Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you…

[The place names link to maps so that you can get a quick idea of the region.]

KENYA: An entire community – 130,000 strong – has grown around a water well the Red Cross built in 2007. They call it simply “Borehole 11.”
TANZANIA: Bicycles and radios – two tools in an early warning system developed for tsunamis. 
IRAQ: With the hot season in full swing, the ICRC has been working on repairing water infrastructure and meeting emergency water needs. Read a full report of last month’s activities here.
ITALY: Hundreds of youth volunteers from around the globe are converging on the city of Solferino to discuss humanitarian issues and commemorate the Battle of Solferino, which led to the creation International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement 150 years ago.

– The ICRC has published a survey showing the impact of hostilities on civilians. Among the findings: Of those people directly affected by hostilities, 56% said they had been displaced by fighting, while almost half said they had lost contact with a loved one. 
– According to a 2008 report by the World Health Organization, road injury is the biggest killer of people aged 10 to 24, topping AIDS, tuberculosis, respiratory infections, suicide and war. The IRFC’s Global Road Safety Partnership aims to change that.
GLOSSARY:
ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies