Posted on November 12, 2011

American Red Cross Boosts Support for Global Disaster Relief Efforts

In response to a series of global disasters, the American Red Cross has announced that it has boosted its support for relief efforts in Turkey, Africa, Mexico, and Central America by nearly $1 million.

As of last week, the Red Cross had committed a total of $600,000 for ongoing rescue and relief efforts by the Turkish Red Crescent following last month's earthquake in that country. On Thursday, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck the same region, killing seven people. In the Horn of Africa region, the Red Cross recently committed $100,000 to its Tanzanian counterpart in support of its efforts to provide 20,000 families with agricultural tools and assistance, food supplies and cash grants. With the grant, the Red Cross has now contributed $2.9 million in support of relief efforts in the drought-stricken region.

And in response to heavy flooding that has affected some 700,000 people across Central America, the organization has provided $260,000 in cash and supplies to assist relief efforts in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, and has pledged an additional $270,000 to the Mexican Red Cross, which has mobilized more than 1,500 volunteers to provide evacuation support, medical assistance, and food aid to flood victims across the region.