- British Red Cross overview
British Red Cross
Images by Jenny Matthews and Brian Fuller
Supporting issues where Barclays has a presence is important to us, as it demonstrates we’re part of the local community.
In response to the Red Cross South Asia floods appeal in August 2007, Barclays quickly donated £100,000 to the relief effort.
The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement were at the forefront of the response. Thousands of volunteers from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies were on hand to distribute relief items to the most vulnerable.
In India, approximately 57 million people were affected and an estimated 3,400 lost their lives. The Indian Red Cross distributed family packs including soap, blankets and saris to flood victims in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Gujurat and send water and sanitation units to provide clean drinking water.
Flooding in China affected about eight million people. For the families that lost everything in the floods, the bitterly cold temperatures that regularly fell below 5oC were a constant danger. In response, the Red Cross Society of China distributed quilts, tents, clothing, blankets and supplies of rice to the most severely affected.
Pakistan was one of the most severely hit countries with approximately 2.5 million people affected and 420 people killed. The lack of available clean water, food and shelter in combination with suffocating heat created unbearable conditions. Dirty water lead to increased cases of diarrhoea, skin infections and gastroenteritis.
For the future, the Red Cross plan to combine ongoing recovery with improving people’s capacity to cope with future disasters. In Goashan village, China, a dam completely destroyed in the floods is being rebuilt to restore the reservoir and provide fresh drinking water. In order to improve hygiene practices in Pakistan, hygiene promotion teams discuss topics such as food safety, family planning and vaccinations.
In the floods, many lost not only their homes but also their livelihoods. Long term assistance in Bangladesh includes the distribution of seeds of winter crops such as vegetables, wheat and boro rice.
Feel inspired to get involved?
If your a Barclays employee, you can apply for grants, matching and volunteering online.
