International 7

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.

In 2019, the Central American region suffered the most extensive dengue outbreak of the decade, with more than one million people affected by the outbreak. With the support of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, National Societies are working alongside communities in the most affected areas to equip them with the information and materials necessary to control and mitigate the effects of the dengue outbreak.

As we get ready in ring in 2020, we're reflecting on some events from the past decade that brought together international aid workers, inspired innovative solutions to complex challenges, and showed the amazing capacity for resilience humans have in the face of disasters.

Volunteers and staff from the Bahamas Red Cross have been supporting affected communities since Hurricane Dorian made landfall on September 1 - three months later the work continues. 

From November 25 to December 16, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign is taking place around the world. The Canadian Red Cross works to address sexual and gender-based violence both in Canada and internationally, read how. 

Gender-based violence can happen to anyone, but some people are more vulnerable - especially those living in war and conflict-affected areas. International Humanitarian Law protects women in times of conflict, read how. 

About an hour’s drive south along the coast from Beirut lies the five-story 75-bed Hamshary hospital. Run by the Palestine Red Crescent Society, it was initially set up to provide health services to the surrounding Palestinian refugee camps, but the hospital is open to anyone in need.