American Red Cross Sends Two Workers to Assist Flood Relief Efforts in Mozambique

Editorial note: Reines and Guinta (bilingual English-Spanish) are available for interviews in the US before they depart Thursday, March 8, and from the field as communications permit.

WASHINGTON, Wednesday, March 07, 2007 — The American Red Cross is deploying two emergency disaster relief workers to Mozambique to assist the on-going flood recovery efforts. Major flooding has affected much of southern Africa, especially Mozambique, and the rains are predicted to continue through the end of March. At least 45 people have lost their lives, thousands of homes have been washed away and approximately 170,000 people have been displaced, with an estimated 300,000 more affected.

By sending the emergency disaster relief workers to Mozambique, the American Red Cross is working with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (International Federation), the Mozambique Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations in the field to ensure that relief and recovery efforts will reach the people who need it most, as quickly as possible.

The emergency disaster relief workers will be coordinating relief operations with the International Federation in the hardest hit regions in central and northern Mozambique. Tracy Reines is being deployed as the team lead for the relief Emergency Response Unit (ERU) and will be based in Caia at the International Federation's base camp established specifically for this response. Gina Guinta is being deployed as a team member of the relief ERU focusing on distributions and assessments in a remote area near the Zambezi River.

According to Nan Buzard, senior director of International Disaster Response Unit at the American Red Cross, “The International Federation has requested the assistance of a base camp for the current situation in Mozambique. Base camps are only called out during devastating disasters and the last such response was over a year ago in Pakistan after the earthquake in 2005.”

Last month, the American Red Cross announced that it is providing $200,000 to support the emergency relief and recovery efforts in southern Africa. The money will be used to support the efforts of the Mozambique Red Cross Society in responding to the devastating floods that have affected the country over the past few months.

Both workers deploying have responded to American Red Cross emergency relief operations. Reines previously volunteered at the American Red Cross in Santa Ana, CA, and Guinta in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Currently both are employed by National Headquarters in the International Services Department. Reines most recently supported the International Federation's emergency response efforts to the 2006 floods in Ethiopia, Sudan and Kenya, and just returned from a humanitarian tour of southern and east Africa. Guinta spent seven months on Hurricane Katrina and Rita domestic response efforts in 2005/2006 and in 2004 responded to Tropical Storm Jeanne in Puerto Rico.

According to the International Federation, torrential rains have caused rivers to overflow - including the Zambezi - and increased pressure on dams, resulting in widespread flooding in central and southern parts of Mozambique. To add to the affects of the floods, a category 4 Cyclone (Cyclone Favio) hit southern Mozambique last month and the annual rainy season hits its peak in the month of March. See www.redcross.org and www.ifrc.org for more information related to this response.

You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year, crises like the Myanmar Cyclone and China Earthquake, 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. 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 by either contacting 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish), or mailing your donation with the designation to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or to your local American Red Cross chapter. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.