The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.
MYANMAR: Nine million people were affected by the devastating monsoon floods that hit Myanmar last July.
The floods affected 12 of Myanmar’s 14 states and regions, displacing over 1.7 million people and destroying over 15,000 homes and 840,000 acres of cropland. As part of its floods recovery operation, the Red Cross Movement has so far helped over 60,000 people in Sagaing, Magway, Ayerwady, Chin and Rakhine with cash grants. The Myanmar Red Cross Society has to date helped over 400,000 people with emergency assistance and help in their longer term recovery. The Red Cross is also working to build the resilience of communities to better withstand future crises.
ICELAND: Iceland, a nation of 320,000 citizens, now has 4,500 active Red Cross volunteers. Volunteers work alongside local officials to help Syrian families settle down and adjust to the new culture. Each migrant family can turn to one of their three designated Red Cross support families if they need any practical advice on living in Iceland. The Red Cross also manages the publicly donated furniture and appliances for the families new homes. In 2016 Iceland will welcome between 50-100 migrants with the next group set to arrive in a few weeks.