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. It’s a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work…

SYRIA: With continued fighting impeding relief response, the ICRC is urging the Syrian authorities and all others to implement a daily cease fire for at least two hours. A temporary halt in the fighting would allow the ICRC staff and Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers to deliver aid and evacuate the wounded and the sick.

MADAGASCAR: On February 14th, tropical cyclone Giovanna landed in the district of Brickaville on the East coast of Madagascar, resulting in at least 16 dead, 65 injured, 10,856 people affected, 3,380 houses totally destroyed and 1,480 houses damaged. The Malagasy Red Cross responded well before the cyclone with 1,416 volunteers involved in an early warning campaign. A few hours after the cyclone, the Malagasy Red Cross volunteers started to assess the damage and the resulting needs.

NEW ZEALAND: Staff and volunteers from the New Zealand Red Cross took part in a variety of memorial events to mark the one year anniversary of the deadly 6.3 magnitude earthquake that claimed the lives of 185 people on February 22, 2011 and damaged large parts of the city of Christchurch. In the aftermath of the disaster the Red Cross helped over 76,000 individuals and households, making it the largest relief and recovery program in the history of the New Zealand Red Cross.

MOZAMBIQUE: Late last month Tropical Cyclone Funso swept across the coastal areas of Zambezia province in Mozambique, leaving a trail of destruction to property and crops. Thousands of people were left homeless. The Mozambique Red Cross Society and the IFRC are launching an effort to provide relief to 10,000 families in need of shelter, food, mosquito nets and clean water.

GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

PHOTO:
Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers and members of the local community unload trucks of humanitarian assistance in Homs, Syria