The
Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Three weeks after the
worst flooding in Solomon Islands’ history, the lives of
more than 50,000 people are still affected by the disaster. The Solomon Islands Red Cross has a 100-strong team of volunteers, as well as local and international emergency staff working around the clock to support affected communities. To date, water and sanitation teams have purified and delivered 600,000 litres of clean water to the 21 evacuation centres in Honiara and the rural communities in Guadalcanal Plains. They have also helped build 100 latrines in the evacuation centres and contributed to programs which spread messages on the importance of good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Today, an estimated 625,000 people are internally displaced in the
Central African Republic as a result of violence and inter-communal conflict which erupted in the country last December. More than 200,000 are living in 42 camps in Bangui, struggling to survive with hunger and exposed to waterborne diseases and malaria infection. With the rainy season now in full swing, the potential exists for the health situation in camps to deteriorate as exposure to waterborne diseases and malaria increases. In an effort to ward off a disease outbreak, the Central African Red Cross Society has, to date, built 802 latrines in camps and schools in Bangui, and deployed 50 volunteers to raise awareness on good hygiene practices, as well as household waste management. The Red Cross also supplies drinking water to sites with high demand.
NIGERIA: When an explosion ripped through a crowded bus terminal not far from
Nigeria’s capital on April 14, staff and volunteers from the Nigerian Red Cross Society were on the scene immediately to help evacuate those who were injured to nearby hospitals for emergency care, and provide first aid and psychosocial support to those affected. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), at least 71 people were killed when a parked vehicle exploded in the early morning hours. Another 133 people were injured.