“Although women and children have particular vulnerabilities following a disaster, they are also extremely resilient,” says Esmé Lanktree, Program Officer for Emergencies and Recovery for the Canadian Red Cross.

There is nothing I love more than being cozy and warm on a cold day. So it might seem a little odd that I opted to take a winter vacation in Yellowknife, NWT. I got a little nervous about the cold, so  I decided to learn as much as I can about how to stay safe and warm in the freezing cold, and what to do in the event of a cold-related emergency.  

“I dare you to stick your tongue on that post!”
Who hasn’t heard this as a child? As we get older, we know that lips and other wet areas of skin can stick to cold, metallic objects and that it can, in fact, be downright painful! But many young children unfortunately learn this the hard way. 

Asking children to wear sunglasses isn’t just to make them look cooler and cuter. When you go outside to play with your child in the winter, don’t forget that his or her little bright eyes are more sensitive than yours

Every program and activity done by the Red Cross and Red Crescent is guided by our seven fundamental principles. Today we’re taking a closer look at fundamental principle #3: Neutrality. 

Communications aid workers do a bunch of things, but their main purpose is to help make sure people have the information they need when disasters or emergencies hit. Recently, a group of future communications aid workers, myself included, got to attend a training session in Ottawa. 

Many refugees and migrants escaping violence and economic hardship due to conflict and instability at home will find themselves in Greece after crossing the Mediterranean by boat. There are approximately 65,000 refugees in Greece, and around 15,000 of those are in camps on the Greek islands. Canadian Pam Riley is currently working there with the Red Cross, she took a moment to update us about the current situation.

In the past week, an already volatile situation in Ukraine escalated as heavy artillery and rocket fire hit residential areas in the eastern part of the country, ending a fragile ceasefire.  The fighting has put already vulnerable civilians at heightened risk, with the Red Cross warning of a deteriorating humanitarian situation.