Text and photos: Julie Lorenzen, Danish Red Cross His brown eyes look tired – almost absent – and the skin is way too pale. He speaks with a voice that is difficult to hear. Nine-year-old Luai and his mother are visiting a primary health clinic, run by Yemen Red Crescent Society in Yemen’s capital Sanaa. Luai has been sick for a while with a fever that shows no sign of abating. “His body is weak. He was fine, when he was little, but then his body started to weaken. I am worried, he cannot fight diseases,” says his mother Fatima. Doctor Anisha examines the little boy and it does not take her long to conclude that he is malnourished and has anemia. There is also a risk that Luai is suffering from internal parasites, a condition common in many Yemeni children. Doctor Anisha prescribes iron and multivitamins. That is all she can do. But this visit to the clinic is a short-term solution. When Luai goes home, his parents can only afford to buy rice and bread because of the sky rocketing food prices in Sanaa. Vegetables are a luxury the family can only afford once a month - like so many other Yemeni families who suffer from the impacts of the 5-year long conflict. Lack of medicine and doctors According to doctor Anisha who has worked in the clinic for 17 years, Luai’s story is sadly familiar. “Five years ago, we did not see many cases of malnutrition”, she says. “But now there are cases in all health clinics around the country. I am worried because it affects their ability to learn in school. We only see the mild cases in this clinic.” Doctor Anisha also sees many malnourished pregnant women which can lead to complications like low birth weight and premature births. According to UN OCHA 3,2 million women and children in Yemen are acutely malnourished - the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition has increased by 90% in the last three years. And it is not only malnutrition the children suffer from. “We see that diseases like measles, diphtheria and chicken pox have returned. They were not present before the conflict,” says doctor Anisha. She used to vaccinate the children, but the clinic can no longer provide this vital service. The vaccinations need to be stored in a cold place, but because of the lack of electricity and fuel, this is no longer an option. It is the same story with the X-ray machine which has not been working since the beginning of the conflict. And the ultrasound scanner has been silent for the last year, since the clinic cannot afford to pay salary to an ultrasound doctor who can operate it. Doctor Anisha is the only doctor to help the approximately 40 patients who come to the clinic every day. “We need more doctors and nurses in the clinic,” she says, adding: “And we need medicine to treat patients with hypertension and diabetes. We can check their blood pressure and blood sugar, but we cannot give them medicine. Medicine is the most important.” The clinic has a laboratory, but currently they cannot carry out liver, kidney and cholesterol tests because of lack of equipment. Today it is free for the patients to get tests done in the laboratory, but in the future, the clinic might be forced to demand payment. It is not going to be easy for the patients. “Our patients are poor,” says doctor Anisha. Stay and risk your own life Many doctors and nurses have fled from the conflict in Yemen. But not Doctor Anisha. “The future is horrible. If you stay here, you are killing yourself. But I stay and do my best. I cannot leave my patients here. I would feel bad, if they came and asked for me, and I wasn’t there.” “We help people the best we can.” According to UN OCHA an estimated 19.7 million people in Yemen lack access to basic healthcare. But only 51% of the health facilities are functioning. The Yemen Red Crescent Society currently runs 22 health facilities around the country.

Panama/Geneva, 27 September 2019–-As dengue spreads rapidly across Central America, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is scaling up emergency assistance to help countries contain the mosquito borne viral disease. In Honduras, more than 71,200 people have been affected by the disease making it the worst outbreak in the country’s history. Nearly one quarter of the cases reported were classified as severe dengue and more than 65 percent of the 128 deaths so far are children under 15. Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica are also reporting massive increases in dengue cases compared to previous years. Dr Maria Franca Tallarico, Head of Health at IFRC’s Regional Office for the Americas said: “Dengue is endemic across the Americas, but what is very concerning in this outbreak is that the majority of the cases and deaths are occurring in children under 15. This is due to a lack of immunity in young people to the deadliest of the four strains of dengue currently circulating in the region.” A combination of seasonal rains and warming temperatures are being blamed for dengue’s rapid spread--creating more stagnant pools that are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. There are rising concerns that this will make the outbreak will be harder to contain. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rising global temperatures rainfall patterns linked to climate change could significantly modify vector-borne diseases and their effect on human populations—making epidemics more difficult to predict and control. Teams of Red Cross volunteers in affected Central American countries have been supporting government efforts to slow the outbreak—providing door to door awareness raising about the disease and how to prevent it. With their unique access to affected communities, the Red Cross volunteers are helping to clean up mosquito breeding sites or accompanying health workers to identify cases. Dr Tallarico said: “The size of this outbreak is unprecedented across Central America. Dengue is a disease that affects the most vulnerable--those who live in places where there is poor sanitation and where mosquitoes thrive. But the disease can be contained if governments and communities work together to raise awareness, access medical care and clean up the environment. This is what the Red Cross teams across affected countries are focused on doing.” The IFRC has launched a regional appeal seeking a total of 2.9 million Swiss francs to support the National Red Cross Societies in Central America to deliver assistance and support to 550,000 people for 12 months. The appeal will focus on community health, water and sanitation and promoting behaviours changes that prevent the decease. Dengue cases have increased 30-fold over the last 50 years, according to the World Health Organization. As one of the world’s fastest growing diseases, dengue is endemic in 100 countries infecting up to50-100 million people a year.

