross international borders.”
Red Cross volunteers come from the affected communities and are constantly engaging with them to address fear, suspicion and concerns about outside help as well as the efficacy of the Ebola response.
Their work is often painstaking. But it is successful. For example, in areas where Red Cross community engagement volunteers have been able to work, community requests for safe and dignified burials have sharply increased. More than 5,000 burials have now been requested since the outbreak started. The success rate of the burials has remained consistently high at around 80 per cent.
Safe and dignified burials are important because of the dangers presented by Ebola-infected bodies. For example, during the 2013-16 West Africa outbreak, 60 per cent of all Ebola cases in Guinea were linked to traditional burials. In parts of Sierra Leone, this figure climbed to 80 per cent.
“In DR Congo, we have trained more than 1,500 volunteers to conduct burials in a manner that is safe, dignified and culturally sensitive. They are critical to preventing thousands of infections and saving the lives of friends and families in their communities,” said Capobianco.
“Now is not the time to let our guard down. Now is the time to double down. Collectively, we have the tools to contain, control and end this outbreak.”
Beijing/Kuala Lumpur/Geneva, 13 May 2019 – Early seasonal drought in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) could exacerbate hunger, malnutrition and health problems for thousands of children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, older people and the chronically ill.
The drought, which started in early spring after months of unusually erratic weather, is harming crops that should be harvested in June and September. The drought follows a lean 2018 where food production was 12 per cent below the previous year and the lowest in a decade. In all, an estimated 10.1 million people (40 per cent of the population) are in need of urgent food assistance – a situation that this drought could only worsen.
Head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) country office in DPRK, Mohamed Babiker, said:
“We are particularly concerned about the impact that this early drought will have on children and adults who are already struggling to survive. Even before this drought, one in five children under five years old was stunted because of poor nutrition. We are concerned that these children will not be able to cope with further stress on their bodies.”
The worst affects of the drought will only be seen in the coming months. However, the IFRC and the DPRK Red Cross are already expanding programmes to help at-risk and highly vulnerable communities to mitigate any food shortages.
The IFRC has released about 77,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to bolster national Red Cross efforts to help 22,000 people. The DPRK Red Cross will use this money to deploy water pumps so drought-affected communities can irrigate their crops. This approach was first successfully trialled during a heatwave in 2018.
In addition, the Red Cross is running about 100 community greenhouses to grow vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, chilis and mushrooms all year round. Volunteers are also looking to pilot household greenhouses to ensure families can eat green vegetables all year round.
Speaking about the causes of the current drought and the broader prevailing food crisis, IFRC’s disaster risk management delegate, Daniel Wallinder, said:
“It seems clear, looking back at data collected over the past 50 years, that the current climate issues in DPRK are strongly related to climate change. What we see now is lack of snow during the winter leaving crops exposed to freezing temperatures as well as prolonged dry spells due to rainfall that is lower and less predictable. For people who are living on the margins, these changes can be devastating.”
Beira/Nairobi/Geneva, 26 April 2019 – Red Cross teams in northern Mozambique are reporting serious damage in towns and communities that bore the brunt of Cyclone Kenneth overnight.
Kenneth made landfall with wind speeds of up to 231 km per hour – almost the equivalent of a category 4 hurricane. Initial reports from Quissanga indicate extensive damage to houses, while communication with Macomia and Muidumbe remains down.
Antonio Carabante, Relief Delegate with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Nampula said:
“These are initial reports, but they are quite concerning. We are being told that the wind caused quite a lot of damage. We are worried, especially about people living in communities that we have not yet heard from. We are working to open lines of communication, and to get personnel and supplies to where they are needed.”
The situation is likely to be compounded in coming days by expected torrential rains. Some predictions suggest that Kenneth could drop as much as 250mm of water over the weekend – equivalent to about a quarter of average annual rainfall for the region.
IFRC’s Carabante said:
“While attention is often given to wind speed, we know from experience that it is rainfall – and subsequent flooding and landslides – that can be even more dangerous from a humanitarian perspective. This was certainly the case for Cyclone Idai.
“The terrain in many affected communities are precarious – many of these areas are prone to flooding and landslides in normal rainfall, and this is far from a normal situation.”
The districts of Macomia, Quissanga, Mocimboa da Praia and Mecufi are expected to experience the worst of the rainfall, according to meteorologists.
Red Cross staff and volunteers across southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique have been helping communities prepare in anticipation of Cyclone Kenneth’s landfall. Their Red Crescent colleagues in Comoros have already supported search and rescue efforts, providing urgent first aid. Red Crescent teams have reported that more than 1,200 people are affected so far with this number expected to rise as homes and crops are damaged and destroyed across the islands of Comoros.
