THE CANADIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY

Published purpose

The frequency of natural disasters, such as earthquakes and floods, has increased globally resulting in significant humanitarian needs. The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters recorded 399 significant natural disasters exceeding local capacity to respond in 2023 alone, affecting over 93 million people. People often lack adequate access to essential health services during these emergencies. Given the sudden-onset nature of many of these crises, Canada maintains a humanitarian toolkit that enables rapid responses, including emergency health services, to crisis-affected populations. With GAC’s support, the Canadian Red Cross Society (CRCS) aims to support the timely deployment and provision of emergency health services to vulnerable populations affected by humanitarian crises through in-kind health units and humanitarian health experts. Emergency health modules, such as field hospitals and clinics, provide essential health services in sudden-onset crises such as natural disasters or conflict and are activated when local healthcare resources are overwhelmed, incapacitated or inaccessible.