Emergency (Page 20)

As the flood waters in Kootenay Boundary Regional District in B.C. receded, the extent of the damage was revealed. The Canadian Red Cross is supporting the recovery efforts by providing cleanup kit, as well as direct financial assistance to impacted households in need on a case-by-case basis.

Over the weekend of May 12, the Kettle River in Grand Forks, B.C. flooded into the downtown region forcing several low-lying areas to evacuate. The Canadian Red Cross is helping meet the urgent needs of flood-impacted residents in Grand Forks and the rest of the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary. We encourage evacuated residents to register with Emergency Social Services or the Red Cross. 

As flood waters begin to recede in communities along the St. John River in New Brunswick, residents are turning their attention to cleaning up and recovering from the disaster. The Canadian Red Cross is offering financial assistance in the form of an electronic funds transfer of $300 per household to assist residents returning home after the evacuation. 

There is substantial flooding along the St. John River and other waterways in New Brunswick, significantly impacting Fredericton, Saint John and other communities. As flood waters continue to rise, residents are evacuating. The Canadian Red Cross is on the ground, supporting affected individuals and families. 

In May 2016, a devastating wildfire in Alberta forced the evacuation of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes all of the residents in Fort McMurray. More than 80,000 people were forced to seek safety and shelter away from their homes. The Canadian Red Cross was on the ground early to help provide assistance throughout the month-long evacuation and after people returned home. Two years later, the Red Cross remains in the region and is committed to helping the people who were impacted recover at their own pace.

By 9 a.m., fog has burned off and I am already looking for shade as we begin the hour-long walk through the makeshift settlement in Kutupalong. We are headed to the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society mobile clinic. After many trips, we know the trail reasonably well, only occasionally needing the local volunteers to guide us through new market areas or construction sites, which seem to appear everyday along the route. We are from different worlds - Bangladesh, Myanmar and Canada - yet we chat easily about the work day to come. What was chaotic and overwhelming a few weeks ago has become familiar – it is easy to forget that this great sprawling village is one of the largest camps of displaced people in the world.

The people of Eastern Ghouta have had to endure weeks, months and even years of fighting.
I had the opportunity to visit two of the camps that are now hosting thousands of people who are not only hungry and in many cases sick, but also tired. Tired of living in conflict. Tired of not being able to live a normal life.

The day after Christmas in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan this year was chilly: -35C chilly. Carmen, Jordy, one-year old Otis and the family cat decided to enjoy a fire in their fireplace to warm up. They didn’t know that a squirrel had been hoarding pinecones in their chimney. Their living room quickly filled with smoke and soon the roof of their old home was in flames.