Nine out of ten disasters never reach international headlines. This month alone, flash floods and landslides in Peru have affected 48,000 people; shockingly low temperatures of minus 35 to minus 55 degrees Celsius in Tajikistan will affect 6,000 people; and a volcano eruption in Indonesia has forced entire communities of thousands to leave their homes. These are only three examples of where the Red Cross and Red Crescent has responded to so-called silent disasters this month.
Every day, the Red Cross and Red Crescent responds to all disasters?big or small?and also works alongside people to help them prepare for a future where disasters are likely to be more frequent.
Come back here over the next month to read about how the IFRC, our Red Cross partners in Europe and the European Commission's Humanitarian Assistance and Civil Protection (ECHO) (http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm) joined together to respond to recent silent disasters and how we are preparing people not only for the headline-grabbing disasters, but also the more frequent silent disasters.
These disasters are anything but silent to those who must live with their effects.
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