Emergency 17

Elizabeth (Liz) McMahon has a big job at the Red Cross field hospital in Mozambique – she makes sure the doctors and nurses have all the medicines and medical equipment they need. It’s busy​ from the moment she, and the 3,000 various medical items associated with the field hospital, arrive in country.

When the Canadian Red Cross field hospital cholera treatment centre opened in Nhamatanda, Mozambique on Thursday, Elisa Armando was one of the first into the tent. Elisa, 19, brought her three-year-old son Joaquim who had diarrhea and was throwing up.
The international team of doctors and nurses from Finland, Mozambique, Canada and Israel, worked to get fluids into Joaquim.

Thanks to the generosity of the government of Canada and Canadians donating to the Cyclone Idai appeal, Canadian Red Cross has sent its emergency field hospital to Mozambique. The hospital will be staffed by 25 Canadian aid workers, including doctors, nurses and technicians. They will help alleviate the tremendous strain that has been placed on local services and health professionals who have been working non-stop to provide urgent care.

Jerry proudly displays photos and news clippings from his many years as a hunting guide on the wall of his kitchen. After many snowfalls, calm has settled in the forest. It’s a very different scene than in August of 2018 when residents of Lower Post were forced to flee from their homes.

With constant access to information, it can be easy to assume that we are getting a full picture of what is going on in the world. But there are stories that rarely make headlines, and when those stories impact millions of people they can represent an emergency.

Stephen stands next to a lone tree, only steps away from his home. One side of the tree is burned, while the other side appears to be untouched. It’s a reminder of just how close his home, just outside of Quesnel, was to being completely destroyed by the British Columbia Wildfires of 2017.
 

Since August 25, 2017, more than 700,000 people have fled violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State for Bangladesh. Dealing with a protracted crisis such as this is a complex operation, one that involves a host of different organizations. Effective coordination in the response is essential to ensure that supporting those most in need of humanitarian assistance remains the number one objective.

No matter how careful, emergencies on the ice can still happen. Here is what to do if you fall through the ice, or you need to help someone fall through the ice.