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On April 15, 2023, conflict broke out in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, and quickly made its way to other regions throughout the country. This flare-up of violence was the latest threat in a region that has already endured years of violence, instability, drought, and economic hardship.

Across the Horn of Africa, severe ongoing drought is reshaping the lives of millions as the lack of water destroys livelihoods, causes mass migration, and is the reason for increasing malnutrition. Read how the Somali Red Crescent is working to help where it is most needed. 

France Hurtubise, a retired Communications delegate living in Montréal, looks back on her experience in the humanitarian sector and shares her story with us. Over the course of 25 years working abroad, France traveled to four continents and worked in countries heavily impacted by conflicts and disasters. In May 2022, she published “Grandeur et dénuement”, an account of her years with the Red Cross (ICRC, IFRC and CRC) and the UN.

As of early 2023, Haiti continues to experience a major security, social, economic, and public health crisis. Despite the deteriorating security situation, namely tied to armed violence, the Red Cross continues its essential work in support of the people of Haiti. One approach we have taken is providing direct financial assistance for the people who are still recovering from the 2021 Earthquake. To date, the Cash and Voucher Assistance program has enabled 1,400 households in the municipalities of Corail and Pestel, in Grande Anse, to meet their essential humanitarian needs and provides much needed relief during these difficult times.

Sarah Parisio's role within the Canadian Red Cross involves supporting people impacted by disasters through leading teams of fellow humanitarians who respond to emergencies in Canada and around the world. Discover how she brought with her skills developed through responding to emergencies in Canada to an international context and what new knowledge she brought back home in return.

Lebanon has been facing an evolving and complex humanitarian crisis for several years, generating widespread and growing needs for humanitarian assistance. The people of Lebanon are the ones bearing the brunt of the impact of a series of devastating crises: a complex economic and financial crisis, which has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and the explosion that rocked the Port of Beirut on August 4, 2020.

In East Africa, tens of millions of people are in dire need of food as a series of disasters from climate change, conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic, a locust invasion, and longstanding vulnerabilities have converged into a humanitarian crisis. Time is running out to avert starvation. Unless urgent action is taken, the continued drought in East Africa could come to resemble the one in 2011, which killed about 260,000 people in Somalia.

In 2019, Hurricane Dorian destroyed the homes of some 70,000 people in the Bahamas. Learn how a Red Cross humanitarian worker helped those in some of the most vulnerable situations rebuild using an innovative and empowering approach.