With winter finally thawing, spring brings warmer weather as well as an increased risk of flooding. Floods are one of the most common and costly disasters in Canada, and the Canadian Red Cross is already providing support in communities affected by flooding in some parts of the country. 

Pictured above, a 5-year old boy from Syria, recently displaced, gets his polio vaccination from Dr. Tarek of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent health department.

Canadian Red Cross volunteer Russell Barton is motivated by knowing his actions will positively affect people in the future. That’s one of the many reasons he is a dedicated disaster management volunteer with Red Cross in Saskatchewan.

Did you know that in 140 characters or less or by posting on Facebook you can help the Canadian Red Cross carry out our mission during a disaster. Meet two members of the Social Team who love what they do. 

Natural disasters like storms, earthquakes and floods make news around the world, but health emergencies are silently affecting hundreds of millions of lives every year. The recent Ebola outbreak in Guinea—which the Red Cross is working to help contain—is a rare example of public health emergencies becoming global news. One of the most silent, and rapidly growing, health emergencies in the spread of dengue fever, a disease spread by mosquitos.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with Red Crossers and visited a Red Cross warehouse facility in Mississauga yesterday. He was there to make an announcement about the government contribution to the Typhoon Haiyan relief fund for the Philippines. The Prime Minister welcomed the generosity of Canadians who contributed over $85 million in eligible donations that are being matched by the government.

We wanted to share this video footage of the recent visit to Syria by Canadian Red Cross Secretary General and CEO, Conrad Sauvé, and Director of Emergencies and Recovery for International Operations, Hossam Elsharkawi. The Canadian Red Cross has been providing support to its sister society, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), as it continues to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to people affected by the on-going conflict.

We always encourage people to know the risks, make a plan and get a kit so they can be ready for any emergency.

While much of Atlantic Canada is digging out from what has been described as a weather bomb, or spring blizzard, we thought we’d check in to see how residents of the Atlantic provinces prepared and got through the storm.