Cari Dighton

@RedCross communicator. ⛑ Alaska grown, currently based in SF. 🌎 Views expressed here are my own.

[IFRC @ifrc]

Staff and volunteers from American Red Cross @RedCross continue to provide care and support to people affected by the devastating wildfires in Southern California.

They are making sure no one faces this heartbreaking crisis alone.

If you’re in an affected area, stay alert. �Staff and volunteers from American Red Cross @RedCross continue to provide care and support to people affected by the devastating wildfires in Southern California.

They are making sure no one faces this heartbreaking crisis alone.

If you’re in an affected area, stay alert. �Staff and volunteers from American Red Cross @RedCross continue to provide care and support to people affected by the devastating wildfires in Southern California.

They are making sure no one faces this heartbreaking crisis alone.

If you’re in an affected area, stay alert. �Staff and volunteers from American Red Cross @RedCross continue to provide care and support to people affected by the devastating wildfires in Southern California.

They are making sure no one faces this heartbreaking crisis alone.

If you’re in an affected area, stay alert. 👇

[Clarissa Ward @clarissaward]

The man from our report, reunited with a family member.

[ICRC @ICRC]

Do you have a missing family member in Syria? Please contact your closest Red Cross or Red Crescent office.

We can only register and follow up on your cases from the country you are currently living in. If you know someone who might need this information, share this image 👇🏽

[Jagan Chapagain @jagan_chapagain]

Disasters upon disasters.

It’s been a week since Hurricane Helene made landfall, and the American Red Cross @RedCross is working 24/7 to get help to people as quickly as possible. Staff and volunteers are providing safe shelter, food, water and support to families struggling with unimaginable wreckage.

Helene’s destruction covers a huge area and it’s taking time to navigate damaged roads and reach communities that are cut off. Hundreds of people are still reported missing, and communication is disrupted due to damaged infrastructure.

To check on loved ones, you can register here: https://t.co/HNAiJU89sb

Our hearts go to everyone impacted by this disaster.

[American Red Cross @RedCross]

Misinformation can spread quickly after a disaster, causing confusion and distrust within communities struggling to recover. Unfortunately, we’re seeing this during our response to Hurricane Helene.

Sharing rumors online without first vetting the source and verifying facts ultimately hurts people — people who have just lost their homes, neighborhoods, and, in some cases, loved ones. They are already unsure where to turn for help, and spreading misinformation only adds to that uncertainty. It also disrupts our ability to deliver critical aid and affects the disaster workers who have put their own lives on hold to assist those in need.

Here are a few common rumors we have recently seen on social media that we'd like to address:

- "The Red Cross isn’t here."
This is simply not true. Before Helene made landfall, we prepositioned hundreds of Red Cross disaster responders and thousands of relief supplies across the Southeast to support people affected in the aftermath. Today, more than 1,300 disaster responders are helping people in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia, ensuring they have safe shelter, food, hygiene items, medication and emotional support.

- "The Red Cross is confiscating or throwing out donated items."
We are not confiscating, removing or discarding donated items. We focus on providing shelter, food, and relief after disasters. While we don't accept physical donations, as managing them takes time and resources away from our mission, we work with community partners who are better equipped with these resources to handle and distribute these items. For information on where donated goods are available, please call 211.

- "The Red Cross is taking over shelters."
We do not forcefully take over shelters. However, we do provide management support at the request of partners. This is a collaborative effort that no one organization can do alone. Local partnerships are established before disasters to ensure shelter needs are met, and we collaborate with partners to transition evacuation centers into post-storm shelters. We do not take over facilities where partners are still providing services.

- "The Red Cross is taking over volunteer groups."
This is untrue. While we are working alongside other volunteer groups helping during this disaster, the Red Cross is not taking over their efforts or services.

For safety, all Red Cross volunteers must go through a background check and Red Cross training before deploying to support a disaster response. We do not manage or deploy volunteers who haven’t completed this process, including local residents who sign up after a disaster. They must undergo the same screening and training as current volunteers.

[American Red Cross @RedCross]

Over 500 disaster responders in Florida and Georgia are standing by, ready to respond as communities brace for Hurricane Helene’s impact tonight. 💪🏽

Ahead of the storm making landfall, our disaster teams helped set up shelters and prepositioned trailers with relief items. They also prepared nearly 45,000 snacks and ready-to-eat meals to distribute in affected areas once it is safe to do so.

