International 6

With twelve of the twenty countries most vulnerable to climate change in conflict, the International Committee of the Red Cross is calling for humanitarian and government support to make sure climate action and support are reaching the most vulnerable. 

75 years ago, atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The scale of the destruction which resulted from their use was unprecedented; the immediate blast killed over 150,000 people. (Some estimates put the death toll closer to 200,000). The suffering caused by the destruction and nuclear fallout continues to this day.
 

For people living in conflict zones, the COVID-19 pandemic represents an additional dangerous threat. Learn why International Humanitarian Law is important to protecting civilians' health in these conflict zones.  

Five years ago today, a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, killing approximately 9,000 people and injuring more than 20,000. The earthquake destroyed over 600,000 homes, damaged healthcare facilities, destroyed crops and decimated livestock.

Around the world, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. While our responses may be different, based on the needs in our areas, our commitment to provide impartial aid to the most vulnerable can be seen in action. Here are just a few snapshots of the work underway.
 

Around the world, a weather or climate-related disaster occurs every one to two days with millions of people needing life-saving assistance each year. When the Red Cross responds to emergencies and disasters, it's important that we consider the environmental impacts of our work - here's how we're doing that. 

One member of the Far East Welfare Team was Jacqueline Van Campen, now a resident of Victoria, BC.  She was recruited by the Canadian Red Cross in 1953 when she was working on her Master of Social Work at Laval University. She spent a year in Japan and three months in Korea near the front, where she worked in various Maple Leaf Clubs. 

February 12^th is the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers. Around the world, children are associated with, and used during, armed conflict with devastating effects on both the child and society. A child associated with armed conflict is not limited to children who engage in the fighting, as children are often used by parties to a conflict as cooks, messengers, and/or for sexual purposes. Many armed groups specifically recruit or capture children because they are easy to physically and mentally control.