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Sister Red Cross Societies Help Each Other


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The American Red Cross is reaching across the border to provide $50,000 to the Mexican Red Cross to assist their emergency response to flooding that has affected more than 800,000 people. Unusually heavy rains caused rivers to overflow their banks in the southern Mexican state of Tabasco which was already waterlogged after Hurricanes Dean and Felix.

“Thousands of families are still cut off from assistance due to rising water and the most urgent needs are providing people with shelter, food, drinking water and first aid,” says Guillermo Garcia, Regional Director of Latin America and the Caribbean for the American Red Cross. “We will continue to monitor the situation with our colleagues at the Mexican Red Cross to see what further assistance is needed and how we can further support their emergency response.”

The Mexican Red Cross mobilized 2,500 emergency relief workers, scuba rescue divers and volunteers. In addition, the Mexican Red Cross sent two helicopters from nearby states to help increase relief distributions to affected communities. The Mexican Red Cross plans to immediately distribute emergency food parcels to 9,000 families and will assist affected communities with emergency food assistance and relief supplies in the coming days.

The American Red Cross and the Mexican Red Cross often help each other in times of need. During the recent wildfires in California, the Mexican Red Cross sent ten volunteers to assist the American Red Cross in reaching out to the Spanish speaking community. Following Hurricane Dean, the American Red Cross contributed financial assistance and sent a relief worker to Mexico to support emergency operations. Furthermore, this partnership worked successfully during the American Red Cross response to Hurricane Katrina and is an advantage of the American Red Cross being part of an international Movement that can call on the assistance of our sister Red Cross societies around the world.

“This collaboration between the American Red Cross and the Mexican Red Cross demonstrates there are no borders when offering humanitarian assistance,” said Isaac Oxenhaut, National Disaster Relief Coordinator of the Mexican Red Cross. “When Hurricane Dean affected us in August, the American Red Cross was there to support our relief efforts. When the request came to help the people of Southern California, the Mexican Red Cross was happy to answer the call.”

By working together, the Red Cross is helping to ensure that the most vulnerable receive the assistance they need in finding shelter, meals and a connection to other community services.

You can help those affected by countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance, and other support to help those in need. Please call 1-800-RED CROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the International Response Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation.



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