Since the discovery of the Ebola virus, in 1976, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced ten outbreaks. The deadliest one yet is currently ravaging the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. We’re talking about thousands of people impacted – dozens of new cases are identified each day, limited access to affected populations, armed groups who are not helping the situation and the increasingly obvious threat of the disease spreading to bordering countries. However, what we are not hearing about are the real-life consequences of the virus on survivors, on their family and on their community.   
 

Joanna Stepien, a Canadian labour and delivery nurse, shares her experiences after going to Nhamatanda, Mozambique with the Red Cross transition team following Cyclone Idai.

We all have unique needs, so it makes sense that your emergency kit will also be unique. Read how Red Crosser Mahmood Jafari makes sure his emergency plan includes plans for his mobility during emergencies and disasters, and how those with impaired mobility can be ready. 

When a family travelling the world together had their trip turn to a literal disaster, the Canadian Red Cross was there to help. 

When 5-year-old Shawal fell from his family’s second storey terrace it was a fall that would be a serious accident in any country, but in rural Nepal, getting to the hospital is incredibly difficult. Read how enhanced ambulance service from the Nepal Red Cross helped save Shawal's life. 

Susan Smith’s laughter is infectious. Over the past two years, she has had to be remarkably resilient, yet she’s kept her winning sense of humour through incredible hardship. In 2017, wildfires swept through Boston Flats, a community just outside of Cache Creek, B.C. Susan’s home, along with many others, were completely destroyed. 

Canadian aid worker Jean-Baptiste Lacombe shares how we are working with local communities to rebuild a hospital in Nhamatanda, Mozambique after Cyclone Idai devastated much of the region.

In the spring of 1999, Canada sponsored 5,000 Kosovar refugees as part of an international emergency evacuation organized by the United Nations for hundreds of thousands of civilians. Guest writer Arta Rexhepi came to Canada with her family, she shares her experience in this blog.