International 18

Read blog posts from the Canadian Red Cross about our international programs and relief efforts

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Volunteers on the ground in Bangladesh providing psychosocial support

​The image of a group of women heading out to the makeshift camps in Bangladesh, their Red Cross t-shirts visible beneath their lightweight headscarves, remains in the mind of Denyse Bourgault. Bourgault was on the ground in the Cox’s Bazar district as a psychosocial support (PSS) delegate from the Canadian Red Cross to help those who crossed the border fleeing violence in Myanmar.

To reach the most vulnerable, especially vulnerable people must be remembered

The moments, days, and years following a disaster or emergency will be felt differently by each person who was affected. Some groups of people are more vulnerable to the impacts of these events than others – recognizing those unique vulnerabilities is an important part of preparing for, and responding to disasters and emergencies. The Canadian Red Cross is working with partner National Societies and the IFRC to help ensure the needs of the most vulnerable are met during times of emergencies and disasters.

A shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen at the Red Cross field hospital in Bangladesh

On a stifling and humid afternoon in November, Julekha ‘Juli’ Akter sat on the floor of a small tent for families in the transit camp for vulnerable people arriving in Bangladesh after fleeing violence in Myanmar. The 18-year-old Bangladesh Red Crescent Society volunteer held the hand of an elderly woman, never breaking eye contact as the newcomer tearfully explained her journey.

Saving a newborn life at the mobile clinic in Bangladesh

A tiny baby, wrapped tightly in blankets, his face just peeking out, sleeps tucked up against his resting mother, under the watchful eye of his grandmother. It’s a scene that plays out all over the world, but in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh on Nov. 25 this story nearly had a different ending.

How access to clean water is protecting and empowering rural women in South Sudan

Amid swirling dust clouds and gnarly thorn bushes in the dry, arid landscape of northern South Sudan, a water point is enveloped with women’s laughter. A group of women catch up during their morning errand to collect nearby water. It hasn’t always been like this in Pacyic village. Before the water point was rehabilitated by the Red Cross, women and girls would trek more than two hours by foot to the river side three times a day, often risking their safety and security for a few litres of water.

Providing relief at the mobile clinic in Bangladesh

Even in the heat, the woven bamboo siding on the Canadian Red Cross mobile medical clinic in Kutupalong camp keeps it cool inside. Sherry Humphrey, a registered nurse, sits next to her translator on a short red stool as the pair works out why Halima came to the clinic.

Bringing smiles with health care, stories from Canadian Red Cross mobile clinic in Bangladesh

The giggles of excited children could be heard over everything else. A couple of the observant kids outside one of the Canadian Red Cross mobile clinics in Kutupalong camp, spotted team leader Patrice Gordon sorting through a bag with toys. It didn’t take long after she stepped out into the bright sun, for a small swarm of these little, dusty bodies to flock around her.

Distributing aid in Bangladesh with a song sung for those fleeing violence in Myanmar

​Haibur Rahman sits on a chair in front of hundreds of people in Burma Para camp in Bangladesh. He pauses for a moment. Someone hands him a megaphone. He takes a deep and begins to sing. He doesn’t have formal training, but the audience is moved. Some hold their heads in their hands, others wipe away tears. Haibur is singing a song of his people and their experiences leaving their home while fleeing violence in Myanmar.

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About The Blog

The purpose of this blog, quite simply, is to talk. This blog is an opportunity for Red Cross staff, volunteers, supporters and friends to share stories about what is happening in your community and the important work you are doing. It is a tool that will help keep all of us connected.

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