The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.
JAPAN: On August 20, torrential
rains began lashing Hiroshima prefecture in western Japan causing flash floods and landslides. The force of the landslides destroyed roads, buildings and other infrastructure in mountainous areas. The Japanese Red Cross Society deployed two medical teams and mobilized relief items which have been distributed to the evacuation centres. As of August 21, 1,110 blankets and 462 emergency kits had been distributed. Each emergency kit contains 25 items including towels, a cup, utensils, toothbrush, a flashlight and portable radio; most evacuees were left with nothing when they were forced to flee their homes.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: The impact of the violence that erupted in Central African Republic in December continues to be felt. Although humanitarian organizations are responding to the situation, the process of reconstruction and return to normality is likely to take longer to be realized, especially if the violence persists. From the onset of the violence, the Central African Red Cross Society has been responding to the violence that has displaced almost 600,000 people. Initially, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched an emergency appeal to assist 50,000 people over 12 months. A Red Cross assessment between March and July 2014, revealed that needs in the region had increased, leading the IFRC to aim to support an additional 30,000 families in 23 areas inside and outside Bangui for 12 months.