To stay informed with updates from local teams, follow these accounts on social media:
📍 @RedCrossCFL
📍 @RedCrossNFL
📍 @RedCrossAL
📍 @GARedCross

[New York Times Opinion @nytopinion]

“Every humanitarian death makes our ability to respond that much harder,” writes @KateForbes_IFRC.

Read: https://t.co/2AJsSBis6f

[IFRC @ifrc]

In Grenada, Red Cross teams are working around the clock to support those affected by Hurricane Beryl.

Volunteers from @GrenadaRedCross are distributing essential relief items, such as tarpaulins, hygiene and cleaning kits, jerrycans, and food bags, to families in St. Mark and St. Patrick, Grenada.

Hear more from Zoyer John, @GrenadaRedCross volunteer.

[Kate Forbes @KateForbes_IFRC]

Hurricane Beryl, the earliest hurricane to reach category 5 in the Atlantic, has caused unprecedented devastation in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica, Barbados, and Jamaica. Read more about how @ifrc is responding: https://t.co/XvC0EjEqYF

[IFRC Americas @IFRC_es]

#Beryl es ya un poderoso huracán categoría 4. Barbados, Santa Lucía, San Vicente y las Granadinas, Grenada y Tobago están bajo alarma por peligro inminente.

Allí, la #CruzRoja está coordinando tareas de preparación y respuesta con autoridades y comunidades. 📷 @NHC_Atlantic

[Patrick Youssef @PYoussefICRC]

It’s with a heavy heart we share that two of our drivers were killed by gunmen today in South #Darfur, #Sudan. Three other ICRC staff were injured.

The ICRC's priority is to support those most affected by this tragedy, in particular the victims’ relatives, and colleagues.

[American Red Cross @RedCross]

When we asked Rose about the best part of motherhood, she easily answered, “Just having Daniel around.” The hardest part? “Feeding him in the middle of the night.”

Rose's sister is a healthcare worker, and if his mom has any say in things, Daniel will grow up to be a doctor! Until then, Rose said she's doing everything she can to keep him healthy, including routine immunizations.

Rose was one of the thousands of parents volunteers visited in Zambia as part of our Measles & Rubella Partnership. Teams traveled throughout communities to identify where families needed more information on vaccines and what support the Red Cross could offer.

Measles is one of the most contagious and severe childhood diseases. Every day, hundreds of children’s lives are lost around the globe from this preventable disease. Today, we honor the collective effort to save countless lives from vaccine-preventable diseases!

#WorldImmunizationWeek #VaccinesWork

[IFRC @ifrc]

Today marks one year since violence erupted in Sudan.

Over 8.6 million displaced, yet hope persists as the @SudaneseRedCres continues its unwavering support.

🎧 @GabsAre, IFRC Regional Operations Coordinator, Sudan Crisis

[Kate Forbes @KateForbes_IFRC]

Humbled, grateful. I want to thank the Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies for trusting me to be the next @IFRC President.

This is the biggest honor of my life. I commit to lead by example, and work in true partnership.

Forward together for humanitarian action.

[Kate Forbes @KateForbes_IFRC]

Today's humanitarian needs feel overwhelming.

But Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies are uniquely positioned to respond.

I want to be the next @IFRC President to build #ForwardTogether with volunteers, staff, leaders and partners across our network.

[ICRC @ICRC]

#Gaza The human suffering is shocking. Thousands killed. People have limited access to food & water.

Hospitals are near collapse. Hospital corridors are full of wounded & displaced.

Destroyed infrastructure & homes will take years to rebuild.

❌ Even wars have limits.

[IFRC @ifrc]

In their selfless mission to assist affected people, humanitarians must be protected.

They are #NotATarget.

[American Red Cross @RedCross]

"We don't have a break anymore. It is constant."

Today, we’re responding to nearly twice as many large disasters as we did a decade ago because of the worsening climate.

Trevor Riggen, president of Red Cross Humanitarian Services, recently spoke with @Reuters to share how the frequency and intensity of disasters is impacting the people we serve and the urgent actions we’re taking to expand our disaster relief efforts in the face of the #ClimateCrisis.

[IFRC @ifrc]

Today is #WorldRefugeeDay.

Whoever. Wherever. Whenever.

Everyone has the right to seek safety.

Humanity comes first.

[IFRC Americas @IFRC_es]

#DiadelMedioAmbiente
La naturaleza actúa como una barrera natural ante los impactos del cambio climático.

El uso de soluciones basadas en la Naturaleza es una de nuestras prioridades clave.

Conoce más en la Plataforma Global de Resiliencia Climática
https://t.co/2wFbTtxfyS