Kinshasa/Nairobi/Geneva, 1 Aug 2019 – A year on, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) continues to spread into new areas across North Kivu and Ituri. An average of 13 new cases are reported daily, in the last three months, as insecurity, community resistance and massive unmet humanitarian needs continue to hamper the international response. Dr Emanuele Capobianco, Director of Health and Care at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said: “There is now a collective recognition that this terrible virus can only be stopped in its tracks when communities are engaged and placed at the centre of the response efforts.” Alongside Ebola, ongoing measles and cholera outbreaks in DR Congo have killed more than 1,800 people in the last year. In addition, two decades of violence and conflict have deprived millions of access to basic services like health and education. “Communities continue to be suspicious of the Ebola response because they feel that it is not addressing their broader needs. Moving forward in this response, we need to ensure that we are adequately responding to the priorities and concerns of these communities. This means expanding the response to include broader health and humanitarian needs.” The confirmation on 30 July of a second case in Goma has underlined the importance of scaling up efforts to fight Ebola. The Red Cross has already been working in Goma, preparing communities, ensuring they understand how to prevent infections as well as recognize and respond to potential symptoms. Since the beginning of this outbreak, Red Cross response efforts have focused on community engagement and safe and dignified burials. Volunteers are working within the affected communities, listening to concerns and gathering feedback that is then analysed and used to provide improved support to people in need. In areas where Red Cross community engagement volunteers are working, there have been more than 9,400 community requests for safe and dignified burials. More than 1,500 Red Cross volunteers have been trained to do this difficult and dangerous work and over 1.3 million people have been reached with information to protect themselves and their communities.

Caracas/Panama/Geneva/Rome, 31 July 2019 – A consignment of 34 tons of medicines and medical supplies arrived at Caracas international airport this morning from Italy, the president of the Venezuelan Red Cross, Dr. Mario Villarroel, has confirmed.This consignment was sent by Italian Red Cross, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and private donors: this is an in-kind donation of 3 million euro to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) 50 million Swiss franc emergency appeal which aims to bring a range of health services to 650,000 people in Venezuela over 12 months.The shipment that arrived today includes essential medicines such as antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, health disposables and a range of medical equipment such as defibrillators.The IFRC operation is focusing on supporting Venezuelan health centres, including the Venezuelan Red Cross’ health network, with medicines and equipment. The operation will also ensure that hospitals and clinics that are being supported have access to clean water and effective sanitation.Francesco Rocca, President of IFRC and the Italian Red Cross, said: “This consignment will enable us to expand our operation, scaling up our support to Venezuelan health facilities and ensuring that vulnerable people can access this much-needed support. “We know this consignment will not meet all the needs in the country: we call on all partners and donors to support our appeal to alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelans. I thank the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian donors who supported us in this new consignment.”Dr Mario Villarroel, President of the Venezuelan Red Cross, said: "Humanitarian aid saves lives and the Venezuelan Red Cross seeks to support the country's health needs. This is support for the people most in need, which has always been the spirit of our humanitarian work.”

Manila/Kuala Lumpur/Geneva, 26 July 2019 – Urgent action is needed to contain a dengue outbreak in the Philippines as cases continue to soar and an unprecedented nationwide emergency alert is issued, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Philippine Red Cross are warning. The Philippines is experiencing an alarming dengue outbreak with more than 115,000 cases reported since the beginning of the year – 85 per cent more than during the same period in 2018. To date, dengue has already led to 491 deaths, 30 per cent of them children between the ages of 5 and 9. The significant spike in dengue is particularly alarming as the monsoon season is only starting in the country. Dengue cases peak during and after monsoon rains, raising concerns that a severe epidemic may threaten the nation in the coming months. The Philippine Red Cross is supporting government efforts to stem the outbreak. Philippines Red Cross Chairman and CEO, Richard Gordon said: “Dengue is one of the fastest spreading viral diseases and children are particularly vulnerable. Tens of thousands of patients are streaming into overcrowded hospitals. Our 2 million volunteers across the country are in the communities raising awareness about preventing infections and when to seek treatment, organising clean-up drives for mosquito breeding sites and supporting overcrowded hospitals.” The IFRC has released nearly 150,000 Swiss francs (7.2 million Philippine peso) from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to support the Philippine Red Cross scale up dengue treatment tents at ten hospitals and provide volunteer nursing staff to care for up to 15,000 patients and their family members. The Red Cross is targeting 300,000 people in at-risk communities with critical information on getting early treatment. Chris Staines, the Head of IFRC’s Philippines office said: “We need to work together to save lives and contain the outbreak which we fear will worsen during the monsoon. Dengue can be stopped in its tracks, but families need to protect themselves from mosquito bites and seek medical treatment if they experience any symptoms such as high fever, headaches, nausea and joint pains.” The current spike in dengue infections comes at the same time as the Philippines continues to deal with a deadly measles outbreak that has stretched healthcare capacities across the country. Elsewhere in South-East Asia, Red Cross teams in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam are also responding to spiking dengue cases.

