The Red Cross Round-up

The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.

PALESTINE:  The Palestine Red Crescent Society is supporting a total of 70 severely disabled children with home visits in Rafah. The training for each family lasts for six months. The organization’s community based special education program started in Khan Younis in 2007 and was expanded to Rafah in 2011. The program is supported by the Swedish Red Cross and the Norwegian Red Cross. The Palestine Red Crescent Society is cooperating with two local organizations, People with Physical Disabilities and the National Society for Disabled, in the implementation of this program.

RUSSIA: Many people who arrived in Rostov-on-Don from the conflict zone in Ukraine have been traumatized by what they had witnessed. They carry a heavy burden, as many have lost relatives and close ones. In response, a group of students and graduates are involved in providing emotional support to people from Ukraine seeking safety and shelter in their region. The Rostov-on-Don Regional Red Cross has a special group of volunteers called “Angels of Charity” who are students of the local nursing college. It is already a tradition that the students participate in the voluntary activities of the organization that provide for the basic needs of the most vulnerable people. These include visiting the homes of the elderly and disabled on a regular basis, helping them with domestic chores and, not least, entertainment.