Historic Evacuation Underway as Typhoon Halong Strikes Western Alaska
#disaster #alaska #evacuation #shelters #relief
Mass evacuation unfolds across Western Alaska as Typhoon Halong devastates villages; shelters open and relief efforts coordinate.
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About American Red Cross
The **American Red Cross** is a leading humanitarian organization founded by Clara Barton on May 21, 1881, in Washington, D.C., inspired by the International Red Cross established in Switzerland in 1863[1][2][5]. Barton, a Civil War nurse known as the "angel of the battlefield," brought her vision to the U.S., advocating for humane treatment in conflicts and for ratification of the Geneva Convention, which the U.S. ratified in 1882[1][4]. The organization’s mission is to provide **disaster relief**, support military families, collect and distribute blood, and offer health and safety training. It operates nationwide and collaborates with global Red Cross networks to assist in emergencies worldwide[1][7]. The American Red Cross depends heavily on public donations and volunteers, with volunteers comprising over 90% of its workforce[6]. Historically, the American Red Cross has played critical roles in major crises, including the Johnstown Flood of 1889, the Galveston Hurricane in 1900, and the Spanish-American War in 1898, providing medical aid, food, and supplies[1][3][5]. It pioneered peacetime relief work within the Red Cross movement, a notable innovation known as the “American Amendment” that expanded the organization’s humanitarian scope[1]. The organization also advanced blood safety technologies, initiating Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) in 1999 to detect HIV and Hepatitis C early in donated blood[3]. Congress granted the Red Cross a federal charter in 1900 and updated it several times, most recently in 2007, affirming its national and international disaster relief role and its service to U.S. armed forces and their families[1]. The organization remains a key player in disaster response, operating at approximately 70,000 disaster sites annually and supplying 40% of the nation’s blood[6]. Today, the American Red Cross combines a rich heritage with
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