Dhaka/Kuala Lumpur/Geneva, 19 July 2019 – Days of severe rains have battered the northern and southeastern part of Bangladesh, putting more than 4 million people at risk of food insecurity and disease. Floods and landslides have damaged roads and vital infrastructure leaving hundreds of thousands stranded and without power and electricity. More than 66,000 homes have been destroyed. Food and clean water shortages are being reported, as well as a rise in waterborne diseases. Azmat Ulla, the Head of the Bangladesh Office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said: “These communities are reeling under the full force of the monsoon rains and the ensuing floods and landslides. Even if the rains recede, overflowing rivers upstream will worsen the flooding in the coming days.” Food crops are under threat of being wiped out by floods across major farming and agricultural lands. There are fears that destruction of crops may lead to food shortages. Those most at risk include children, breastfeeding mothers, pregnant women, and the elderly. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society has mobilized 675 volunteers to support communities in the flood-affected districts. In addition to carrying out rapid assessments, teams are distributing food, clean water, hygiene kits and tarpaulins to families whose homes were destroyed or damaged by the landslides. Md. Feroz Salah Uddin, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society said: “Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed which puts people further in the direct path of dangerous floods. We are seriously concerned about access to the affected populations. A critical priority for Bangladesh Red Crescent volunteers right now is to reach these stricken communities with relief supplies.” In response to the heavy flooding IFRC has just released 452,439 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund that will allow the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society to provide food, relief items and cash for 10,000 of the most affected families living in the worst hit districts.

Kampala/Nairobi/Geneva, 12 June – Red Cross teams are on high alert following the confirmation of the first Ebola case in Uganda. According to the Ministry of Health, a five-year-old boy from Uganda returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) on 10 June. The child presented with Ebola symptoms and was transferred to an Ebola treatment unit in Bwera. Robert Kwesiga, Uganda Red Cross Secretary General, said: “This is a worrying development, but we have been preparing for this day for months now. We have been scaling up our efforts, in close coordination with government and other actors to help communities prepare for Ebola, and to contain its spread.” The Uganda border is close to the epicentre of the DR Congo outbreak, which is now the second largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded. Uganda Red Cross, with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has trained hundreds of community-based volunteers in anticipation of the potential spread of Ebola. Volunteers have been trained in Ebola screening, as well as in risk communication and community engagement, community-based surveillance, and psychosocial support. In addition, Red Cross has procured equipment for safe and dignified burials and has provided training and technical support to Ministry of Health which will lead on the delivery of safe and dignified burials in Uganda. Andreas Sandin, IFRC Operations Coordinator, said: “We are ready to adapt and expand our support, but we must take stock of the lessons we have learned from the response in DR Congo. “Epidemics and pandemics start and end in the communities – we need to ensure this remains a community-led response to ensure we prevent Ebola’s further spread.” IFRC is also supporting the National Red Cross Societies of Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan to prepare for the potential spread of Ebola into their countries.

