If you are searching for an appeal document, please visit our dedicated Appeals page. If you are searching for an evaluation of, or research related to, our work, please visit our dedicated Evaluations and research page.
In the heart of Togo’s capital, Lomé, a group of men are rewriting the narrative of their community. They’re members of the Togblékopé Father's Club, and they’re on a mission to become champions for women.
Set up by the Togolese Red Cross in 2013, the Father’s Club seeks to tackle the harmful attitudes and behaviours holding women in the country back.
It began when the Togolese Red Cross Society discovered that many pregnant women in Lomé weren’t accessing the healthcare services they needed—in some cases because they didn’t have the means, but in others because their male partners simply weren’t letting them.
So volunteers set up the Father’s Club to bring men in the community together and help them understand why it’s important to respect, and stand up for, women’s rights and needs.
Ten years on, members are now dubbed ‘Papa Champions’ and proudly advocate for women’s reproductive health, tackle gender-based violence, and act as role models for other men in their community.
Sama Abdou Rahime Arabiou, Togolese Red Cross volunteer and President of the Togblékopé Father’s Club, is the driving force behind the initiative and has a heart full of compassion. He believes women are integral to the well-being of every community and deserve to live as freely and happily as men.
The first priority for the Father’s Club was reproductive health. Traditionally, women in Togo have had limited access to information about family planning and reproductive health services. So Papa Champions headed out into their community to share trusted health information with men and women.
“We do door-to-door sensitization. We talk to men about the benefits of breastfeeding and other health-related activities,” explains Sama.
Women in Togblékopé report seeing a big difference in their partners and in community attitudes towards women, thanks to the Papa Champions.
“Before, there were some women who couldn’t do anything. They did nothing and were always at home. But through our meetings, their husbands let them start businesses. They now accompany their wives to the hospital for the prenatal consultation for childbirth,” says Azoumi Boukari, a mother from Togblékopé and member of a local Mother’s Club set up by the Togolese Red Cross.
Papa Champions are also very active in tackling the pervasive issue of gender-based violence, often running workshops for men on understanding consent and respecting women’s boundaries.
They also patrol their neighbourhoods to ensure women can walk safely without fear of harassment, intervening whenever they see a woman in distress and setting a positive example for younger generations.
“Since this club was started in our community, I have seen a lot of changes in my husband…They [Papa Champions] have brought joy to our homes,” adds Azoumi.
The Togblékopé Father's Club has proven that men can, and should, be powerful allies in the fight for women's rights and gender equality.
Not only have they improved the lives of women in their community, they’ve set a precedent for a more equitable society in Togo—in which being a ‘champion’ for women is no longer noteworthy, it’s the norm.
When the 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Morocco late at night on September 8, Said was out of town and away from his family home located in the small rural town of Tamaloukte—close to the earthquake’s epicentre.
Immediately, he rushed back home through the rubble and debris of collapsed buildings that now inundate the surrounding roads.
Upon arriving home, he discovered the remnants of his house—barely recognizable and almost completely destroyed by the earthquake.
While he had been rushing home, Said’s father, Mohamed, had tried desperately to save his three grandchildren who were inside. But, tragically, two of Said’s three children—his 11 year-old daughter, Asma, and 5 year-old son, Ibrahim—did not survive.
"I was sleeping at home when the earthquake hit. I was told that my second house [where the grandchildren were at] had collapsed, so I came rushing to save my grandchildren but found them under the rubble, unresponsive. The roof came down while they were inside,” explains Mohamed.
Asma and Ibrahim are two of the 47 victims who have lost their lives to the earthquake in Tamaloukte.
The Moroccan Red Crescent, with the support of the Qatar Red Crescent, has been giving Said’s family vital psychosocial support as they come to terms with their immense loss.
Volunteers have also provided Said’s family with a tent, warm blankets, several mattresses and clothes to get through the initial aftermath of the disaster.
This assistance is just the first step in what will likely be a long and difficult journey to recovery.
Behind every stat or number in this crisis, there is a story: stories of lost loved ones, neighbours, friends. Stories of futures, stolen in an instant, and of broken homes.
Through our Morocco earthquake emergency appeal, the IFRC network is supporting the Moroccan Red Crescent to be there for families like Said’s now, and long into the future.
While we cannot replace what he has lost, we will do everything we can to help Said and his family rebuild their lives.
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To support people like Said who have lost everything due to the earthquake, please donate to our Morocco earthquake appeal today.
Geneva, 13 September 2023 - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has announced an emergency appeal for 10 million Swiss Francs to scale up the Libyan Red Crescent's relief efforts in response to the floods caused by Storm Daniel in north-eastern Libya.
The disaster, which struck on Sunday, 10 September, has led to overwhelming destruction, leaving thousands of people missing and severely straining already fragile infrastructure. Areas like Derna, Benghazi, and Tobruk are among the worst affected. Despite the challenges, Libyan Red Crescent volunteers were the first on the ground, assisting in evacuations and administering first aid and ensure a respectful and dignified burial of the dead.
The emergency appeal is designed to further strengthen the Libyan Red Crescent’s capacities in emergency healthcare, emergency shelter, psychosocial support and water and sanitation services. Red Crescent teams will especially support vulnerable groups including women, children and the elderly and the disabled.
IFRC's Secretary General, Jagan Chapagain, said:
"We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those affected by this disaster, including three brave Libyan Red Crescent volunteers who lost their lives during rescue operations. We are faced with an acute and unprecedented situation. International solidarity and support is crucial for the ongoing operations and for preventing a second wave of crisis related to disease and further distress."
Chapagain further urged the international community and said:
"The time to act is now. We call upon the international community, partners, and donors to contribute generously to this emergency appeal. Your solidarity can transform lives, rebuild communities and offer a beacon of hope to those engulfed in this large-scale disaster."
More information
Click here to donate to our Emergency Appeal for Libya.
To request an interview, please contact: [email protected]
In Geneva:
Tommaso Della Longa: +41 79 708 43 67
Mrinalini Santhanam: +41 76 381 50 06
In Beirut:
Mey Alsayegh: +961 3 229 352
19 August is World Humanitarian Day. As the world’s largest humanitarian network, World Humanitarian Day is an important moment for the IFRC to reflect on the lifesaving, life-changing work of our more than 16 million volunteers and staff.
In every corner of the globe, you’ll find a Red Cross or Red Crescent volunteer doing incredible things for their local community.
Whether they’re performing first aid or providing emergency medical services to people after disaster strikes.
Offering a friendly, listening ear to people struggling with their mental health.
Supporting people on the move to access vital humanitarian services along their journeys, so they are not alone.
Reuniting families with lost loved ones when separated by conflict or crisis.
Setting up early warning systems so communities know when hazards are approaching and how to stay safe.
Or cooking hot meals and setting up shelters for people who have lost their homes.
They are all dedicated to serving, supporting, and caring for communities.
In short: no matter the crisis, no matter how hard the challenge, no matter who needs help, and no matter where they are, our Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarians are there for communities.
#NoMatterWhat
We give our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of our volunteers and staff for making our world a better, safer and more united place.
Because in the face of rising disasters and challenges, the world needs humanitarians more than ever.
Get involved
Learn more about how you can become a humanitarian by volunteering for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Join in the conversation about World Humanitarian Day on social media by following us on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn using the hashtag #NoMatterWhat.
Discover the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement that guide our humanitarian work.
Kapoeta, South Sudan has seen a drastic change in recent times. As residents walk by in the hustle and bustle of this small, rural town, you can see it in their faces: fatigue, most likely from hunger.
This is the second failed rainy season for a community that depends on cultivating crops. As I drive by local farmers’ fields, nearly all the crops I see are dry and struggling.
Andrea Loteng, 64, shows me around his farm. He’s the chairman of the local farmers’ association in Kapoeta South county and shares how erratic this year’s weather patterns have been.
“The rains this year came a little early in March. I planted maize and sorghum but the rains disappeared in May. I lost over 5 acres of crops. Now that it’s raining in July, I planted again, this time holding on to hope the rains will not fail,” he explains.
Anyuon Malwan, Area chief of Atarabara, Kapoeta South also describes the situation as dire:
“This is the second round of maize I am planting this year that is now failing. At least last year I harvested once.”
Some farmers have reached breaking point and abandoned farming altogether, turning to mining for gold instead. Travelling long distances, they camp at mines for weeks on end to try their luck at collecting a few grams of gold in the local streams. If they do get lucky, a gram can fetch around 50 US dollars. But this livelihood, too, is risky and highly dependent on the rainy season.
