The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.
CHINA: The Red Cross Society of China is responding to the needs of thousands of people affected by the 6.6-magnitude earthquake that struck China’s Gansu province Monday, July 22. The strong earthquake, which was
followed by 371 aftershocks, caused over 90 deaths and has destroyed tens of thousands of houses, with 227,000 people evacuated from their homes. The Red Cross Society of China immediately deployed disaster relief teams from the Gansu Provincial Branch and the national headquarters to assess the needs of affected families and begin relief efforts. Within 24 hours, Red Cross teams had distributed hundreds of tents, clothing and mats to families. Thousands of additional supplies including clothing, quilts, jackets, sleeping mats and hygiene items are being trucked to Gansu from pre-positioned stocks at disaster preparedness warehouses in nearby provinces.
NIGERIA: In 2012, heavy rains caused the Niger River to overflow, causing serious flooding. The Nigerian Red Cross Society, together with the IFRC, is supporting 100 families in three communities in Kogi State whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged by the floods. Each house has a wooden frame, which is fixed to concrete columns using storm straps to ensure it will not collapse during floods. Red Cross community members are teaching families about safer building practices that can further protect their homes, such as using mud bricks to build up the walls, using a polythene layer between them, and concrete bricks to stop them from absorbing water.
GLOSSARY:
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies