The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.
CAMEROON: For many years now, cholera has been a common occurrence in the North and far North
Regions of Cameroon. Recurrent floods in this part of the country are the main cause of the resurgence of this and other water-borne diseases. This year’s outbreak, which started in August, is causing havoc in more than 20 areas. Current government figures mention 2,019 patients, including 99 fatalities, with the locality of Mogodé, in the Far North Region, hardest hit. Joint action between various humanitarian actors, including the Cameroon Red Cross Society, in collaboration with the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health, led to the implementation of several response activities. This includes deploying 438 Red Cross volunteers who are actively raising community awareness on good hygiene and sanitation practices through water purification campaigns, cleaning of gutters and water points, latrines, the environment, and the management of household waste. Assistance provided by the Red Cross to flood victims in the North Region includes the distribution of food and non-food items and support in the construction of new shelters.
IRAQ: More than 860,000 people have sought safety – often after a long, tiring walk – in the Kurdish region of Iraq. Approx 65 per cent of these internally displaced persons (IDPs) are in Dohuk governorate along the Syrian and Turkish border. The Iraqi Red Crescent Society has been responding to the needs of the people since the first day of the crisis. Life-saving assistance – including food, water and tents for hundreds of thousands of displaced people – is delivered through more than 4,000 staff and volunteers in 17 provinces. Dohuk’s population has grown by almost 50 per cent over the last year, putting a major strain on local resources including food security and the health care system in the governorate. People and authorities in Dohuk have opened schools and communal buildings to host families, but some are living under bridges and in unfinished buildings. The Iraqi Red Crescent Society continues to work to reach more families across the cities and regions of Iraq. By providing support in the most hard to reach areas such as Sinjar and Tal Afar, more than 155,000 displaced families have been reached by the Red Crescent to date.