Soaring food prices
Failed harvests in much of the Horn of Africa, coupled with the international armed conflict in Ukraine and regional conflict, have led the price of grain and cereal in Kapoeta to increase drastically.
“In 2021, we used to buy a kilo of maize flour at 300 South Sudanese Pounds (34 US cents), today the same packet goes for 1,300 (1.5 US dollars),” says Anyuon.
Unable to cope with the inflation, many residents in the area have resorted to more affordable cereals, such as sorghum. Those who cannot afford grain at all are forced to scavenge for wild leaves in nearby forests.
Children’s lives at risk
This poor diet is having devastating consequences for children in the Kapoeta region.
Yaya Christine Lawrence is a nurse at a stabilization centre for malnutrition in Kapoeta Civil Hospital. She attends to 3-year-old Lolimo, who was admitted on 22 July with severe oedema (swelling in the ankles, feet and legs) from poor nutrition.
“When Lolimo came he was in a really bad state. We have been giving him treatment to clear the fluids before we can now start building up his weight. His case is one of the many hundreds we see in a month.”
Lolimo’s mother, Joska, is a single parent and doing her best to raise him, but times are hard.
“All I can afford to give him occasionally is sorghum and wild leaves. I have no source of livelihood to offer him a better diet,” she says.
Supporting the most vulnerable
Women-headed households are bearing the brunt of food insecurity in this part of South Sudan. The Kapoeta region is hardest hit with, with more than 274,000 people classed as severely food insecure.
The South Sudan Red Cross (SSRC) recently conducted a needs assessment in the area, giving priority to women-headed households and people with disabilities, with a view to distributing cash to help them boost their livelihoods and put food on the table.
Supported by the IFRC and the Japanese government, the SSRC is also actively training community members in Kapoeta in disaster preparedness, including early warning for drought and floods, in groups called Community Disaster Response Team (CDRT).
To mitigate the negative effects of climate change, SSRC volunteers are also planting fruit trees, and distributing seedlings, in Juba and other branches across the country as part of its ‘green fund’ initiative. Mango and guava trees are more resistant to drought and only take a few years to start bearing fruit, so will provide a more reliable source of nutrients to local communities.
“The needs related to food insecurity in Kapoeta region and South Sudan are great. If we can strengthen localized response capacity and the community structures, we can address the enormous and unprecedented level of humanitarian needs because of the frequency and intensity of climate-related hazards,” says John Lobor, Secretary General of South Sudan Red Cross.
“Beyond responding to immediate food needs, we hope to build resilience, so families don’t have to grapple with climatic shocks year in, year out,” he adds.
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Click here to learn more about the IFRC’s response to the current hunger crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa.
And to support people like Andrea, Anyuon and Joska, please donate to our Emergency Appeal today.
Iran is highly vulnerable to climate change. In recent years, the country has suffered from both severe flooding and droughts linked to our warming world.
In July 2022 alone, flash flooding killed 90 people, destroyed communities, homes, and livelihoods across the country, and left thousands displaced.
Local Iranian Red Crescent volunteers are experienced in responding to disasters like these—deploying quickly to provide lifesaving first aid and rescue services, food, water, shelter, health services, and long-term support to recover.
But as well as just responding to climate-related disasters, the Iranian Red Crescent Society is increasingly working to prepare for them, and even prevent or reduce their impact on communities.
And to do that, they’re working with nature. Specifically, our planet’s superheroes: trees.
Trees play a critical role in fighting climate change. Most people know that by absorbing carbon, producing oxygen, providing shade and cooling, and maintaining soil health, trees contribute to the overall health of our planet.
But did you also know that trees can also help protect us from weather-related disasters?
Trees can:
Soak up excess water during floods and prevent, or slow down, run-off
Hold rainwater in the ground to reduce damage caused by droughts
Protect coastal communities from tidal surges
Help stop or slow down avalanches and mud flows
Hold down soil to stabilize the ground during earthquakes andlandslides
Understanding this power of trees to protect communities, the Iranian Red Crescent Society launched a nation-wide tree-planting campaign earlier this year to help mitigate the impacts of climate change across the country.
Together, their youth volunteers planted a staggering 100,000 trees in the space of just 20 minutes.
Equipped with shovels, watering cans, bags of soil, and tree saplings, more than 10,000 youth volunteers got to work digging holes and planting trees at an incredible pace— showing unity and positive action in the face of the climate crisis.
“Every individual can make a difference, whether it's through volunteering with local organizations, supporting policies that promote sustainability, or making individual lifestyle changes. I encourage volunteers and non-volunteers around the world to come together and act on climate change.” - Movahed Najjar Nahavandi, IRCS youth volunteer from Mazandaran province.
Climate change is a complex problem that requires urgent action at the local, national, and global level. But by working together, and by working with nature, we can make a difference and help protect our communities.
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The Iranian Red Crescent Society is not alone in taking climate action. Visit our dedicated nature-based solutions page or check out our Working with Nature to Protect People report to learn how the IFRC network is working with nature to reduce climate change and weather-related disasters.
You can also visit our climate-smart disaster risk reduction page for more information on how our network is preventing or minimizing the impact of climate change and other hazards on communities.
Khartoum/Nairobi/Cairo/Geneva, 6 July 2023 - As the armed conflict in Sudan enters its third month, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) has so far moved more than 1,520 tonnes of vital food, relief items and medical supplies into the country by ship and by air.
To date, SRCS has received over 20 international flights and two shipments of aid.
The SRCS, supported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and partner National Societies, has been able to import and distribute food, essential household items and much needed medical supplies to the most vulnerable families across the country, including in Khartoum. This also includes supporting the distribution of 1,285 tonnes of food provided by the World Food Programme.
SRCS Secretary General, Aida Elsayed, said:
“With 40,000 volunteers in 18 branches around the country, SRCS is the largest humanitarian organization on the ground in Sudan. We are working across both sidesof the conflict in full compliance with Red Cross Red Crescent Fundamental Principles and Code of Conduct, including distributing food supplies into Khartoum where many people have been cut off for weeks.”
With nearly 2 million people forced to flee the violence, many of them women and children, often with only what they can carry, the SRCS has provided much needed food and water, emergency shelter and medical supplies. This includes more than 40,000 meals and food parcels, 24,000 first aid and medical treatments, and 740 wounded persons evacuated.
IFRC Regional Director for Africa, Mohammed Omer Mukhier, said:
“In addition, we have three flights and five shipments of goods in the pipeline, which include cars for the teams and more food, non-food and health items. They are coming from donors including the IFRC, the Red Crescent of the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait Red Crescent, Egyptian Red Crescent, Spanish Red Cross, Swiss Red Cross, and China Red Cross.
“But it’s not enough. Much more is required and more action needs to be taken to grant better access to humanitarian workers. Our appeals are desperately underfunded and as the conflict continues, more people are being forced to move to safety, often with very little to protect them from the approaching rainy season.”
The IFRC has launched two Emergency Appeals in response to this crisis:one to support the Sudanese Red Crescent Society to help people inside Sudan andanother to support National Societies in six neighbouring countries welcoming people fleeing the conflict.
Outside Sudan, the presence of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' staff and volunteers at border points is crucial. They are operating Humanitarian Service Pointsto provide people fleeing the conflict with essential services such as psychosocial support, first aid, food and support to make contact with family members left behind.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
InNairobi:
Susan Cullinan, +61 457 527 197, [email protected]
Rita Nyaga, +254 110 837 154,[email protected]
InBeirut:
Mey el Sayegh, +96176174468, [email protected]
InGeneva:
Anna Tuson, +41 79 895 6924, [email protected]
Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367
Born in a tiny fishing village on theisland of Abaco in the Bahamas, Lovely Reckley was raised on a cuisine straight from the sea. “Growing up in Fox Town, we were actually right on the water,” she recalls. “The waves put you to sleep and they wake you up in the morning.”
“We basically grew-up on seafood,” she recalls. “We would eat other stuff, but the seafood we really loved. My mom was a great cook. I watched and saw everything she did and I really learned a lot from her.”
So it’s no wonder that many years later,Lovely runs a small restaurant in Marsh Harbourknown for its affordable, delicious traditional Bahamian comfort foods: seafood, chicken dishes and burgers, always served up with a new, personal and innovative twist.
Aptly namedLovely’s Delight,the restaurant also became a critical community hub in the months after Hurricane Dorianslammed into her home island of Abaco last year, and many islanders lost literally everything. Homes. Belongings. Many also lost loved ones.
