No charge for Airbnb rooms as victims of Greek wildfires scramble for shelter
Thomson Reuters Foundation Victims of wildfires that engulfed a seaside town in Greece, killing at least 82 people and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, scrambled to find shelter on Thursday as Airbnb stepped in to match those in need with free rooms. The fires – the deadliest in the country’s history – overwhelmed the […]
“Don’t touch the bodies”: Congo volunteers race to stop Ebola spreading
Thomson Reuters Foundation Hundreds of volunteers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have set out on foot and motorbike to teach Ebola safety in a drive aid agencies say could be key to containing a deadly outbreak. Community workers are racing to trace contacts of those infected by the virus and relay information to the […]
Red Cross plans to fight disasters with fast funding
Thomson Reuters Foundation A fund launched by the Red Cross aims to deliver life-saving humanitarian aid before rather than after floods, droughts and other natural hazards hit, so as to reduce damage and trauma in some of the world’s most disaster-prone areas. The “Forecast-based Action Fund”, set up by the International Federation of Red Cross […]
Cholera kills 40 Congolese in overcrowded Uganda refugee camps
Thomson Reuters Foundation A cholera outbreak in overcrowded refugee camps in Uganda has killed about 40 people and infected more than 2,000 as health workers rush to stem the spread, aid agencies said on Thursday. Nearly 70,000 people from the Democratic Republic of Congo have fled to Uganda this year due to a surge in […]
EU security does not justify African migrants’ suffering, says Red Cross
Thomson Reuters Foundation Europe is increasing the suffering of African migrants trying to cross the Sahara, the Red Cross chief said on Thursday, urging lawmakers not to put security above human rights. Francesco Rocca – head of the world’s largest humanitarian network, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies – met migrants […]