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These photos were taken in Sierra Leone and Guinea during a recent visit by Elhadj As Sy, the Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) as Red Cross ramps up efforts in response to the Ebola outbreak.

As families prepare for what most people may refer to as the “last weekend of summer”, the Red Cross reminds Canadians that swim season isn’t over yet.

By 2015, roughly 375 million people will be affected by climate-related disasters every year, 100 million more than were directly impacted last year.  And this does not count those affected by non-climate-related disasters such as earthquakes, conflicts and man-made disasters which are expected to affect many millions more.
These disasters often lead to separation of loved ones, leaving vulnerable people with no way to get in contact with those they have lost.

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

We've all seen or experienced disasters; there seems to be more and more of them every year. In those situations, I'm always wondering what I can do to help. Whether you are near the disaster or far from the actual damage, here are three ways you can make a difference:

You may have seen this recent video of a man who capsized while kayaking that’s making the rounds on social media. Luckily, Max is ok but clearly he did not know what to do. In response, we want to offer some kayak safety dos and don’ts should you find yourself in a similar situation.

Surmounting many challenges to achieve her dreams, Red Crosser Odette Cyr has spent the latter part of her life helping others in times of crisis.

While working abroad with the Guyana government, Heather Fehr came across the work of the Guyana Red Cross as she was working on community development projects with the isolated Amerindian populations in the Amazon rainforest.