Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...
THAILAND: Severe flooding continues to impact Thailand, particularly the capital of Bangkok and its surrounding communities. Relief has been difficult to deliver as navigating the widespread flooding takes several extra hours by truck, and often utilizes boats as well. Since the floods began in late June, Thai Red Cross has distributed more than 175,000 family kits almost with almost two million bottles of drinking water.
TURKEY: Relief continues to be delivered after the October 23rd 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Eastern Turkey. At least 590 have died and nearly 100,000 may be displaced. The IFRC is working to augment to Turkish Red Crescent’s response, with member societies donating items for the winter (including 60,000 blankets, 3,600 sleeping bags, 3,000 tents, and 1,300 heaters).
CAMBODIA: More than 1.2 million people have been hit by flooding that has affected Cambodia since August, with the Kampong Thom province one of the provinces that has suffered the most. The extent of this year’s flooding, the worst since 2000, has stretched emergency resources to the limit. A total of 143 safe areas had been set up in Kampong Thom, but only 50 of these are still active – the other areas have been inundated by the rising water. At least 21,000 families in Kampong Thom have received flood relief assistance from the Cambodian Red Cross Society.
CHAD: Chad is still structurally fragile as it continues to host almost 285,000 Sudanese refugees, 95,000 Central African refugees and several tens of thousands of migrants from Libya. The ICRC response is evolving from addressing an emergency situation to establishing stability, through projects supporting the Red Cross of Chad. This includes visiting people deprived of their liberty, restoring family links, assisting displaced persons with returning home, treating the wounded, and preventing violations of humanitarian law. In addition the Red Cross of Chad, supported by the IFRC, has sent almost one thousand volunteers into communities to spread the word about how to stop a growing cholera epidemic.
GLOSSARY:
ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
