Red Cross in
North America
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International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
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Damage assessments after Tropical Storm Hanna. American Red Cross Cover photo: American Red Cross
Red Cross in
North America
North America, comprising Canada, Mexico and the United States occupies almost half of the American continent with a total population of around 480 million. Globally, the region is among the most urbanized. It has two of the most populated cities - New York and Mexico City, as well as 20 of the 50 largest cities in the Americas. In Canada and the United States, 8.8 per cent and 14.5 per cent of the population, respectively, live in poverty. Income inequality was already high in the United States in 1980, and the levels of inequality seen today have no parallel anywhere in the developed world. Income inequality in Canada has increased over the past 20 years, especially among youth, children, the elderly and the disabled. Only the richest Canadians have increased their share of national income.1 1. Source: Income in Canada 2009 by Statistics Canada, IFRC Inter-American Framework for Action 2016-2020
Red Cross personal support/homemaking and transportation services in Ontario, Canada. Source: Canadian Red Cross
Mexico has the second-largest economy in Latin America and is a major oil exporter. Despite this, prosperity remains a dream for many Mexicans, and the socio-economic gap remains wide. Rural areas are often neglected and huge shanty towns ring the cities. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in drugs-related gang violence in the past decade. The rise in structured and organized violence in Mexico has taken its toll on many parts of society. The issue of migration is of great importance in this region. The situation is complex and changing. Many poor Mexicans have sought to cross the 3,000-km border with the US in search of a job, but in recent years, more Mexicans immigrants have returned to Mexico than migrated to the US. Mexico is also the transit route for migrants trying to get to the United States from other countries in the Americas and from other continents.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
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Disaster Risk Outlook
Health Outlook
North America is susceptible to a vast range of natural hazards, major health emergencies, migration flows and crises each year. Hazards facing the region include earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis and volcanic activity; avalanches and floods; extreme temperatures, drought and wildfires; cyclones and storms/wave surges; and epidemic diseases and insect/animal plagues. These are often geographically clustered and occur frequently in particular regions due to their unique climatic and geologic conditions.
North America has high levels of non-communicable or chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. High levels of obesity, as well as substance use and other lifestyle factors are contributing factors. Other health conditions of national and regional concern include vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, vector-borne diseases such as dengue and other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, or fleas, zoonotic diseases spread from animals to humans, illnesses spread through food and water, tuberculosis and HIV, pandemic influenza and other global health emergencies. Road accidents and situations of violence contribute to morbidity and mortality.
Forest fires occur on the west coast of the region, where the climate is dry and the vegetation mass becomes susceptible during certain Road accidents times of the year. Hurricanes usually occur along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast. The convergence of major fault lines along the west coast of the United States, Canada and Mexico make these places especially susceptible to earthquakes and possible volcanic eruptions. Other challenges, such as climate change, unplanned urbanization, poverty and violence, as well as the threat of pandemics, will contribute to an increased frequency, complexity and severity of disasters and crises.