They jumped on the grass, on the stage, in the stands, in their strollers and even in the arms of their parents. The children who participated in the 63rd edition of the Children’s Carnival, put on by the Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society (TTRCS), thoroughly enjoyed themselves, some more than others. Taking place on the last Saturday in February the day began as an overcast one and it seemed like it would literally rain on the parade. However, by the time the festivities began in earnest, the dark clouds had dissipated and only an occasional drizzle gave respite from the blistering Carnival sun. The costumes sparkled and swayed as children as young as three and as old as sixteen strutted their stuff in front of the judges who included an actress, an artist and a former Miss World. There was even a category for babes in arms and the tiny tots stole the hearts of all present as they showed that culture had no age limit. There were dragons and temples and samurai and steelpan, warriors and sailors, devils and butterflies. There was a unique category this year as the Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society sought to use culture to disseminate information. The Zika Category was a vector-borne or mosquito themed costume that had to showcase the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Extra points were awarded for the use of recycled material, natural materials or a combination of both. There were a few who took up the challenge and this saw twin brothers portraying ‘Must-keith-toe 1’ and ‘Must-keith-toe 2’. ‘The Defeat of the Egypti’ and ‘An Armour For Aedes’ were two other costumes in the Zika category. There were several depictions that used recycled material, ‘Bottlemania’ was constructed entirely out of plastic bottles, and there also was ‘Recycle Party’, ‘Madam Recycle’ and ‘Save the Environment, Recycle It.’ The TTRCS kept the learning going by hosting a booth where the children could participate in two Zika games. The first was a life size board game called ‘Zap That Mosquito’ where the aim is to get points and move to the end by correctly answering questions about Zika. The second game was higher tech as it immersed the players in a virtual reality world where they had to kill mosquitos on a large screen. Both went over well as children clamoured for a chance to play and some got caught up in the excitement. The Red Cross Children’s Carnival is a staple on the Carnival calendar and is anticipated by the young and old. Initially, it began as a fund raiser for the Northern Branch of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society but it has evolved over the years to one of the few main events in Trinidad Carnival that caters to children. It is planned by a committee and executed with the help of volunteers. The money raised has been used to help the National Society defray operations costs, purchase vehicles, including ambulances, provide training, assist fire victims as well as the vulnerable and conduct outreach. The proceeds obtained in 2019 will go towards the implementation of a peer-to-peer initiative called Youth as Agents of Behavioural Change (YABC). This youth development programme seeks to foster leadership in youth by empowering them to be more active in their schools and communities.

Caracas/Panama/Geneva, 29 March 2019— The President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has announced that IFRC will have unhindered access to bring humanitarian aid into Venezuela to support a major scale up of medical care and other assistance by the Venezuela Red Cross. The announcement comes after a series of meetings this week in the Venezuelan capital Caracas with institutions and humanitarian, social and political groups. Speaking at a press conference in Caracas, IFRC President Francesco Rocca said: “The IFRC will be able to scale up health activities across the country in a manner that is independent, neutral, impartial and unhindered, reaching more vulnerable people.” “In a country torn apart by the struggle between powers, the power of humanity has prevailed. This is a crucial step forward in expanding humanitarian services in Venezuela, with a specific focus on health, saving more lives, and alleviating the suffering of vulnerable people who are facing a dire situation.” With IFRC support, the Venezuelan Red Cross currently runs a network of 8 hospitals and 33 medical clinics. It also offers community-based medical screenings, consultations and disease prevention and hygiene programs. The Venezuelan Red Cross has more than 2,600 volunteers working across the country, including 500 who deliver first aid. “As we scale up our operations, we can count on the committed Venezuelan Red Cross volunteers to reach people in need, whoever they are and wherever they are, with health care as the priority,” said Mr Rocca.

Manila/Kuala Lumpur/Geneva, 7 March 2019 – Children in the Philippines are at serious risk of a deadly measles outbreak that has already claimed the lives of 261 people, most of whom are youngsters under age five, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned today. The spread of measles has been on the rise in the Philippines in recent years due to a range of reasons including low vaccination rates across the country. In 2018, cases were up 547 per cent compared to 2017. Already this year there has been more deaths from measles than was recorded in 2018 when 202 people died from the disease. Worryingly the death rate from this year’s outbreak is higher than in 2018 and the number of cases continues to rise. Philippines Red Cross Chairman and CEO, Richard Gordon said: “Some 2.6 million children could be at risk, so we are drawing on the skills and dedication of our two million Red Cross volunteers to go door-to-door and neighbourhood-to-neighbourhood to reach 100 per cent of our unvaccinated children in the country within 12 months. The Philippines Red Cross, in close cooperation with the Department of Health, is rolling out a massive social mobilization campaign across seven of the hardest hit regions to provide vaccination and raise awareness in an effort to contain the outbreak. With many local hospitals overwhelmed, the Red Cross is also operating seven measles tents (Measles Care Units) to help with the clinical management and medical care of highly contagious patients, and to prevent the infection of other patients and visitors coming to the hospitals. IFRC has launched an emergency appeal of 2 million Swiss francs (1.99 million US dollars) to enable Philippines Red Cross to vaccinate 260,000 people, raise awareness about immunization and provide clinical support for 12 over-crowded hospitals. Recent global declines in vaccination rates resulted in more than 110,000 measles deaths worldwide in 2017. The Philippines outbreak coincides with other measles outbreaks across Europe, the United States, New Zealand and Madagascar where declines in vaccination rates have also been observed.

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.