Americas

As one of the Red Cross National Societies located in Americas, the region is a priority for the Canadian Red Cross. CRC supports National Societies to implement community-based health care for mothers and children, disaster risk management and violence prevention programming to strengthen community resilience. CRC supports the training and mobilization of Red Cross staff, volunteers and communities to increase emergency preparedness and response, working in direct coordination with government to provide needed humanitarian services and to reduce vulnerability.

Caribbean

The Caribbean region is very vulnerable to natural disasters, ranging from hurricanes and storms, to flooding, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. Today, more than ever, the Caribbean faces the challenges of climate change.

Cuba

Cuba, located in the Caribbean Sea, is vulnerable to disasters like intense hurricanes, rains, flooding, earthquakes and tsunamis.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is located in the Caribbean on Hispanola, an island it shares with Haiti. In 2010, 35 per cent of the population were living in poverty and 10 per cent earned less than two dollars per day. This small country of over 10 million people experiences recurring disasters and a constant threat of hurricanes and floods.

Colombia

Colombia faces many challenges such as poverty and high rates of inequality, natural disasters and a recent history of extreme levels of violent internal conflict.

Guyana

Guyana is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, ranking 117 out of 187 countries on the United Nations Development Programme’s human development index. Furthermore, 35 per cent of the population lives in poverty (2006) while 18 percent earn less than 2 dollars per day.

Haiti

The Canadian Red Cross has taken a holistic approach in responding to the January 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti. In addition to sharing expertise and resources with the Haitian Red Cross to help build its capacity to respond to future disasters, we are working alongside communities to develop programming that best fits their needs.

Honduras

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and ranks 121st out of 187 on the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index. Although in recent years economic growth has been as high as 7% per year – one of the highest growth rates in Latin America - the financial crisis and the June 2009 coup d’état slowed the export-based economy.

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean region. This country of almost 2.7 million people is prone to a growing frequency of natural disasters including landslides, hurricanes, floods, droughts and earthquakes.

Mexico

Mexico is a country vulnerable to natural disasters, like earthquakes and storms. Income inequality has left some of the population vulnerable and can cause challenges like accessing healthcare.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Americas, ranking 129 out of 187 countries on the United Nations Development Programme's 2011 human development index. Nearly one out of six Nicaraguans live on less than US$1.25/day.