Extreme weather phenomena and natural disasters are increasing with the rise in global temperatures. These disasters cause the most suffering to the poorest people in the world, who also have the least influence on climate change.
The epidemic has killed over a thousand people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the number of cases increasing at an alarming rate in recent weeks. With funding from the Disaster Relief Fund, the Finnish Red Cross has sent an aid worker to the DRC and is strengthening preparedness in neighbouring countries.
The international staff at the hospital includes eight aid workers from the Finnish Red Cross. The Al Hol refugee camp accommodates 74,000 people, 90 per cent of whom are women and children. The hot summer weather is making the conditions in the camp worse.
Along with many of its neighbors, also Myanmar is forced to face many disasters including earthquakes, cyclones and flooding. The Hlaing Thar Yar Township on the outskirts of its capital Yangon is particularly vulnerable to both natural and man-made hazards.
Lapland’s tourist season also employs asylum seekers. In March, the cleaning service provider N-Clean had about ten men in the Lapland area employed to keep everything clean.
A large part of asylum seekers are people of prime working age whose first wish is to find employment, support themselves and their families and be independent of handouts from society. They have many kinds of training and skills but find it hard to gain entry to the Finnish labour market.
According to the responses given to Taloustutkimus, the parents’ first aid skills are reflected in the children’s preparedness to help. In areas where parents had completed an above average number of first aid courses, the children’s ability to take action when an accident occurs was estimated to be better than elsewhere.
Companies, governments and tourists are showing an increasing interest in the Arctic region. This increases the likelihood of accidents requiring the preparedness and readiness skills of the Red Cross.
The Finnish Red Cross’s and the Canadian Red Cross’s joint cholera treatment unit admitted its first patients on Thursday. The unit is part of a field hospital that will operate in connection with the local Hospital Rural De Nhamatanda.
The Finnish Red Cross is going to work together with the Canadian Red Cross to establish a hospital in the disaster area left behind by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique. The hospital is going to be equipped to handle births and treat infectious diseases, for example.
In 2018, we worked hard to help people in Finland and abroad. The following images are excerpts of what we have achieved together. We wish to thank all our volunteers, employees, supporters, partners and friends of the Finnish Red Cross!
So far, nearly 844,000 euros have been donated to the Good Holiday Spirit collection for domestic low-income families with children. Approximately 1.1 million euros are still required to reach the collection goal.
A total of 2.8 million euros were donated to the Finnish Red Cross Hunger Day collection this year. The donations were indeed needed quickly as Indonesia was hit by an earthquake. Currently, Finnish Red Cross logisticians are making sure that help reaches the areas affected by the natural disaster.
World AIDS Day takes place on Saturday 1 December. On the themed day, organisations and decision-makers from a variety of different fields make appeals in favour of international HIV work Finland has succeeded exceptionally well in treating the HIV epidemic. According to organisations, it is possible to copy this success story all over the world.
In Finland, poverty affects about 110,000 children. Childhood poverty will affect young people’s transition into independence and have consequences manifesting during their adulthood. The Good Holiday Spirit collection by the Finnish Red Cross and the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare for impoverished families with children will be launched on 22 November.
The Finnish Red Cross continues the closure of reception centres. According to the Finnish Immigration Service’s plan, the reception centres at Kitee and Kotka will be closed at the end of June. From the beginning of July 2018, the Finnish Red Cross will run 21 reception centres for adults and families and 3 units for unaccompanied minors. The total number of residents is 3500.
Today, once again, on World Refugee Day, the UN refugee agency UNHCR reports the number of people trying to reach the shores of Europe and those drowned at sea during the journey. Images of drowned refugees catch the interest of people every once in a while, but the fate of these people is ignored more often than not.
If a passenger ferry ran aground today, all help would be needed. One of the most important tasks of the volunteers of the Finnish Red Cross is to support the evacuees mentally in case of major disasters.
Kristiina Kumpula, the Secretary General of the Finnish Red Cross, received the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe. Kumpula's selection is based on her exemplary work in promoting international solidarity and cross-cultural co-operation.
The children's joy is contagious as they cheer on their idol: "Kaisa is tougher!" On the final day of the Kontiolahti Biathlon World Cup event, enthusiastic little skiers from the Kitee reception centre are waving Finnish flags among the thousands of spectators.
A friend survey conducted by the Red Cross shows that volunteer friends help people trust themselves, others and society more. Volunteer friend visitor activity can effectively prevent loneliness and social exclusion.
The Red Cross is supporting two hospitals by sending three nurses and medical supplies from Finland to Iraq. The hospitals are being used to treat people wounded in the fighting in Mosul.
Health care services in Syria have all but collapsed, and help is needed urgently. To this end the Finnish Red Cross is challenging everyone to participate in the Hunger Day Collection, to be held on 15–17 September.
Two massive earthquakes struck Nepal a year ago. Almost 9,000 people died and nearly a million buildings were destroyed. Over five million people suffered from the consequences of the earthquake. The Red Cross has been there since the start of the disaster.
Tens of thousands of refugees and immigrants are stuck in Greece. The Finnish Red Cross will send a specialist to support the international aid operation.
The Red Cross appeals to everyone to help Ethiopians. A severe drought means that millions of people in Ethiopia and in sub-Saharan Africa have no food.
At the moment, the efficient way to get help to those in need in Syria is via the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The local volunteers do significant aid work in live-threatening conditions. They assist the Syrian people every day by delivering food, medicine and blankets.
The trucks, carrying food, medical supplies, blankets, and other aid supplies arrived in the towns of Madaya, Foa’a, and Kefraya on Monday, 11 January.
Tun Tun Naign, 22, realised the significance of aid work in the state of Rakhine, Myanmar, in 2012, when he was sent there to support those living in a refugee camp.
