As monsoon clouds threatened still more rain, the Indian Red Cross Society geared up to respond to floods that killed more than 200 people and affected some 10 million others. More than 40 million hectares of land in the country is prone to flooding, with an average of 18.6 million hectares of land flooded each year. “As well as assessing what people need, our trained volunteers are in action distributing emergency supplies of tarpaulins, blankets and other aid,” said S.P. Agarwal, secretary general of the Indian Red Cross. In response, the IFRC allocated US$ 355,000 from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to support Indian Red Cross efforts to help 80,000 people.
The Covid-19 pandemic is forcing a critical examination of how communities and countries prepare for multiple, overlapping crises. Here are a few lessons the Japanese Red Cross Society learned after the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant meltdown ten years ago this month.
In places where conflict or crisis means basic services are scarce, the use of data is saving lives. But protecting people’s physical well-being, experts say, is also about protecting their digital profile in cyberspace.
As a biologist who responds to emergencies for the Spanish Red Cross, Eva Turró has found her place in the humanitarian world, raising awareness about the life-saving link between health and hygiene in the wake of calamity.
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