International 53

The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.

As natural disasters increase in frequency and severity, so does the need for communities and individuals to be prepared. That's why Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies from around the world have launched the Disaster Resilience Journal project, sharing photos and stories of communities preparing for disasters with resilience in a changing world.

As communications staff at the Canadian Red Cross, we often get the opportunity to meet some of the many amazing individuals who contribute to our humanitarian work worldwide.

The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.

This week, the Red Cross (IFRC) opened its first Ebola treatment centre in Kenema, Sierra Leone, a district hard-hit by the outbreak. The centre can house up to 60 patients when at full capacity. The centre has so far admitted 5 patients, including an 11-year-old girl. 

How many times did you touch someone today: a family member, a friend, a colleague, the person beside you on the bus? How many times did you rub your eyes, touch your lips, scratch your nose? A world without touch is strange thing, and a humanitarian mission where you’re not allowed to touch other people is both physically and mentally challenging.

Sometimes getting there is half the battle. In reality the journey is more like one per cent of the battle, but when flights stand between you and your mission, it can feel like the biggest battle of all. I'm five flights into a seven-leg journey to Conakry, the capital of Ebola-affected Guinea, with every flight bringing me closer to supporting the regional Red Cross team providing services to the West African countries affected by the outbreak.

The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.