The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.
SERBIA: A donation of 500,000
Euros from the European Union’s humanitarian aid and civil protection department (ECHO) to Serbia reached more flood-affected families than planned with the help of the Red Cross of Serbia. The donation came in support of the on-going effort to restore damaged homes and help people return to normal life after the worst flood in a century hit vast swathes of the Balkan region in May, 2014. More than 4,000 Serbian families benefited from the ECHO donation, a number which exceeded the 3,000 families initially planned to receive support.
MALAYSIA: In December 2014, seasonal flooding in Malaysia has forced more than 200,000 people from their homes and left at least 10 people dead, making it the country’s worst flooding in decades. As of December 31, the Malaysian Red Crescent has mobilized 200 volunteers from its Kelantan branch, and an additional 100 volunteers from the Pahang branch, with the support of six rescue teams from their national headquarters.
SRI LANKA: Heavy flooding in Sri Lanka has affected hundreds of thousands of people. On December 20, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society immediately mobilized their volunteers. Based on the information received from the volunteers and staff in the field in late December, over 7,500 people received first aid, food items, drinking water and Non-food items such as sleeping mats, bed sheets, sarongs, kaftans, jerry cans, rubber slippers and soap. Further tarpaulin sheets were provided for evacuation centers and houses which are partially damaged.