The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.
MYANMAR: The recent news of Cyclone Mahasen marked the beginning of the 2013 Monsoon season in Myanmar. The
storm threatened to sweep across Rakhine State, bringing strong winds, heavy rains and potentially life-threatening storms to the many vulnerable communities dotted along this stretch of coastline. Community radios and loudspeakers provided by Myanmar Red Cross are vital tools in helping vulnerable communities prepare for emergencies. They ensure national disaster information is shared quickly with families living in local villages, giving them the time needed to prepare and evacuate. New Red Cross disaster preparedness posters have also been created with teams testing the posters with local residents to see if they are easy for people to understand. The posters use cartoons to share simple advice and messages and are aiming to reach those who have difficulty reading and also children within the communities.
PHILIPPINES: Six months after Typhoon Bopha battered Mindanao Island in the Philippines, early recovery efforts are taking shape although many are struggling to get back on their feet. The Philippine Red Cross has provided significant assistance to thousands of families, although needs remain. In the last six months the Philippine Red Cross, with support from the IFRC, has delivered food, blankets, sleeping mats, water containers and hygiene kits to 85,000 people, distributed more than one million litres of safe drinking water to 90,000 people and reached more than 200,000 people with disease prevention and hygiene messages.
GERMANY: The German Red Cross launched their commemoration activities on World Red Cross Red Crescent Day with a national billboard campaign highlighting the contribution and importance of volunteers to the Movement. The billboards feature individuals who make the work of the Red Cross possible every day – volunteers, members or donors – with the message that everyone can support the organization’s work. At the end of May, the Society’s ‘Red Cross truck’ began a national road tour across Germany highlighting its work at home and abroad with an interactive, multi-sensory activation.
GLOSSARY:
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies