Disaster Response (Page 41)

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

Today, August 19, marks World Humanitarian Day and to honour aid workers and volunteers around the world, we’ve compiled a few stories of people who dedicate their time to humanitarian efforts.

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

​Heavy rains started in the nation of Myanmar in Southeast Asia in mid-July and continued in many areas of the country, resulting in the flooding of villages and towns, as well as thousands of acres of farmland.  According to the government’s figures as of August 15, more than a million people are affected, with close to 100 deaths.  Floods have caused 12 of 14 the country’s regions to be in difficulty.

Gary Tinker did not know what to expect when he arrived at the Evraz shelter on July 1. He and his family had just spent nine hours on a bus ride from Pinehouse, Saskatchewan. Like the 1,500 residents from his community, he was given little time pack before leaving.

Red Cross volunteer Fabrice Vanhoutte loves putting a smile on children’s faces. So, he has plenty of tricks up his sleeve for the young people in a Saskatoon shelter.
 
“If I see a kid who is upset, I don’t necessarily go right up to them but I stay nearby and play my mouth organ or start showing a card trick,” says Vanhoutte.
 

It’s an exciting time for some of the people evacuated by the Saskatchewan wildfires who get to return to their communities. There are plenty of smiles as they board buses on their way back home. Most have mentioned looking forward to sleeping in their own beds; others are excited to see their pets.

Lynn MacLeod didn’t worry when she volunteered to fly across the country to help people affected by the Saskatchewan wildfires. She knew that she was well-prepared.

“I’m so happy for all of our Red Cross training! It means I can go anywhere in the country and know how to help,” says MacLeod, who is from Prince Edward Island.