The Russian Red Cross has completed its one month-long humanitarian mission in the Kerch district of Crimea. Roadside aid was organized at the approaches to the Crimea Bridge, where the seasonal inflow of tourists in August caused traffic jams, as vehicles spent 3 to 6 hours in a waiting line before the security check point. Over the mission period, we assisted 99, 900 people.
Special attention was given to families with children: they were provided with over 1,069 kits with coloring books and pencils for the little ones to fill in their waiting time. A total of 136 families used the mother and child room to rest and care for their babies.
Russian Red Cross specialists supplied drinking water to drivers and passengers – nearly 36,500 bottles were distributed. They also administered first aid, assisted in calling an ambulance, took blood pressure, and accompanied families with special needs all the way to the checkpoint. Full-scale support was provided to a particular family with children, as one of them ran out the car, stepped on the road and was hit by a bus. Fortunately, the accident did not have any serious consequences – RRC staff promptly called an ambulance, the father accompanied the child to the hospital, and the mother who was left with the other two children was assisted in finding temporary accommodation and was given psychological support.
“In close coordination with the Kerch district administration and emergency services we provided comprehensive support to tens of thousands of people. Throughout the month, our staff and volunteers were around helping people to stay calm and confident that while waiting in the endless line they were not left without help to cope with emerging problems,” remarked Pavel Savchuk, President of the Russian Red Cross and member of the RF Civic Chamber.
The mobile aid station deployed by the Russian Red Cross on August 12 featured a mother and child room, which also served as a “cooling chamber,” where people could take a rest away from the heat while also charging their mobile phones, as well as two water distribution posts.
This work also involved specialists from the federal emergency response team, staff and volunteers of the Crimea Republic branch and the Kerch local branch of the Russian Red Cross. Support was provided in coordination with the Kerch city administration, the Crimea Republic Center for Disaster Medicine, the Crimea Republic Chief Directorate of the EMERCOM of Russia, and the Crimea Republic Ministry of Health.
“For a number of years, drinking water distribution along the motorways approaching the Crimea Bridge from Kerch has been a joint effort between the city administration and volunteer movements. This year the Russian Red Cross supported us invaluably by taking over this function during the busiest period of summer. Thank you for helping people who found themselves in the challenging traffic situation – that help was timely and professional. I hope that this experience will mark the beginning of our future cooperation,” said Oleg Katorgin, head of the Kerch city administration.