A scary time
It was a scary time, says Lovely, who was evacuated from Abaco along with her husband just a day before the storm hit due to her husband’s medical condition. “I had to leave the island, leave my children and my grandchildren and my great-grandson behind,” she says. “It was scary becausethere was no communication until a few days after the hurricaneto know if everybody was ok.”
“It was like about a week after the hurricane that we found out that I’d lost my home and everything in the home, our vehicles and everything.”
Lovely almost lost her husband, who had a stroke the eve of the storm. And she almost lost the restaurant, a beloved local fixture that was also known as the home base for Lovely’s long-time commitment to providing meals to local children in need. “We had a lot of damage to the restaurant,” she recalls.
The Hurricane Burger
Ultimately, the restaurant pulled Lovely and her husband through — becoming their new home after a renovation made possible by the American Red Cross and the CORE added a new living space to the small structure. And because Lovely’s Delight was one of the first businesses to reopen, it provided a place for people to gather after the storm, easing their minds and their hunger pains.
“We could get up and running and help people with food, which was on the island but because so many homes were destroyed, and people were living in tents, they couldn’t cook for themselves.”
So once again, Lovely’s Delights became a base for making meals for people in need of some comfort during hard times. “Because of the help that we got from CORE and the Red Cross we got our building back in shape so that we can truly save our community,” Lovely says. “I was able to cook meals, make bread … That was a big help.”
Meanwhile, Lovely’s Delight is a real family affair with kids and grandkids prepping and serving dishes such as “The Hurricane Burger” (in honor of the many storms people here have weathered), spicy chicken wings with names like “Da Burner”, and burrito-style wraps made with lobster, fish, chicken and shrimp.
Now it’s the grandkids who are picking up culinary tips from their very own local celebrity chef grandma. “When I first got the restaurant, all of the children were involved,” she says. “Now it’s myself and my two grand-daughters and we have a few other workers that also come help. They’re always there to help out.”
Lovely’s fried fish with peas ‘n’ rice
Kiev / Ukraine, 27 June 2023 – Water-borne diseases are a growing threat for people affected by flooding from the Nova Kakhovka Dam collapse earlier this month. This threat poses a significant challenge in an already complex and volatile situation. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) network with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society continue to scale up to help tackle the new risk.
Since day one, the Ukrainian Red Cross mobilised in the Kherson region to help affected communities. Despite being under fire, teams continued to help people evacuate safely and provide first aid along with other relief items.
Oleksandr Babenko, Head of the Ukraine Red Cross Health department says:
“From the early hours of the emergency situation, the Ukraine Red Cross is responding to the humanitarian challenges to assist the affected population. We are closely cooperating with local authorities to provide timely and effective support. We pay particular attention to informing people about preventing the spread of infectious diseases, especially through drinking water, in the territories of the Kherson, Zaporizhia, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Mykolaiv regions.”
The Ukraine Red Cross with the IFRC network are helping communities access a reliable clean water supply and adequate hygiene and sanitation. Red Cross teams continue to provide affected communities with relief items as well as mental health and psychosocial support.
“Ensuring access to clean water is now a critical priority in a region that is already facing so many challenges. Time is of the essence to get ahead of the spread of diseases so we all have to work together,” says Jaime Wah, IFRC Health Coordinator. “No one can do this alone. On top of financial and technical support provided to Ukraine Red Cross already, we are ramping up resources so we can offer access to clean water and provide for the needs moving forward in recovery.”
For more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected]
For decades, the border town of Cucuta was a departure point for people escaping Colombia’s instability towards a new life in their eastern neighbour. Now the situation has reversed and each month over 50,000 migrants cross the border from Venezuela to Colombia, many carrying their last possessions on their back.
With no money even for a bus ticket most are forced to embark on a perilous high-altitude trek on foot for days through twisting mountain passes, sleeping under the stars in bitterly cold temperatures before reaching the city of Bucamaranga. Here are their stories.
Safety in numbers
Eighteen year-old Yusmil arrived in Colombia with her brother, and the two joined a larger group on the road for security. As a young female, Yusmil is usually chosen to seek a ride in a car or truck and take the group’s luggage further up the route while the rest of them walk, though without a phone between them, communication is difficult. Yusmil sheepishly explains that she has already spent the last of her money, the $10 she got from selling most of her hair to a barber in Cucuta. With the little she has left, she has made into a braid.
“I sold my phone back in Venezuela just before I left, which gave me money for a day or two and when I arrived in Colombia, I sold my hair. The hair cutters gave me 30,000 Pesos ($9) and I have spent it already on rent and food.” she continues: “We don’t know where we’ll sleep tonight, we’ll keep on walking until we can’t walk any more.”
“I met Jose and the others at the Divina Providencia shelter in Cucuta and thought it would be a good idea to stick together when travelling. I’m a bit worried because I heard some gangs assault migrants on the road, and I’m not looking forward to the cold weather of the mountains. We don’t have the right type of clothes.
We left Cucuta in a group of about twenty-five and tried to help each other out as people fell behind. In the evening, we found a kiosk where a woman gave us some cookies and water to keep us going. We walked for an hour more until we found an improvised shelter and the next morning we got up and just started walking again.”
Weaving their way in a new land
By the toll booth on the main highway stretching out of Cucuta, the sunlight glints off the yellow and green handbags dangling from the neck and arms of Jesus and Gabriela Campos. But these are no ordinary handbags. Rather than being made of leather, the raw material for these colourful and sturdy apparel is the currency from their native Venezuela.
Due to hyperinflation and government devaluations, the small amount of money that Jesus and Gabriela brought to Colombia could not buy anything, so they decided to convert it into a tradeable product.
The bags are composed of folded, interlinking rectangles (with denominations ranging from 1,000 to 100,000), all intricately woven by the artisan couple from the coastal city of Valencia. “We take the old bills and turn them into bags, wallets, chequebook holders and purses,” Gabriela explains over the rumble of passing cars and trucks. The Campos’ sell in different areas of town but the toll stop, with the nearby hot dog grill and roaming coffee vendors, attracts a ready supply of cars.
“Eight hundred bills make up one bag, which can almost buy you a sweet back home. Two years ago, you could do something with this money but now it’s not possible.”
Gabriela has a sick father in the Cucuta hospital, which sometimes takes her away from her day job, but she says that her young children are also learning the family trade from their small home in Villa del Rosario. At the moment it takes a whole day for them to make one bag.
A car slows down as a potential customer peers out of his window. Gabriela walks over holding the bags aloft so Jesus continues with his part of the story.
“When I arrived here, I was sellingarroz con leche(a traditional rice pudding) that would pay our rent of 20,000COP ($6) per day. Venezuelans wanted to pay me with our currency, one time someone even they gave me 90,000 Bolivares in denominations of 1,000, so I had a lot. I thought that these were going to be worthless shortly, so I might as well try to do something productive with them.”
“Back home I used to make ornaments with cigarette packs and paper from magazines and I thought if I can do it with those things, I can do it with the bills,” Jesus adds. “My first customers were some guys doing a charity bike ride, who bought two bags and ordered some more. We can tailor make [these products] depending on what size and style you want. Yesterday I woke up at six in the morning to come to sell the bags at the toll and didn’t finish until late at night.”
A medical migration
For five-year-old Samuel Garcia, growing up in Le Tigre, eastern Venezuela wasn’t easy, particularly because he suffers from West Syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. At first, Samuel’s mother Emily took him each month to the Colombian Red Cross’ health centre in Cucuta for medicine and later for appointments with a paediatrician. Now, Emily is on the road to Medellin where a foundation is offering specialized support.
“When Samuel was one year old, he had a lack of oxygen supply to the brain, creating a lesion which led to this condition.” Emily says: “He can’t control his sphincter, and specialist diapers are not available in the country, so Samuel wasn’t accepted into school due to the complexity of his condition.”
Scampering around the shelter wearing a Spiderman t-shirt on a warm November afternoon, Samuel seems oblivious that he is in the middle of a lifechanging journey. But Emily explains that their decision to leave became urgent.
“As well as autism and problems with movement, he has convulsions and goes into shock. If the convulsions are not treated, they can leave him a vegetative state.”
Women sit in a circle in the courtyard as a nurse is splayed on the ground to demonstrate first aid techniques. Suddenly a man is carried through the front door in the middle of a violent seizure and the staff flock to his side.
Despite an impressive crowdfunding campaign by Emily (Samuel has an Instagram account) to raise money to import medication from Spain and the United States, this ultimately wasn’t sustainable so the two fled.
Emily says she’s been advised that she claim asylum in Colombia on medical grounds.
“We have passports but not residency in Colombia, so I want to regularise our status so Samuel can get into special school and get access to specialised healthcare. I was a chef back in Venezuela, but I can’t work legally while applying for asylum.”
The doctor across the border
Near the Colombian Red Cross health station in Cucuta, a constant flow of people passes over the Simon Bolivar bridge from Venezuela into Colombia. But not everybody plans to stay in Colombia.
Bianca Rodrigues’ son Alejandro is the last patient of the day to be checked by exhausted doctors and, after that, the family will make the hours-long journey back to their hometown of San Cristobal, Venezuela. Every week, Bianca takes her children over the border to receive healthcare and medicine that is unavailable back home.
“My son Alejandro is just ten months old and today he has a fever. He suffersconstantly from allergies that block his bronchi and that leads to respiratory infections. When he was two and half months old, I first brought him to Cucuta and he was hospitalised for 15 days.
I live in San Cristobal, just over the border in Venezuela but there are no paediatricians in my town, so I need to travel to Colombia every week. It’s a hopeless situation – there are no antibiotics, and a shortage of doctors to the point that they only attend emergencies. It’s only 40km away but the transport is very unreliable, and it takes a long time to cross the Colombian border as the police check everybody’s suitcases.
It’s my dream to move here but I don’t have any place to stay and day care is expensive. I also have two other children aged 5 and 3. At least in San Cristobal I have my mother who can sometimes take care of Alejandro and the kids while I work. I sometimes come to Cucuta to work as a street vendor selling cookies and that allowed me to save up a bit of money. But since Alejandro got sick that has become more difficult.”
“I never thought I would be in this kind of situation”
Behind Bogota’s main bus terminal, an informal tented settlement in the woods has spilled over into the nearby roads. Here, Brihan and his family have made their temporary home. Hundreds of migrants have constructed improvised shelters from scavenged materials and line them precariously alongside the roadside. The encampments are divided by train tracks so, occassionaly, a one-carriage locomotive chugs through interrupting people gathered around around small campfires.
“I’ve been here for five days with my family, but I don’t know if I want to stay in Bogota. I’m not sure what to do next. I heard Ecuador might be good but if I find work here, I’ll stay.
Back home I worked as gardener and cleaned swimming pools. I have three kids aged 8, 3 and eight months and we are giving them a few days to recover after the journey. It took us five days from the border. We only saw one shelter on the way but sometimes Colombians in their cars gave us a ride and handed out food.
My son has a fever. When we arrived in Bogota, we went to the hospital and they gave him an injection to boost his defences but in general, they only give emergency treatment for free, and the follow ups cost money. I came here with 2000 pesos (75c) so I can’t afford that.
I never thought I would be in this kind of situation and my children would have to see this, but there’s no other alternative. I heard that Ecuador offers free day-care, so we can leave the kids somewhere while we work, and maybe there is a better chance of access to healthcare.
I built this shelter last night with the materials our neighbours gave to us. Before that we slept next to the wall with a bit of tarpaulin. This is not a good environment for kids, there are rats here, people here fight all the time and some use drugs. I hope I can get better connected somehow and get a construction job and get them out of here.”
Coming home
Luimer and Itza spent months pounding the streets for work and accommodation to set themselves up in Bucamaranga before they went back home to bring their two sons. Luimer is now teaching music at a church and Itza a domestic worker for a Colombian lady. After participating in the census, they have their residency papers, are in the process of enrolling their sons in school and hoping to gain nationality through Itza’s Colombian mother. Her experience reflects the overlapping patterns of migration in the region – Itza’s grandmother went to Venezuela decades ago to flee instability, and now her granddaughter is making the return journey.
LUIMER: "We are from San Cristobal, Venezuela, near the Colombian border. In my previous life I was a music teacher with 160 students. But then the economy took a downturn.
There wasn’t as much work as I was promised so when we arrived, we had to hit the streets, selling chocolates, washing cars, doing construction etc. I have done lots of things I never thought I would do. I could barely use a hammer before. Now I have a job at the Free Life Church teaching keyboards, drums and guitar.
In the beginning we were living in a room only about a metre wide. Now I feel that this is our family home, we decorated and set ourselves up, and we have a dog."
Every week the local Red Cross organises a social gathering for migrants. A lot of Venezuelans go into their own survival mode when they arrive and don’t always interact with each other so it’s nice to meet up to share stories and make friends.
ITSA:"I used to work at a café, on the minimum wage. Then, two years ago, this became not enough to survive.
A lot of people have left. My father is in Peru. My brother-in-law and sister are in Chile; friends in Ecuador, cousin in Panama…but my mother and sister are back in San Cristobal [Venezuela] and we left the kids with them while we set ourselves up here, which required a lot of strong will.
We like it here because it’s close enough for us to visit our family once in a while. My father has said that he can arrange some work in Peru, but I don’t know if I want to go through the process of moving again."
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This story was produced and originally published by the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine. To learn about the Magazine, and to read more stories like this,click here.
“I heard the bullets outside when I was cleaning. My boss told me the war had started.”
These are the words of Theresa*, a young woman from Kenya who bravely agreed to share her story with me about fleeing the conflict in Sudan. Feeling afraid for her safety, she asked me to not publish her photo.
Theresa had just started working as a domestic worker with five other young women in a large home in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, when the fighting broke out.
“I was new in Sudan. My bosses left for Egypt and I stayed with five girls and three security. The electricity went off, there was no water, it was too hot.”
She says thieves came into the house, tied up their security and started looking for her and her fellow workers.
“We went and hid upstairs at the top of the house where there was a water tank. The thieves broke the doors, took gold, money, everything in the house. Even my passport.”
“They came upstairs and looked around. We had left a phone and kettle of tea and they said ‘the girls are around and have taken their tea here’.”
“I was inside the water tank. They shot bullets so we would come out, but we didn’t. We kept quiet in that tank of water until they ran away.”
Theresa and her fellow workers fled the house several days later when another group of men came and moved into it.
“I left everything in that house. The road was not safe. The bombs were everywhere. They were shooting, I didn’t care [if I died]. […] I came to my embassy. I stayed there then they brought me to Kenya.”
Theresa is just one of 44 people I met in Nairobi airport who’d managed to get evacuated to safety from the conflict in Sudan.
They drifted through the airport gates in small pairs and groups, collapsing onto chairs that volunteers from the Kenya Red Cross (KRC) had set out for them. “Karibu, you’re welcome” were among the first words they heard.
The group was made up of mostly women – their evacuation prioritized due to the increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence. They had come from different countries and had all been in Sudan to work or study.
Social worker and Kenya Red Cross volunteer, Alexina, tells me most of the women and some of the men she’s helped have survived sexual violence. She’s welcomed numerous groups now, and stories like Theresa’s are shockingly similar. People have often fled in a hurry, or their possessions have been stolen en route, meaning they typically have no passports, money or belongings by the time they reach Nairobi.
When they arrive, evacuees first register with Kenya Red Cross volunteers who take their details to help reconnect them with their loved ones. They’re then led to a tent where they can have quiet conversations with trained mental health workers.
Inside the tent, volunteers, including psychologists and a social worker, sit with small circles of evacuees who share their stories of what they’ve been through. This early psychosocial support gives people who’ve been through traumatic situations a chance to start to process what’s happened.
Next is a police table to help them with ID documentation. Then there’s a comfortable welcoming area where people enjoy food and drinks, and a first aid station with medical and hygiene supplies. People can access free phone services, and the Kenya Red Cross runs a bus service to transfer people to free accommodation.
“I’m very happy to be back in Kenya now […] When they were looking for me and I was inside the water tank, I thought that was my day to die,” says Theresa.
After recounting her story, Theresa looks numb and exhausted. I struggle to find adequate words as we say goodbye. She climbs, carrying her one bag, into one of the buses, and I think about what I should have said: “I’m in awe at your resilience, Theresa.”
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An estimated nine million people have been affected by the conflict in Sudan. Some 1.2 million people have been displaced internally and nearly half a million people have fled to neighbouring countries.
The IFRC has launched two Emergency Appeals in response to this crisis: one to support the Sudanese Red Crescent Society to help people inside Sudan, and another to support National Societies in six neighbouring countries welcoming people fleeing the conflict.
To help people like Theresa, please donate to our appeals by following the links above.
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*Name has been changed to protect her identity.