International 1

Amr is a media officer with the Palestine Red Crescent Society. Like many of his colleagues, his family has been impacted by the ongoing conflict in Gaza. We first introduced Amr after his family fled the north of Gaza to Khan Younis. We connected with him after his family had to flee again, this time to Rafah, and then one year after the escalation of hostilities. 

In the spring of 2024, Canadian Red Cross health advisor Lynn Henderson arrived in Ukraine to deliver a series of trainings for personnel of the First Medical Union of Lviv, which is the largest healthcare facility in Western Ukraine. 

In January, I had the opportunity to travel to the Philippines with Kelsey Lemon, Vice President, International Cooperation at the Canadian Red Cross. The purpose of our visit was to reinforce shared commitments with the Philippine Red Cross, identify future opportunities, and gain a better understanding of the programs and strategic directions of the Philippine Red Cross. 

Today, Olena Lysogorov lives with her daughter Tatiana and her two grandchildren in a shelter in Cherkasy. The shelter has been renovated by the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, with the support of the Canadian Red Cross, to welcome those displaced by the conflict. Originally from the Donetsk region, she was living in the town of Kramatorsk when an explosion destroyed her home three years ago. 

The Canadian Red Cross has a long and proud history of women involved in its humanitarian services, with more than 100 years of providing help and hope. Today, women still play a vital role in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, in Canada and around the world. To commemorate International Women’s Day, we want to celebrate an example of two women working, learning, and leading together.  

Awni, his wife Tahrer, and their son Yehya are all members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society’s (PRCS) emergency medical response team. They begin each day not knowing whether it will be the last time they wish one another a safe shift. Since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023, their work has taken them into the heart of the destruction in Gaza, into the remains of what were once vibrant communities. 

Over the last year, many countries in Eastern and Southern Africa have navigated cholera outbreaks due to weather-related issues like heavy rains, floods, and landslides. The Comoro Islands (Comoros), a small country made up of three islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, was among the countries that faced a cholera outbreak. In Comoros,  a significant number of cholera cases affected children and youth.

France Hurtubise, a retired Communications delegate living in Montréal, looks back on her experience in the humanitarian sector and shares her story with us. Over the course of 25 years working abroad, France traveled to four continents and worked in countries heavily impacted by conflicts and disasters. In May 2022, she published “Grandeur et dénuement”, an account of her years with the Red Cross (ICRC, IFRC and CRC) and the UN.