Internationally Reported Losses 1990 - 2014 (Distribution by Type %)
Mexico
Canada
United States
WILDFIRE STORM EXTREME TEMPERATURES EARTHQUAKE FLOOD
4
Red Cross in North America
17.5
35
52.5
Emergencies PANDEMIC INFLUENZA
OTHER
0
Health
70
Road accidents Situations of Violence
Red Cross in North America The three National Red Cross Societies of North America operate through nationwide networks, collectively comprising 1,133 branches and 378,984 registered Red Cross volunteers.2 The American Red Cross (ARC) responds to some 70,000 disasters in the United States every year, ranging from home fires that affect a single family to hurricanes that affect tens of thousands, to earthquakes that impact millions. In these events, American Red Cross provides shelter, food, health and mental health services to help families and entire communities get back on their feet. ARC works in partnership with other agencies and organizations that provide services to disaster victims. The American Red Cross is the nation’s leading provider of health and safety courses, such as CPR, First Aid and lifeguard training, each year training more than 9 million Americans, including first responders, educators, babysitters, and people who want to be prepared to help others in an emergency. Internationally, the American Red Cross provides urgent assistance to people affected by disasters, helps to eliminate preventable diseases, supports disaster preparedness, making communities less vulnerable, reconnects families separated by conflicts and disasters, and educates about international humanitarian law. ARC 2. Source. IFRC Federation-wide Databank and Reporting System (FDRS) Report 2016
hosts the Global Disaster Preparedness Centre, one of the IFRC’s global reference centres. The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) works to improve the lives of vulnerable people through programs and services in Canada and around the world. The range of Canadian Red Cross programs and services includes: First Aid and CPR; emergency and disaster management; swimming and water safety; global health and health services in Canada; violence, bullying and abuse prevention; migrant and refugee services; promotion of international humanitarian law; and work with Canada’s First Nation communities. Internationally, the Canadian Red Cross supports emergency response, recovery and longer-term development by providing specialist personnel and delegates or financial assistance in cooperation with Red Cross partners. The Mexican Red Cross (MRCS) is renowned for its disaster response capacity, based on its timely, appropriate, and professional humanitarian response. Over the years the Mexican Red Cross has
participated in high-profile efforts related to disasters and public health in Mexico in its auxiliary role to the Mexican public authorities. The Mexican Red cross most prominent service is pre-hospital emergency care, which is provided at more than 500 treatment centres nationwide. Emergency care is free and available 24/7 all year around. MRCS also runs specialized trauma centres (field hospitals), which provide emergency medical and ambulance services, blood banks, clinical analysis laboratories and trauma surgery, including neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery and sometimes gynaecological and obstetric surgery. The Mexican Red Cross is leading road safety efforts in communities in collaboration with local authorities. Apart from providing aid to people in their nation, the Mexican Red Cross has helped people affected by disasters and crises in neighbouring countries, most recently in Ecuador, Haiti and the US. Migrants in transit through Mexico also receive support from the Mexican Red Cross along the migration trail and in border regions.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
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Jose Manuel Jimenez / IFRC
Collaboration between the National Red Cross Societies of North America and the IFRC In recent years, there have been major efforts in disaster risk reduction and community resilience initiatives in North America, primarily focused on building diverse connections and relationships between people, communities and the systems that support them to plan, prepare and manage change during complex and dynamic crises. The three National Societies are actively engaged in the regional disaster response system, and provide invaluable expertise and support.
to the Red Cross disaster management system in the Americas region. A successful peer-to-peer relationship has been established between the Haitian Red Cross and the Quebec Division.
The Canadian Red Cross has played an important role in supporting Maternal, Newborn and Child health (MNCH) programs, as well as the roll out of the IFRC’s Community-based Health and First Aid approach and violence prevention - both in the Americas region and around the world. They provide invaluable expertise and leadership
The IFRC capitalizes on the strength of the disaster response capacities of the Mexican Red Cross by integrating their personnel into regional and global response systems. MRCS offers realtime emergency response field-learning opportunities to National Societies of the region.
The American Red Cross has played a key role in providing expertise and support in the Americas on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), integrated disaster risk reduction, MNCH and HIV prevention in the region.
North America Country Cluster The American, Canadian and Mexican Red Cross Societies have an optimal working relationship, both in terms of cross-operational support as well as open exchange of technical and leadership expertise. Twice a year, the leadership of each North American National Society meet to further strengthen and expand cooperation 6
Red Cross in North America
and collaboration opportunities. The IFRC is keen on participating in the bi-annual meetings with the intent of further supporting this solid relationship as well as promoting North American lessons learned and innovations across our humanitarian network.
A volunteer of Mexican Red Cross shows a woman how to wear the mask and explains its utility. Jose Manuel JimĂŠnez / IFRC
Contact information:
Jan Gelfand Deputy Regional Director jan.gelfand@ifrc.org Julie Hoare Head, Partnerships and Resource Development julie.hoare@ifrc.org
Š International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. 2017