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Students today are bombarded with images and headlines of humanitarian crises. The Syrian refugee crisis and violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) around the world have made humanitarian education in the classroom more relevant than ever. The Canadian Red Cross offers Exploring Humanitarian Law Educator Trainings to teachers across the country, where participants learn the basic rules of International Humanitarian Law, also known as the law of armed conflict.

The Capacity Strengthening for Emergency Response in Africa (SERA) program is part of a partnership between the Canadian Red Cross and the Government of Canada. A large part of the SERA program involves training local Red Cross Societies in partner countries to help them be better prepared to handle disasters. 

Earlier this summer in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, I participated in Exploring Humanitarian Law educator training, a program. This free session is sponsored by the Canadian Red Cross with support from Global Affairs Canada, and introduced us to an education program that’s designed to help students aged 13 to 18 learn about humanitarian action, international law and justice. 

It’s that time again: the summer Olympics are here! Known for bringing both triumph and tears for athletes around the world, the location of the 2016 Games is also raising concerns about the Zika. While the World Health Organization (WHO) has said the Rio Olympics will not alter the international spread of Zika, efforts to limit the virus’s effects across the region remain as important as ever.

The community of Coaque is about a 15-minute drive along the highway from where the Canadian Red Cross field hospital is based in Pedernales, Ecuador. The field hospital has been supporting a local health facility damaged by the April earthquake. Doctor Patricia Connick has been going out on mobile clinics like this nearly every day of her one-month mission.

In times of disaster and emergencies, the work done by humanitarians at home and abroad is essential. Over the last two years, Canadian Red Cross aid workers have assisted with earthquakes in Nepal and Ecuador, at Syrian refugee camps and with Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu, among many others. Disasters, both natural and manmade, are increasingly common. This is why the work of the Canadian Red Cross focuses not only on sending aid workers to emergencies, but also training and educating the next generation.

Following  a powerful, 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the province of Esmeraldas, on the coast of Ecuador on April 17, the Red Cross responded to support the needs of those affected by deploying a health Regional Response Unit (RRU) jointly with the Colombian Red Cross. The RRU was deployed to reinforce health centres and community outreach activities as well as to operate satellite health posts and mobile clinics in various locations across Ecuador.

The Canadian Red Cross' Emergency Response Unit (ERU) provides emergency medial and surgical care during disasters and emergencies around the world. Training for the ERU involves is extensive and intense,  and  includes an immersive simulated disaster training scenerio. This year, members of other national Red Cross societies joined the ERU training to help strengthen the capacity for their countries' disaster prepardness.