All articles tagged with #red cross
European heatwaves have heightened awareness of ultraviolet radiation; in Athens, tourists increasingly wear hats, sunglasses, and umbrellas and use sunscreen, with Red Cross volunteers noting fewer hats distributed as visitors adopt protective measures. Greece’s record tourism (38 million visitors last year) comes despite the third-hottest summer on record, underscoring a growing focus on sun safety among travelers.
An Iranian military official urged Qatar to relocate detained Iranian pilots from water to a land-based hospital, saying they were in poor condition and asking the International Red Cross to send an air ambulance to expedite their return; Doha had denied holding the pilots, stating they violated Qatari airspace, while Tehran pressed for cooperation and access for investigators and experts.
Pokémon Company donated 100 million yen to Kumamoto Prefecture, the Japanese Red Cross, and other relief groups after Kumamoto’s July 28 6.8-magnitude earthquake, while YOSHIKI personally gave 10 million yen to the Japanese Red Cross; he also contributed 100,000 euros to the French and Spanish Red Cross to aid wildfire relief in Europe amid a heatwave, as casualties rose and evacuations continued in Japan and wildfires burned across Europe.
The Red Cross has declared its second-ever blood crisis due to a summer shortage, with New Hampshire reporting 47% of upcoming donation appointments unfilled. Demand outpaces supply, especially for Type O blood. Blood has a shelf life of about 35 days, and ambulances do not carry it. Eligible donors are urged to schedule at RedCrossBlood.org, with numerous NH donation events listed statewide.
The American Red Cross has declared the second national blood supply crisis in its history after donations plummeted to a four-year summer low, leaving less than a one-day national supply of Type O blood and risking surgeries and maternity care; donors are urged to give immediately, with July movie-ticket vouchers and August $20 Amazon gift cards as incentives, while hospitals pre-schedule needs to stabilize distribution.
The American Red Cross, the largest US blood supplier providing about 40% of the nation’s supply, says the country is in a blood crisis for the second time in its 150-year history. Extreme heat, wildfires, and summer demand have outpaced donations, forcing hospitals to draw roughly 3,500 more units than usual. Blood must be used within a 42-day shelf life, so stockpiling isn’t possible, and the shortage could affect routine care or lead to diverting patients to other centers, with type O positive especially needed. Canada is also seeing declines in donations.
The American Red Cross declared a national blood supply crisis—the second in its history—as donations fell to a four-year summer low. While summer typically brings shortages due to vacations and higher injury risk, extreme heat, poor air quality and the spread of foodborne illnesses further reduced donor turnout, leaving less than a one-day supply of O-positive blood and prompting limited distributions to hospitals; the organization urged eligible donors to book appointments.
The American Red Cross and health officials warn that the U.S. blood supply is at crisis levels, with less than a one-day stock of type O positive blood and restricted distribution to hospitals as summer demand rises; donations have fallen to a four-year low due to heat, poor air quality, and illnesses, prompting urgent calls for eligible people to donate.
Police fired shots in the air to disperse angry crowds at an Ebola treatment centre in Mongwalu, DR Congo, where relatives demanded the bodies of loved ones who died from Ebola; unrest followed prior attacks on isolation tents. Red Cross volunteers are carrying out safe burials under police protection as the outbreak triggers regional coordination and funding efforts from Africa CDC and international partners, including Uganda, South Sudan and South Africa.
Three Red Cross volunteers in Ituri, DR Congo, died between May 5 and 16 from suspected Ebola, likely infected March 27 while handling bodies on a project unrelated to the outbreak. The Bundibugyo strain has no proven vaccine, and the outbreak has produced over 170 suspected deaths and 750 suspected cases. WHO raised the regional risk to very high as authorities suspended flights to Bunia and MSF reported tensions and incidents amid fears of the virus.
A tornado tore through Mineral Wells, Texas, around 5 p.m. Tuesday, as part of a multi-day severe weather outbreak that has battered the South with hail and damaging winds. At least two people were hospitalized and several injuries reported as homes and an industrial area were damaged; there were no known deaths or active missing persons at the time. The town implemented a curfew and the high school served as a reunification center with aid from the Red Cross as the broader region remains under multiple severe-weather warnings, with large hail reported in nearby areas and additional tornado watches in neighboring states.
Gunmen killed at least 162 people in Woro village, Kwara state, Nigeria, in a massacre that raised the toll from 67 as authorities and the Red Cross search for more bodies, with police confirming the attack and officials blaming terrorist cells amid a wider security crisis involving bandits and jihadists.
Israel returned 15 Palestinian bodies to Gaza, the last exchange in the first phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Hamas after recovering the last Israeli hostage; the Red Cross helped facilitate the handover, and about 100 of the remains have been identified. The ceasefire’s next phase will involve deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas, and rebuilding Gaza, while fighting persists and the Rafah crossing is expected to reopen with limited movement.
The Red Cross transferred three bodies to Israel for identification amid ongoing tensions in Gaza and Israel, with Israel preparing for potential unverified remains from Hamas. The IDF's top legal officer resigned over a leaked detainee abuse video, prompting threats of sanctions from Israel's defense minister. The situation remains tense with military actions, political debates, and international discussions on ceasefire and negotiations in the region.
The Red Cross has facilitated the return of three bodies' remains to Israel, with investigations ongoing to determine their identities, amid ongoing tensions near Gaza.