Emergency

Aziq, his wife, his two school-aged children and his 6-month old baby travelled overland from Syria to Germany in search of protection and safety.  They were among the first-recorded refugees to arrive in what the German Red Cross has established as a “buffer camp”, where refugees register and apply for asylum if intending to stay in Germany. After they have taken these steps, they may make their own way elsewhere in Germany, or go on to one of 300 smaller camps throughout the country. 

Here are some of the ways we’re helping respond to the refugee crisis and why it’s part of our mission to help protect humanity in times of crisis.

The Canadian Red Cross is shipping 20,000 relief items (cots and blankets) to support the German Red Cross response to the refugee crisis.

It may seem contradictory that Canadian Red Cross aid worker Nicolas Verdy first got a degree in anthropology, and then went on to study computer technology, but for this Montreal native, it is proving to be an ideal basis for his humanitarian career.

It was a great surprise at our Burnaby, B.C. office as six-year-old Zeyan Walji dropped off a whopping $881 to support the Canadian Red Cross Nepal Region Earthquake Fund. Zeyan asked his friends and family for cash donations to help people in Nepal, in lieu of other gifts for his birthday.

The message read “Today, August 4, we transported our dear Mr. Smiley and his brother to Dhulikhel Spinal Cord Injury”. It was sent by Red Cross nurse Kirsty Robertson of Toronto who is part of the current Canadian Red Cross team working at the field hospital in rural Dhunche, Nepal. She was eager to share Mr. Smiley’s happy outcome, as it has been a team effort.

Heavy rains and damage from Cyclone Komen have caused extensive flooding and landslides in many parts of Myanmar. The Myanmar Red Cross Society is estimating that 178,000 people have been affected across 12 regions and states. It is expected that the number of people affected by this disaster will increase in the coming days as Red Cross teams reach remote areas and assess the damage.

Natasha Osmond, a perioperative nurse from Halifax, recently returned from Dhunche, a rural community in Nepal, where she worked at the Red Cross field hospital. On this, her first overseas assignment, Natasha was responsible for patient safety, legal aspects of nursing, and management of nursing activities related to surgery.