IFRC launched an Emergency Appeal for 31 million Swiss francs to support the Mozambique Red Cross to provide 200,000 people with emergency assistance following Cyclone Idai over the next 24 months.
IFRC is also supporting Tanzania, Comoros, and northern Mozambique, deploying experts to support local efforts in assessing and responding to the immediate needs on the ground.
Beira/Nairobi/Geneva, 14 April 2019 – One month after the worst disaster in Mozambique’s recent history, signs of recovery are beginning to emerge as people return home and as the deadly cholera outbreak appears to be starting to abate.
However, hundreds of thousands of people will need sustained support over the coming months if recovery is to take hold, says the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Florent Del Pinto, Head of Emergency Operations for IFRC in Beira, said:
“There is still a huge amount of work to do, but some of the immediate dangers are passing.
“New cholera cases are declining. This is thanks in part to the work of Red Cross volunteers and staff who have provided clean water and sanitation, as well as treatment and care. But we cannot afford to be complacent – this work has to continue.”
The disaster response operation, led by the Mozambique Red Cross with support from IFRC and other partners, has helped more than 38,000 survivors in the month since Cyclone Idai made landfall. Relief supplies have been distributed to some 19,000 people, 900 people have been treated at Red Cross field hospitals and clinics, and more than 250,000 litres of clean water have been produced and distributed.
“This work has been effective, and we are now starting to see the initial green shoots of recovery in central Mozambique,” said Titus Queiroz dos Santos, Mozambique Red Cross Director of Programmes. “The survivors of this disaster are still suffering, but many are already determined to go home and rebuild their lives and livelihoods. The Red Cross will be there to support them at every step of the journey.”
The Mozambique government has reported that the number of people still sheltering in relocation centres has dropped by half in recent days. The Mozambique Red Cross and partners are distributing relief supplies such as tarpaulins and shelter kits to people in need, and IFRC is deploying a dedicated team to plan a 24-month recovery programme focused on shelter, health, livelihoods and disaster risk reduction.
Some 1.85 million people were affected by Cyclone Idai, which the World Bank estimates has caused 2 billion US dollars of damage in the affected countries. The Mozambique Red Cross and IFRC Emergency Appeal seeks 31 million Swiss francs to support 200,000 people.
Nairobi/Geneva, 11 April 2019 –The deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is worsening as trust in the response effort falters, says the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
This warning follows confirmation of 18 new Ebola cases on Tuesday (9 April) – the highest single day figure in the now eight month-long outbreak. DR Congo’s Health Ministry also reported that 10 died people from Ebola on Tuesday, including eight who died in their communities having not sought treatment and support.
“This is a very distressing development,” said Emanuele Capobianco, IFRC’s Director of Health and Care. “The bottom line is that Ebola is now spreading faster, and many people are no longer seeking care. It is clear that some vulnerable communities do not trust Ebola responders.”
Redoubling efforts to engage with these communities is critical, according to Capobianco.
“Trust can be built by going community to community, working with local leaders and villagers, listening to their concerns with empathy, and incorporating their feedback and preferences into how we work,” he said.
In-depth community engagement is central to the Red Cross operation in North Kivu and Ituri provinces in eastern DR Congo, where more than 700 Red Cross volunteers from Ebola-affected communities are at work. They have reached more than 1 million people with locally adapted information and have collected more than 130,000 “pieces” of community feedback.
“Our research and experience show that when in-depth community engagement takes place, acceptance of outside assistance improves significantly,” said Capobianco.
For example, intense community outreach and engagement in and around the city of Butembo has had a direct and significant impact on the willingness of communities to welcome, and in some cases, request Red Cross ‘safe and dignified burial teams’. The safe burial of people who have died from Ebola is a critical intervention in preventing disease spread, as dead bodies are particularly infectious.
The efforts of the Red Cross and other responders are also hampered by considerable funding shortfalls. Last month, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – IFRC, and the International Committee of the Red Cross – launched a revised emergency appeal for 31.5 million Swiss francs to support response activities in DR Congo as well as preparedness activities in neighbouring countries. So far, only 11.1 million Swiss francs have been received.
Photo: Benjamin Suomela/Finnish Red Cross
Beira/Nairobi/Geneva, 27 March 2019 – News that the first cases of deadly cholera have been confirmed in Mozambique has accelerated Red Cross and Red Crescent disease prevention activities in the vulnerable communities that have been devastated by Cyclone Idai.
Jamie LeSueur, head of operations with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Beira, said: “We will all have to move extremely fast to stop these isolated cases from becoming another major disaster within the ongoing crisis of Cyclone Idai.
“The Mozambique Red Cross and IFRC have been anticipating the danger of waterborne disease from the outset of this tragedy, and we are already very well-equipped to deal with it. We have an Emergency Response Unit ready to provide clean water for up to 15,000 people a day, and another emergency mass sanitation unit ready to support 20,000 people a day.
“Mozambique Red Cross volunteers, who are well respected within the communities, will also be providing supplies of household water treatment, which is one of the most effective ways to prevent cholera,” LeSueur added.
Other measures include the deployment of a Red Cross Emergency Hospital, which is on route to Beira and will arrive today. As well as being fully equipped to treat cases of cholera and acute watery diarrhoea, the hospital can provide medical services, maternal and newborn care and emergency surgery, as well as inpatient and outpatient care for at least 150,000 people.
The Mozambique Red Cross has volunteers specially trained in cholera management who have responded to previous outbreaks. Equipment for creating oral rehydration points in affected communities is being deployed in the coming days.
On Monday 25 March, IFRC tripled its Emergency Appeal from an initial 10 million to 31 million Swiss francs, to support a huge escalation in Red Cross and Red Crescent response and prevention efforts. The funds will enable IFRC to support the Mozambique Red Cross to provide 200,000 people with emergency assistance water, sanitation and hygiene; shelter, health, livelihoods and protection services over the next 24 months.
Cyclone Idai has killed at least 446 people in Mozambique and is estimated to have affected 1.85 million others, according to the United Nations, which also reports that nearly 128,000 people are now sheltering in 154 collective sites across Sofala, Manica, Zambezia and Tete. The floods covered more than 3,000 square kilometres, according to the Mozambique government, and are estimated to have destroyed around 90,000 houses and half a million hectares of agricultural land.
Palu/Kuala Lumpur, 25 March 2019 – Six months after Sulawesi was hit by a powerful and shallow earthquake, tsunami and liquefaction, survivors face a painfully slow and complex recovery.
On 28 September 2018, a series of strong earthquakes struck Central Sulawesi, the worst a shallow, magnitude 7.4. The earthquake triggered tsunami waves of up to three metres high. The tsunami in turn caused landslides and liquefaction that swallowed entire villages whole. In all, the triple disaster killed 4,340 people.[1]
Within minutes, trained staff and volunteers from the Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia or PMI) were in action, leading search and rescue efforts and providing first aid and other life-saving help. In the six months since, a massive emergency response operation by the Red Cross, supported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has reached 119,400 people, with assistance including healthcare for 13,300 people, 16 million litres of safe drinking water distributed to 69,400 people, emergency shelter tools distributed to 100,000 people, psychosocial support given to 13,000 people and 2,300 people helped to trace family members.
Indonesian Red Cross Head of Disaster Management Arifin M. Hadi said:
“This disaster was violent and unexpected and completely devastated communities right across Sulawesi. The response was driven by local organizations and expertise. Indonesian Red Cross volunteers from the affected areas were the first to respond, and they were backed up by the mobilization of 1,426 staff and volunteers from all over Indonesia.
“Many of our own people were affected by the earthquake, tsunami and liquefaction but went into action to help others who were even worse off,” said Arifin M. Hadi.
With the emergency phase now over, the long, complex recovery and rebuilding process has only just begun. As of 12 February, 173,000 people were still homeless,[2] many uncertain where they will be able to rebuild because their land has been swallowed by liquefaction or is at risk of future tsunamis. Aftershocks continue to strike fear even for people whose homes are undamaged. The triple disaster also robbed families of their income, destroying fishing boats and agricultural irrigation, damaging businesses that employed people.
Despite the devastation, survivors speak of their determination to pick up the pieces of their lives. Suriyati, who goes by one name, and used to live in coastal town Sirenja, said:
"When the disaster first happened, I was terrified, and left everything to God. But now survival mode has kicked in, and we're doing whatever we can to build our lives again. Some of my neighbours have begun small businesses to help make ends meet, as the earthquake and tsunami destroyed our farms."
IFRC Indonesia Head of Country Jan Gelfand said:
“It has only been six months since the catastrophe and recovery is understandably slow. We’ve seen from major disasters around the world that cities and communities take years to build but only seconds to destroy. How can you rebuild a coastline, city or community when large parts of it are simply swallowed by the earth? We will continue to stand by people over the next years as they recover and rebuild.”
In December 2018, IFRC revised its emergency appeal upwards to 38.9 million Swiss francs (38.6 million US dollars / 34 million euros) to support the Indonesian Red Cross to reach 167,000 people affected by disasters in Lombok, Sulawesi and the Sunda Straits.
[1] https://bnpb.go.id/infografis-gempabumi-m74-tsunami-sulawesi-tengah
[2] https://bnpb.go.id/infografis-gempabumi-m74-tsunami-sulawesi-tengah
Budapest, 5 March 2019 – Ukrainian Red Cross Society volunteers are being deployed to help contain a measles outbreak that has affected more than 75,000 people, making it the largest outbreak in Europe since 2015. This includes 54,000 measles cases reported in 2018, and more than 21,000 cases registered thus far in 2019.
