Disaster Response (Page 28)

Dry and severe weather caused wildfires to spread quickly throughout British Columbia, with approximately 100 wildfires sparked on July 7 alone. With a province-wide state of emergency declared, support is needed for thousands of families and individuals evacuated from their homes and communities.

Combatting acute watery diarrhea/cholera requires knowledge, skill, equipment, medicine, and most importantly: good, clean water. But how can that be accomplished when an increase in cases of acute watery diarrhea/cholera is seen in a developing country experiencing a severe drought?

Last week, Facebook announced it was partnering with humanitarian organizations including the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) to help fill a data gap that occurs when a disaster strikes.

Volunteer André Robert has participated in many major Red Cross responses, including the train explosion in Lac-Mégantic and the Syrian refugee arrival, and has worked for various NGOs over the course of his career.

They shuffle across the dirt threshold. The older ones lean on others for support. Some are too weak to walk and are transported in on a mattress by a team of concerned relatives. Younger children are carried, limp and listless in the arms of their worried parents. All in obvious signs of distress. They do not know what’s wrong with them. They only hope the medical staff of the Canadian Red Cross Health Emergency Response Unit (ERU) can help them feel better.

In communities, big and small, local libraries are a meeting space for young and old and of course, a place to sign out books, DVDs and audiobooks. When High River’s library was severely damaged by the Southern Alberta Floods in 2013, it moved to a temporary location while repairs and rebuilding took place. It was then that unique needs started to emerge.

The impact of Cyclone Mora is being felt along coastal areas of Bangladesh which made landfall in south east Bangladesh this morning (May 30). With high winds and heavy rains, the Bangladesh meteorological office has warned that coastal districts could face flooding as a result of 4-5 metre storm surges along the sea front.

"I don't ‎need that much. Please keep it for people who need it more."
"I lost all the baby pictures of my four boys."
"Thanks for everything you are doing for us".

Volunteer Guy Lepage shares some of the conversations he's had while on the ground, responding to the flooding in Quebec.