The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.
RUSSIA: Extremely heavy rainfall in Russia and China since the end of July has caused the Amur River to rise to record levels, 
burst its banks and flood surrounding areas. The flooding is the worst to hit the region in over a century, with over 34,000 people affected and 130 settlements across 25 municipalities already under water, according to an emergency report of Russia’s EMERCOM. The Russian Red Cross Society will focus its efforts on the 3,000 worst-affected families, providing supplementary food parcels, hygiene kits, bed linen, blankets, and other relief items. The National Society’s staff and volunteers have moved into disaster response mode, both in Moscow and at the local Red Cross branches in the affected areas.
KENYA: After Kenya suffered a devastating drought in 2011, the Kenya Red Cross Society erected three large greenhouses, built an irrigation system, and supplied people with seeds, tools and training to grow fruit and vegetables. As part of the project, hundreds of pipes were laid, creating an irrigation system that transports water from the nearby Sabaki River. A nine-foot well was also built to collect rain water which can also be used in the greenhouses, where river water would be too dirty. Today, this initiative continues to help reduce food insecurity and build communities which are resilient to drought, so in the event of another drought, families and communities will be better able to respond and cope.