Red Cross volunteers injured during Ebola burial in Democratic Republic of the Congo

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PRESS RELEASE

Red Cross volunteers injured during Ebola burial in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Two of the volunteers were seriously wounded and are now receiving medical care for their injuries

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, October 4, 2018/ -- Three Red Cross volunteers were injured Tuesday (2 October) when they were attacked while carrying out a safe and dignified burial in the city of Butembo in the north east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Two of the volunteers were seriously wounded and are now receiving medical care for their injuries. DRC Red Cross teams have faced incidents of violence and aggression from communities resisting safe burial protocols since the start of the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu. In September, one Red Cross volunteer was injured when people threw stones at a vehicle transporting a safe burial team. However, Tuesday’s attack has been the most violent incidence of community resistance to date. Dr Fatoumata Nafo-Traoré, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) Regional Director for Africa said: “This is an awful reminder of the dangers that these volunteer safe and dignified burials teams face. While we categorically denounce the attack on our colleagues, we understand the fear and frustration that many communities in North Kivu feel right now. People are scared and there are many rumours circulating that only serve to heighten the sense of fear and distrust.” The body of a person who has died from Ebola is highly infectious and if not handled properly can contaminate others. In previous Ebola outbreaks, these safe and dignified burials have been critical to stopping the spread of the disease. “Every day, our teams are doing what they can to build trust, to provide information, and to help people understand the risk that Ebola presents. They can do this because they come from these communities themselves. They speak the language and understand the customs and traditional beliefs,” said IFRC’s Dr Nafo-Traoré. The Red Cross has dispatched trained specialists to Butembo to provide immediate psychosocial support to those impacted and is working to improve the safety and security of volunteers. Grégoire Mateso Mbuta, the President of the Red Cross of the DRC said: “We call upon the communities in North Kivu to cooperate with volunteers and health workers who are giving their time to ensure that communities are protected from the Ebola outbreak. Local volunteers are critical to stopping the spread of disease.” Since the beginning of the outbreak, more than 180 specially trained Red Cross safe and dignified burial volunteers have carried out 162 burials in North Kivu. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) SOURCE International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

NAACP RELEASES TOOLKIT–“IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: A PEOPLE’S GUIDE TO TRANSFORMING CRISIS AND ADVANCING EQUITY IN THE DISASTER CONTINUUM” SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

https://www.naacp.org/latest/naacp-releases-toolkit-eye-storm-peoples-guide-transforming-crisis-advancing-equity-disaster-continuum/ NAACP RELEASES TOOLKIT–“IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: A PEOPLE’S GUIDE TO TRANSFORMING CRISIS AND ADVANCING EQUITY IN THE DISASTER CONTINUUM”  SEPTEMBER 26, 2018  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       Media contact: Malik Russell    mrussell@naacpnet.org  BALTIMORE (September 26, 2018)–Today, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announces the release of In the Eye of the Storm: A People’s Guide to Transforming Crisis and Advancing Equity in the Disaster Continuum Toolkit.  The “eye” refers to how some communities, due to pre-existing vulnerabilities, find themselves more in the crosshairs than others. And it also refers to the need for watchful vigilance as we document and take action on inequities.  This 190-page manual prepares frontline communities to be first responders in disasters as well as to serve as monitors for equity in disaster response, and to advance an equitable disaster policy platform.   NAACP believes the key to adequate and equitable disaster preparedness and recovery is training and planning,” said Katherine T. Egland, Chair, National Board of Directors Environmental and Climate Justice Committee. “This toolkit provides guidance on taking action to ensure that each phase of the disaster continuum–from mitigation to preparedness to response, relief, recovery, and redevelopment–is rooted in human and civil rights.” Recognizing the inequities along the entire disaster continuum, from differential protective levee fortification, to who gets served first in the disaster aftermath, to the ICE raids that have happened in post-disaster contexts, to gentrification and displacement that can result from disaster capitalism, the NAACP sees disaster justice as a core focus in our civil rights agenda,”said Jacqui Patterson, Senior Director, NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program. “Components of the In the Eye of the Storm Toolkit include: Disaster Policy and Governance Framework, How to Start a Community Emergency Response Team, Hosting a Community Visioning Session, Establishing a Community Advisory Board, Civil and Human Rights In Emergency Management Monitoring Tool, Partnership Matrix of What Agencies/ Organizations Do What in Disasters, Disaster Management Resource List, and more.” “In January, the NAACP Florida State Conference made sure that 28 of our units were trained as Community Emergency Response Teams under FEMA.  We then issued a challenge for all the NAACP State Conferences to follow in our footsteps,” said Adora Obi Nweze, President NAACP Florida State Conference and Chair, NAACP Emergency Management Taskforce.  With the release of this toolkit that provides guidance on setting up a CERT, we re-issue the challenge! Katrina, Maria, Irma, and now Florence, as well as the wildfires out west and the tornadoes and flooding in the Midwest….all of these disasters and the impacts on our communities,  tell us in no uncertain terms that we have to be prepared! We implore you to please join us in taking advantage of this toolkit to get geared up and start your state and local NAACP Community Emergency Response Teams, before disaster finds itself at your doorstep.” The In the Eye of the Storm: A People’s Guide to Transforming Crisis and Advancing Equity in the Disaster Continuum Toolkit can be downloaded from the NAACP website by clicking HERE.  ###  Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas here.

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