Africa

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Canadian Red Cross impact in the Africa region

Woman in colourful clothing holds baby with a loving gaze
(Photo Credit: Canadian Red Cross)

In our work across the Africa Region, we strongly value the principle of community-driven action, recognizing the inherent strength and knowledge of communities in addressing their needs. 

The belief in partnership and collaboration with local and regional organizations and communities is key to our approach. We prioritize listening to local voices and perspectives, ensuring that our interventions are rooted in local context, culture, and wisdom. By fostering meaningful partnerships with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies across Africa, we strive to co-create initiatives that are relevant, effective, and sustainable. 

Our collaborative efforts focus on empowering us collectively, to work on anticipatory action, preparedness, leading emergency responses to crises and driving long-term recovery and resiliency efforts.

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Working with local partners in the Africa region

 

Somalia-Somaliland


(Photo credit: Angela Hill / Canadian Red Cross)

The Canadian Red Cross has worked alongside the SRCS since 2017, supporting health, programming around protection of women and girls, and increasing SRCS’s ability to respond to emergencies.

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Mali


(Photo credit: Mali Red Cross)

The Canadian Red Cross has been supporting the Malian Red Cross and the Malian Ministry of Health since 2012 with a focus on improving healthcare services for local communities, with particular attention to the health of mothers, newborns and children.

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Supporting people impacted by the Africa Humanitarian Crisis


You can help support people hit hard by multiple humanitarian crises in Somalia and other impacted African countries by donating to the Africa Humanitarian Crisis appeal

Donations enable the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Somalia and other impacted African countries to provide immediate and ongoing relief efforts, long-term recovery, resiliency, and preparedness for future events in and around the impacted regions.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent are working as quickly as possible to coordinate emergency efforts to help people in Somalia and other African countries. Your donation could help provide health care, relief supplies and assistance for individuals and families, displaced populations, and those experiencing food insecurity.

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South Sudan

Group of Malian Red Cross volunteers standing outside a local household
(Photo Credit: Juozas Cernius / IFRC)

With hundreds of staff and thousands of volunteers across 21 branches, the South Sudan Red Cross fosters community empowerment, resilience and dignity in the areas they serve. Faced with complex challenges exacerbated by conflict, displacement, and climate change, the South Sudan Red Cross collaborates with relevant government ministries and public authorities in an auxiliary role to offer support during emergencies, while maintaining autonomy and staying true to the Movement’s principles.

South Sudan Red Cross’s main focus areas include responding to disasters and crises, improving health and wellbeing with a focus on women and girls, migration and displacement, social inclusion, strategy and operational coordination, and building their capacity in these areas.

Since 2011, the Canadian Red Cross, along with the Government of Canada and other partners, has played an active role in supporting these priorities. This includes programs addressing epidemic prevention and control, maternal and newborn child and adolescent health, water sanitation and hygiene, protection gender equality and engagement, food security, supporting livelihoods, emergency preparedness, and working with South Sudan Red Cross to build their capacity to respond.

The Canadian Red Cross focuses on providing the South Sudan Red Cross with technical and capacity building support unique to community needs. Recognizing investments in local National Societies as investments in the South Sudanese people, the Canadian Red Cross works closely with the South Sudan Red Cross to increase their ability to provide humanitarian services throughout crises and cementing their role from preparedness to recovery.

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Ethiopia

People wearing red cross vests unload a truck while a crowd gathers nearby
(Photo Credit: Verity Kowal / Ethiopian Red Cross)

With a vast network of branches nationwide and over 250,000 volunteers, the Ethiopian Red Cross Society is a leading humanitarian organization in Ethiopia. As an auxiliary to the government, the Ethiopian Red Cross Society works closely with public authorities and the government to provide much-needed services to underserved communities, including those in remote areas, as well as strengthening disaster preparedness and risk reduction aligned with national priorities. The Ethiopian Red Cross Society reaches millions of people each year, highlighting their incredible impact in the country. 

Supported by the Canadian Red Cross, the Government of Canada and other partners through programming since 2015, the Ethiopian Red Cross Society has implemented initiatives to strengthen their ability to prepare for and respond to emergencies. Canadian Red Cross support has focused specifically on enhancing leadership in emergency preparedness and response with intentional considerations for women and girls, as well as improving the ability to respond effectively with humanitarian aid, particularly in the area of health, before, during, and after a crisis. The Ethiopian Red Cross Society has credited their ability to scale up and better meet humanitarian needs to the capacity-strengthening investments supported by the Canadian Red Cross. This includes establishing an Emergency Operations Centre.

The Canadian Red Cross Society aims to continue providing immediate and long-term support to populations in need of humanitarian services in Ethiopia. This includes access to emergency and primary medical services, community health support, livelihood opportunities, and facilitating rehabilitation with swift reintegration into communities, with a focus on targeting those in the most vulnerable situations. 

The Humanitarian Assistance for Ethiopia Tigray Crisis project, a joint effort by the Ethiopian, Canadian, and Austrian Red Cross Societies, addressed the prolonged crisis in the region. Phase 1 provided multi-purpose cash assistance and emergency medical services, prioritizing women and girls, while reconstructing the regional branch office and strengthening its operational capacity.

Phase 2 focused on large-scale displacement and healthcare strain, emphasizing recovery and rehabilitation through various interventions including emergency medical services and community-based health insurance. The collaboration has enhanced local response capacity, ensuring enduring healthcare improvements for future challenges.

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