Finnish Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund: support for earthquake victims in the Philippines and Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Finnish Red Cross is providing financial support for two international emergency aid operations. Support is provided to respond to the growing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to help those who have lost their homes to an earthquake in the Philippines.
Aid for operations in the Congo and the Philippines is provided from the Finnish Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. EUR 400,000 will go to fight Ebola and EUR 400,000 to help those affected by the earthquake.
The funds will be used for International Red Cross aid operations on the ground.
Ebola cases on the rise in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Finnish Red Cross is supporting the International Red Cross emergency aid operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the number of Ebola cases has started to rise in the Kasaï province. Ebola is a devastating disease, as it is easily transmitted, and on average, half of those infected die.
"Congo's healthcare system is weak and many people in the country in the middle of a conflict have difficulty accessing essential treatment. Healthcare workers have also died of Ebola. Infections must be tackled as early as possible to avoid even greater human suffering," says Marko Korhonen, Head of International Emergency Operations of the Finnish Red Cross.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) aid operation is supporting the local Red Cross in its efforts to stop the outbreak. The aid operation prevents infections by improving infection monitoring, supporting the safe burial of the deceased to prevent further infections, and sharing information on disease prevention within communities, for example. The local Red Cross also supports the authorities in organising vaccinations.
Aftershocks in the Philippines make it difficult to return to normal
More than 170,000 people in the Province of Cebu have been affected by the earthquake that struck the Philippines on the last day of September, along with its numerous aftershocks. After the rescue phase, the return to normal everyday life has been slow. Aid operations are hampered by damaged buildings and roads as well as electricity and telecommunications outages.
"Help will be needed for a long time to come, since more than 20,000 people are estimated to have been displaced from their homes. Many schools and other buildings that remain standing are badly damaged. For example, around the Cebu regional hospital in Bogo, many patients are afraid to enter the hospital building, as there have been up to thousands of aftershocks. The Philippine Red Cross has set up tents to expand the hospital where people can receive assistance," Korhonen says.
The Finnish Red Cross is supporting the IFRC's emergency aid operation to help the most vulnerable people. Aid is targeted especially at people who do not receive adequate support through other channels. Red Cross aid includes support for healthcare, shelter for those who have fled their homes, relief supplies, cash assistance, and help with finding a new livelihood to replace what has been lost.
Disaster Relief Fund supports rapid assistance around the world
With the funds already collected in the Finnish Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, the Red Cross is able to offer aid quickly when the need arises in the event of a sudden epidemic, natural disaster, or conflict, for example.
Funds that are not pre-assigned to any one target are raised for the Disaster Relief Fund on occasions such as Hunger Day. They support operations in places where help is needed the most. The funds donated to the Disaster Relief Fund are also used to offer aid in Finland.
