The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.
UNITED STATES: The tornado that caused a trail of destruction across the state of Missouri is one of the worst the country has experienced in living memory, killing at least 116 people and leaving thousands homeless. Within hours of the tornado hitting the region, the American Red Cross opened shelters in Missouri and Minnesota to provide protection and comfort for people whose homes were damaged or destroyed.
MALTA: Hundreds of migrants were recently rescued by authorities and brought to Malta, as the small fishing vessel on which they fled Libya three days earlier was overcrowded and in distress. Red Cross volunteers accompanied the arrivals through the reception process, which lasted well into the early hours of the morning. Blankets were distributed, as was water; while volunteers offered the most basic but urgent human comfort – a shoulder to lean on, and a patient ear.
LIBYA: The ICRC is calling on its international donors to provide an additional $53 million US to help the organization meet the urgent needs of people affected by the fighting in Libya. The ICRC expects over 850,000 people affected by the Libyan conflict to have benefited from its assistance by the end of 2011.
GLOSSARY:
ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies