Kuala Lumpur/Geneva, 18 August 2021:Southeast Asia is battling the world’s highest COVID-19 death toll driven by the Delta variant and unequal global distribution of vaccines. Hospitals remain overwhelmed by record surges across Southeast Asia, from Vietnam to Malaysia and Myanmar as fears mount of greater suffering and loss of life with COVID-19 spreading from cities to rural and regional areas. In the last two weeks, Southeast Asia has recorded38,522 deaths from COVID-19, nearly twice as many as North America, according to theJohn Hopkins UniversityCOVID-19 data dashboard. Alexander Matheou, Asia Pacific Director, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said: “This COVID-19 surge driven by the Delta variant is claiming a tragic toll on families across Southeast Asia and it’s far from over. We fear that as the virus spreads from cities to regional and rural areas that many more lives will be lost among the unvaccinated. “Vaccinations are at record rates in some countries, yet many Southeast Asian nations have low portions of the population fully vaccinated and are languishing far behind Western Europe and North America.” The United Kingdom has fully vaccinated 60 per cent of its population, while Canada and Spain stand at around 64 per cent, according to Oxford University’sOur World in Data. By contrast, Malaysia has fully vaccinated 34 per cent of its population against COVID-19, Indonesia and Philippines, close to 11 per cent and Vietnam less than 2 per cent. Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and most Southeast Asia countries are all battling record COVID-19 infections or death tolls. Seven of the top 10 countries where COVID-19 deaths have doubled the fastest are in Asia and the Pacific, with Vietnam, Fiji and Myanmar all in the top five, according toOur World in Data. “In the short-term, we need much greater efforts by richer countries to urgently share their millions of excess vaccine doses with countries in Southeast Asia. We also need vaccine companies and governments to share technology and scale up production,”Mr Matheou said. “These coming weeks are critical for scaling up treatment, testing and vaccinations, in every corner of all countries in Southeast Asia. We must aim for mass vaccination rates of 70-80 per cent if we want to win the race against the variants and overcome this global pandemic.” Until vaccination levels reach a critical mass, in the short-term it is also crucial to reinforce health protection measures, such as wearing a mask, physical distance and meeting outdoors or in well ventilated spaces. The IFRC is seeking vital funding for its global emergency COVID-19 appeal, with around 60% of the appeal covered so far. The funds are crucial to support the lifesaving actions of the IFRC and member Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies around the world. Photos of Red Cross and Red Crescent activities are available for download

Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta/Geneva, 13 July 2021:A deadly wave of COVID-19 fuelled by the Delta variant is crashing into South East Asia as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warns of a widening global vaccine divide. Countries across South East Asia from Indonesia to Thailand, Malaysia and Myanmar are facing hospitals full and overwhelmed while many race to roll out vaccines. Around 10,000 COVID-19 infections are being recorded in Thailand a day, more than four times a month ago, while deaths have also reached record highs. Infections in Viet Nam have surged past 2,000 a day, close to 10 times more than in early June. Richer countries such as the United Kingdom have fully vaccinated more than half their populations. Viet Nam has fully vaccinated less than 1 per cent, Thailand around 5 per cent and Indonesia 5.5 per cent, according toOxford University’s COVID-19 Our World in Data. Alexander Matheou Asia Pacific Director, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said: “Millions of people in Asia are living on the cruel and sharp edge of a global vaccine divide between richer countries that have a steady supply and most nations in Asia that are struggling to access sufficient doses to keep their populations safe. “There is mounting evidence that COVID-19 vaccinations are already saving tens of thousands of lives around the world.” Across Asia, thousands of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers are racing to vaccinate people alongside health authorities, yet vaccinations are struggling to keep pace with the variants and the spread of the virus. “It is encouraging that a number of richer countries have made generous pledges and donations of vaccines to countries in Asia in recent weeks,” said Mr Matheou. “We need to speed up the delivery of these lifesaving doses so that we can get them in to people’s arms, giving us a genuine shot at containing this pandemic once and for all.” The IFRC is seeking vital funding for its global emergency COVID-19 appeal, with around 60 per cent of the appeal covered so far. The funds are crucial to support the lifesaving actions of the IFRC and member Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies around the world.

A little over six months ago the world watched in horror as a massive dam wall collapsed in Laos. It was late July 2018 when powerful flash floods caused by the collapse of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower dam hit more than 13,000 people in the southern province of Attapeu, Lao PDR. The floodwaters swept away the homes of more than 6,000 people and left behind mud and rocks on farmlands which had been the source of livelihoods and income for many families in the region. Today, many of the affected people have returned to their newly-repaired homes, while those whose houses were destroyed remain in the temporary shelters, waiting for permanent housing being built by the Laos Government. For Ing Phommachan, 51, and his family of seven, life has changed dramatically. He used to make a living selling products from his rice plantation and his farm animals. Now, he can no longer support his five children’s primary and secondary education. Many aid organizations including the Lao Red Cross have been providing support to families like Ing’s, distributing household items such as kitchenware and bedding, as well as food and clothes. In January 2019 the Lao Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) distributed cash grants to 1,464 households; those people whose houses were severely damaged, and who were living in temporary shelters in Sanamxay district. Depending on the number of family members, they received between 70 to 106 Swiss francs (69 to 105 US dollars). This cash-based intervention is the type of assistance that helps people meet their specific needs with freedom and dignity. In Attapeu where people were unable to go back to farming, cash allows them to buy food, medicine, and, among the most popular items, bicycles which could take them to find jobs and bring their children to and from school. In the case of Ing, he plans to use the cash on his children’s education. With his old vehicle destroyed in the flood, he will also buy transportation to take them to school. Hinla Saiyawong, 35, is from Thahin Village in the Sanamxay district. As a farmer, he used to be able to support his family of five, including his sister. He’d sell his products - including the river fish that he often caught from the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy River – at the market, making about 70 to 117 Swiss Francs (69 to 117 US dollars) to support his family every month. The July 2018 flash floods destroyed his house and his farm. For the next three months his family stayed at an evacuation centre until they again moved; this time to a government-built temporary shelter in Dongbak district. While the family had been provided with support such as food, household items, and hygiene products, Hinla still struggled to find ways to carry his produce to sell at the market and to send his children to school. He says the cash grant support will enable him to acquire necessary items to restore his livelihoods and support his family. He, too, also wants to buy a vehicle to transport his products and his children. As the communities slowly rebuild their lives, the Laos Red Cross continues to work with IFRC to help them restore their livelihoods, secure safe shelter, and improve the quality of water, sanitation and hygiene. And Laos Red Cross will stay with them, helping them to prepared for future disasters. -- This operation is made possible with support from the following donors and partners: American Red Cross, Australian Red Cross, Hong Kong branch of Red Cross Society of China, Danish Red Cross, European Commission – DG ECHO, Facebook, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Italian government, Italian Red Cross, Japanese Red Cross Society, Luxembourg government, New Zealand government, Red Cross of Monaco, Spanish government, Spanish Red Cross, Swedish Red Cross, Swedish government, Swiss government, Swiss Red Cross, The Canadian Red Cross Society, Canadian government, The Netherlands Red Cross (from Netherlands government), The Republic of Korea National Red Cross, United Nations Development Programme (from Chile government) and the Western Union Foundation.