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Sandra is a psychosocial support aid worker with the Canadian Red Cross. When disasters and emergencies strike, the obvious stuff – damaged homes, destroyed infrastructure, injured people – sometimes makes it easy to overlook the damage that’s invisible. We can be impacted by disaster and emergency in many ways and can experience deep trauma that doesn’t simply go away once physical damage is addressed. Recovering from these events requires emotional care just as much as it requires physical care. 

It wasn't so long ago that delivering aid in times of crisis, whether in Canada or elsewhere, inevitably took the form of distributing goods (blankets, food, water, and other essentials) and services (shelter, first aid, and so on). But in recent years, the Red Cross has also taken a new approach, one that utilizes the latest technology and empowers people who are affected by emergencies to access cash and purchase items most needed by their family.

Today is World Humanitarian Day and to celebrate we're sharing a day in the life of a Red Cross humanitarian aid worker.

These photos offer a glimpse into a day in the life of IFRC aid worker Jamie LeSueur, a Canadian who is working in Zimbabwe in response to the food crisis. 

August 19 is World Humanitarian Day, and we’re celebrating the work of Canadian Red Cross humanitarians. Whether responding to emergencies, helping to rebuild following disasters, or assisting in strengthening communities around the world – these people work tirelessly! Medical practitioners, engineers, electricians, social workers and more support humanitarian efforts. Here are just a few of the blog posts from the last year that look at the work of Canadian Red Cross humanitarians.

We’re feeling pretty inspired by Team Canada in Rio to practice our swimming - and just because we’re not training to be Olympians doesn’t mean it’s a waste of time training in a pool. When we think of swimming lessons a lot of us immediately think of little kids splashing around – but what about teens and adults who are ready to pick up or improve their water skills?

The Fort McMurray area is home to almost 90,000 people. Each of them has their own experience and story after May’s wildfires tore through the region. That’s why Red Cross case workers continue to meet with families and individuals to talk through their personal needs and find effective ways to assist. Reaching those people means working alongside community groups like the Nistawoyou Association Friendship Centre. The Canadian Red Cross is partnering with the Centre to help connect with aboriginal residents.

There are a lot of excuses the three of us could have used to not wear our lifejackets. After all, we are all confident swimmers;  the water was calm; we weren’t going very far out; we could just throw three lifejackets in the canoe; and we all felt pretty comfortable with our canoe abilities. The thing is, all of these reasons only make sense in a world where nothing goes wrong, and especially nothing goes wrong as quickly as a canoe tipping over. 

For civilian populations, war and conflict bring hardship. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) exists to protect those who are not fighting, or who are no longer fighting in wars and conflicts – and to help populations from suffering. IHL protects civilians from being targets, but also protects the materials civilians need to survive