Statements by Patricia Erb, President and CEO, Save the Children, and Richard Running Rabbit, Siksika First Nation's Brighter Futures Coordinator, on Flooding in Alberta
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jun 28, 2013) - Save the Children's Canadian emergency response team is mobilizing staff and essential supplies to provide support, relief, and recovery services to communities and families in affected by flooding in southern Alberta. Save the Children is establishing a Child-Friendly Space in the Siksika First Nation reserve, one of the hardest hit communities.
Flooding in the province has a dozen communities under a state of emergency, where evacuations have affected over 100,000 people across the province. Since school is out for the year and evacuated children have nowhere to go, Save the Children's Child-Friendly Space will provide a space for games and activities, helping children return to a sense of normalcy while their parents deal with the flood's fallout.
"About 250 homes have been evacuated, and these families will not be able to return for at least three months, possibly longer," said Richard Running Rabbit, Siksika's Brighter Futures Coordinator. "The wider community is full of anxiety because of this displacement, and we're working hard to bring a sense of normalcy to all those affected as soon as possible."
"Save the Children is very pleased to have been asked by the Siksika Nation to provide support to families and children affected by the worst flooding in the history of Alberta," said Patricia Erb, President and CEO of Save the Children. "We look forward to this new partnership as we continue to grow our Canadian programs including our domestic emergency response. We encourage the public to support these efforts on our website at www.savethechildren.ca/AlbertaFloods."
Save the Children has programming both in Canada and internationally. In 2012, we responded to 77 humanitarian crises caused by conflict and natural disaster, assisting 5.8 million children in 46 countries. In addition, our measures to reduce the risk of future crises reached 2 million children and family members.
Visit the Save the Children's website to donate to relief efforts now.
About Save the Children
Save the Children is the world's leading independent organization for children, delivering programs and improving children's lives in about 119 countries worldwide. Working toward a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation, Save the Children's mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Learn more at www.savethechildren.ca.
