Emergency

On February 7, Canadians returned from China and arrived at CFB Trenton. They left from Wuhan China, following an outbreak of novel coronavirus. For 14 days after their arrival, they will be in isolation in a temporary lodging site to be monitored for any symptoms before they continue home. The Canadian Red Cross is on the ground, providing support.

In the early days of any emergency, whether it’s a new virus, wildfires or flooding, we frequently see a surge of inaccurate, misleading or at times blatantly false information circulating on social media and through word of mouth. Why is that? Where does this misinformation come from and what impact does it have on those trying to respond to the emergency?

As we get ready in ring in 2020, we're reflecting on some events from the past decade that brought together international aid workers, inspired innovative solutions to complex challenges, and showed the amazing capacity for resilience humans have in the face of disasters.

A burning exclamation mark to a sweet celebration, Kim Isaac’s garage burst into flames moments after her final guest departed from the baby shower she was hosting at her home in southeast Manitoba. When Kim opened the door to the garage it looked like the site of a massive tornado touchdown. Her husband was on fire and jumped into a snowbank to douse the flames.

Even before Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas, the Red Cross has been on the ground. Now a response is underway to provide much needed aid. 

August 25, 2019 marks two years since the Bangladesh Population Movement began. Since 2017, more than 700,000 people have fled violence in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state for Bangladesh. Many international aid workers, like Canadian Red Crosser Norine Naguib, continue to support the efforts there.

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.