TSUNAMI RELIEF EFFORT

FACTS AND FIGURES: The American Red Cross is supplying 95,000 hygiene kits and 10,000 family kits. The hygiene kits contain soap, toothpaste, laundry powder, etc. The family kits contain supplies for a family to set up household. It usually contains plastic sheeting, sleeping mats, blankets, portable water containers and kitchen sets.

HOW TO DONATE:

You can help those affected by the tsunamis and the humanitarian crisis they have created, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund. All gifts made to this fund as of Dec.26 will be designated for the current crisis. This fund enables us to provide immediate, vital support to the victims in need.

When an international disaster strikes, the American Red Cross works as a partner with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to provide assistance in the form of personnel, relief supplies and monetary assistance.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, headquartered in Switzerland, is spearheading the tsunami relief effort, and the American Red Cross is working closely with the Federation to maximize the contribution that our organization can make. The American Red Cross and 180 other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world make up the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Red Cross or Red Crescent societies in the affected countries are continuing to provide relief as they have since the disaster occurred. When a disaster’s magnitude exceeds a national society’s capability to provide relief, the national society appeals to the International Federation with specific requests for assistance. The Federation then looks to other societies around the world which can quickly respond to the specialized assistance requests. For example, Canadian Red Cross disaster workers supported the American Red Cross with health services and family tracing last fall in Florida on hurricane relief operations.

In 1999, the American Red Cross formed its International Disaster Response Unit and has responded to more than 120 disasters overseas since. When creating the unit, the American Red Cross looked at the specialties of other Red Cross societies in order not to duplicate efforts and chose to specialize in three distinct areas: Water Sanitation, Relief Supply Distribution and Family Linking.

The continuing communication of the American Red Cross with its colleagues within the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies ensures that the American Red Cross is providing timely and effective assistance for what is needed most, when it is needed.

Video: 2204 Hurricane Season

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