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Ten years ago, on the afternoon of March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake triggered a tsunami along Japan’s Pacific coast. Villages, towns and cities along a 70-kilometre stretch of coastline were damaged or destroyed. More than 15,000 people lost their lives. Canadian Red Cross humanitarian worker Kathy Mueller went to Japan to support the Japanese Red Cross in its immediate response to the tsunami. This is her story.

It is Carmen Ferrer’s job to help meet the needs of people who have lost so much in the wake of disasters. As Head of Emergency Operations, she’s responsible for managing the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) regional response to Hurricanes Eta and Iota. Read how she became a leader.

Since 2012, the Government of Canada has provided funding to a Canadian Red Cross project to support the Mali Red Cross and Mali Ministry of Health in delivering health services to rural communities, with a focus on maternal, newborn and child health. These services are sorely needed as, according to the latest estimates, Mali has some of the highest child and maternal mortality rates in the world.

The health needs in Honduras following Hurricanes Eta and Iota are vast, but it’s not just the physical health needs that we are seeing on the ground. As a country that has been dealing with impacts of economic instability, violence, the COVID-19 pandemic and now, the aftermath of two destructive hurricanes, the mental health needs in Honduras are immense and cannot be ignored.

Content note: This blog discusses female genital mutilation (FGM)
Through the Continuum of Care project, Aziza Abdikadir Hassan, Gender and Diversity Manager for the Somali Red Crescent Society has worked to train health officers and many community volunteers on various Protection Gender and Inclusion topics. One of the topics was awareness and community mobilization to prevent FGM.

Driving through communities in La Lima, the damage is harrowing to witness. A family photograph, a child’s backpack and a stuffed bear are some of the belongings that families had to abandon as they rushed to evacuate.
The flooding that followed the two hurricanes devastated entire communities who were already dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the pre-existing humanitarian crisis.

Around the world, over 35 per cent of women have been affected by sexual and gender-based violence. While many countries aim to combat this type of violence through legislation, engaging communities is often a very effective way to promote a change in behaviour.
 

In November, the Canadian Red Cross sent an emergency health clinic and aid workers to Honduras to provide much-needed health services after Hurricanes Eta and Iota devastated the Central America region.