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.

AFGHANISTAN: In 2012, the Red Crescent initiated a comprehensive community-based health intervention project in Ahengran Village, a respective sub-village of Hazarnaw, targeting 25 per cent of the families for the construction of sanitary latrines and a well for every 24 families. So far, the Red Crescent has constructed 15 sanitary latrines and 2 wells in the village. In addition, 20 volunteers have been trained in community-based health and first aid, health and hygiene, and reproductive health. These volunteers are working with targeted communities through household visits, campaigns, community orientation sessions and face-to-face talks. The hygiene promotion and water and sanitation project has played a vital role in improving healthy behaviour among the communities.   

ITALY: Each day, hundreds of people continue to risk their lives in the perilous crossing from North Africa to Italy. Even when the dangerous crossing is complete, the challenges continue for these families and individuals; as such, the Red Cross emergency response has also had to expand beyond the ports of arrival.  Recognizing the evolving needs of such large population movement, the Italian Red Cross has begun providing services at the central train stations of Milan, Rome and Ventimiglia where hundreds of migrants have been congregating each day. The Red Cross is providing emergency health services in each station, as well as assisting through interpreters.