Poor immunization coverage has contributed to the measles outbreak in Ukraine. In 2018, the measles vaccination rate for newborn babies was only 54 per cent, which is amongst the lowest in the world. This is well below the target of 95 per cent recommended by the World Health Organization. A rate of 95 per cent would protect even those members of the community who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.
Professor Mykola Polishchuk, Acting President of Ukrainian Red Cross Society, said: “Ukraine has one of the lowest vaccination rates against measles in the world and this is a very worrying trend. We are deploying 100 Red Cross volunteers to raise awareness about vaccination and conduct education campaigns to stop the spread of this disease.”
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has released 109,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to help the Ukrainian Red Cross Society tackle the outbreak.
Officials say the low coverage rate and widespread transmission of the virus is due to many factors, including transport costs for those in rural areas, a high number of people with weakened immune systems, such people living with HIV and tuberculosis - and vaccine refusal.
The funds will allow Ukrainian Red Cross Society to assist 90,000 people, including the most at-risk – children under six years of age, people with weakened immune systems, and people who have never been vaccinated against the disease.
The emergency funds will also allow volunteers to help health authorities raise awareness about vaccination, to conduct education campaigns in kindergartens, schools, hospitals and aged care facilities, and to provide protective equipment for Red Cross volunteers.
IFRC Europe Regional Director, Simon Missiri, said vaccine refusal is an increasingly worrying trend worldwide.
“It is hard to believe that children are dying of measles in Europe in 2019,” he said. “This disease is almost completely preventable. Red Cross workers have an important role in helping communities understand the importance of vaccines, and in answering concerns that are increasingly prevalent in many countries.”
The measles operation will run for four months in five regions across the country.
Recent global declines in vaccination rates resulted in more than 110,000 measles deaths worldwide in 2017. The Ukraine outbreak coincides with other measles outbreaks across Europe and in the Philippines where measles cases are up more than 547 per cent in 2018 compared to 2017.
Geneva, 28 January 2019 – The following can be attributed to Francesco Rocca, the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies:“Even during war – when hate and division are part of the daily fabric of political discourse – castaways are protected, thanks to the Geneva Conventions. There is no war today in the Mediterranean Sea: the European Union is at peace. And yet no one is protecting the lives of people escaping torture and rape in Libya.“How is it possible that 47 people can pose such a threat to the entire European Union? Saving lives must be the priority of all governments. We call on European governments to find a durable solution that prevents further deaths in the Mediterranean. We call on the Italian government to let the Sea-Watch vessel dock, and to allow the people on board to disembark and access the help they need. They are human beings, not numbers.”
Budapest/Geneva, 10 December 2018 - Thousands of people trapped in Bosnia and Herzegovina desperately need humanitarian assistance ahead of freezing winter temperatures, says the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Since the beginning of the year, over 23,000 people have entered Bosnia and Herzegovina with the intention to move further into the European Union. An estimated 5,300 migrants remain in Bosnia and Herzegovina, most of them gathered near the Croatian border where they are effectively trapped by the terrain and closed border crossings. Some are living in tents, abandoned buildings and makeshift camps that will offer no protection against winter temperatures that can drop as low as -15° Celsius.
Simon Missiri, IFRC Regional Director for Europe said: “Despite the best efforts of aid agencies to provide food and shelter for migrants, living conditions remain poor and the risk of hypothermia is increasing as cold weather sets in. Without humanitarian assistance, it is difficult to see how many people will make it through to spring.”
The Red Cross of Bosnia and Herzegovina distributes food to up to 3,000 people each day, in six reception centres across the country, but their resources are limited. Staff and volunteers are also distributing warm clothes, sleeping bags and blankets to migrants, the overwhelming majority of whom arrive without winter gear.
IFRC and the Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina are appealing for 3.3 million Swiss francs to provide food over 9 months, hygiene kits and other items including blankets and sleeping bags over the next 12 months to about 1,000 people at two reception centres.
“We are concerned that, without concerted action, migrants will suffer a completely preventable humanitarian disaster. But if we act now – and the actions that we are talking about are straightforward and easily achieved – we can provide some protection for migrants and their host communities in need. But the clock is ticking,” said IFRC’s Missiri.
Red Cross mobile teams will patrol the area to provide food, blankets and hot drinks, and first aid to migrants in areas outside of the reception centres. The mobile teams will also distribute information on active landmine fields to warn migrants of the dangers of unexploded ordinances. Bosnia and Herzegovina remains the most landmine contaminated country in Europe.
Photos available here.