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Persons: Atwell, IHG, Cash, you'll, It's, You'll, Cardholders, you’re, Bilt, Experian, TransUnion ™, Equifax, Chase, Uber, Smith, IHG cardholders, we've, They'll, cardholders, There's, haven't Organizations: Business, InterContinental Hotels Group, Read, IHG Rewards, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Intercontinental Hotels, InterContinental Hotels, Resorts, Regent, Crowne, InterContinental, Resorts Kimpton, United, Hotels, InterContinental ®, Crowne Plaza, FDIC, TSA, United Travel Bank, Card, Business Credit, Business Credit Card, Chase Travel, Chase, Sapphire, Hotel, Mastercard, Alliance, Chase Sapphire Reserve, InterContinental Alliance Resorts, Macao, Parisian Macao, Hertz, Diamond Elite, Apple, Services, Rewards, Club, Club Member, Gold, Silver Elites, Elites, Elite, Diamond Elites, InterContinental Ambassador, IHG, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, United Airlines, Cross, Goodwill, CARE, International Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Diamond, Bilt Locations: Vegas, Venetian Macao, Parisian, OpenTable, Grubhub, Chevron

☆ Kenya floods: Maasai Mara visitors stranded as death toll nears 200
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Larry Madowo | Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Staff and visitors have been left stranded and buildings submerged at Kenya’s famous Maasai Mara nature reserve, as the death toll in catastrophic flooding in the country’s southwest rose to at least 188 people. Local authorities ordered some tourist facilities in the National Reserve to close after River Talek, one of the tributaries of the Mara River, burst its banks and swept through more than a dozen riverside tourist lodges and camps. In Maasai Mara, camp owners were told to leave the affected properties and “move to higher ground further away from River Talek,” governor of Narok county Patrick Ole Ntutu said on Wednesday. Parts of Maasai Mara National Reserve were left submerged by the flooding. Authorities said they had deployed two helicopters to rescue stranded tourists and local staff around the national reserve after receiving distress calls.

Persons: Mai Mahiu, Isaac Mwaura, Susan Kihika, Mara, Patrick Ole Ntutu, Bobby Neptune, Luis Tato, Kipkech Lotiatia, Bush, James Apolloh Omenya, couldn’t, “, X, El Niño, Jagan Chapagain, ”, Nyagoah Tut Organizations: CNN — Staff, National Reserve, CNN, Mara National Reserve, Authorities, Cross, Paramilitary, ”, Youth Service, ” International Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Human Rights, “ Kenyan Locations: Mara, Kenya, Nairobi, Mai, Nakuru County, ”, Narok, AFP, Talek, Kenya’s, Africa, East Africa, Tanzania, Burundi, “ Kenya, Nyagoah Tut Pur

Rescue teams are digging through the mud and debris trying to find survivors near Mai Mahiu, in Kenya’s Nakuru County, Gov. In Mai Mahiu, Kihika said a serious situation was unfolding as floodwaters swept away people and homes. Access to Mai Mahiu, 20 miles north of the capital Nairobi, had been difficult as part of the road had been cut off from recent heavy rains, Kihika said. Other video shows vast flooding around the Tana River, with large parts of the surrounding area underwater. Heavy rains in East Africa have also affected Tanzania and Burundi.

Persons: Susan Kihika, Isaac Maigua Mwaura, Mai Mahiu, Kihika, ” Kihika, Tana, Andre Kasuku, downpours, El Niño, Jagan Chapagain, Kassim Majaliwa Organizations: Kenya CNN —, Gov, CNN, Kenya Red Cross Society, of Education Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Mai Mahiu, Kenya’s Nakuru County, Mai, Mororo, Tana River, Garissa, North Eastern Kenya, Tana, Kona, Tana River County, East Africa, Tanzania, Burundi, Tanzanian

☆ Libya floods: what caused them and why are they so bad?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Aerial view of Derna city, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 14, 2023. After pummelling other Mediterranean countries, the powerful Storm Daniel swept into Libya at the weekend, unleashing record amounts of rain as it made landfall. The rain dumped by the storm filled a normally dry riverbed, or wadi, in the hills south of Derna. The pressure was too much for two dams built to protect the city from floods. He cited five floods since 1942, and called for immediate steps to ensure regular maintenance of the dams.

Persons: Ayman Al, Storm Daniel, hydrologist, Omar Al, Mukhtar, Abdulmenam Ghaithi, Hichem Abu Chkiouat, OCHA, Ghaithi, Muammar Gaddafi, Derna, Tom Perry, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, World Meteorological Organization, Mukhtar University, Infrastructure, Humanitarian Affairs, Reuters, International Federation of, Red Crescent Societies, United Arab, Rescuers, Derna, Thomson Locations: Derna, Libya, Libyan, Egypt, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, Tripoli

Relatives of those still missing told CNN they are terrified. Here’s what we know so far:Where did the flood hit? Morgues are stacked to capacity and dead bodies have been left on the sidewalks outside, Osama Aly, spokesperson for the Emergency and Ambulance Service in Libya, told CNN Tuesday. Analysts have said that climate forecasts gave warnings days before the storm hit Libya, but that authorities in the east did not act quickly enough. Tamer Ramadan, head of international Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Libya, told CNN Tuesday that the issue of rival governments in Libya doesn’t affect their operations.

Persons: “, Areej’s, Emad Milad, ” Milad, Osama Aly, Muammar Gaddafi, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Khalifa Haftar, Osama Hamad, Esam Omran, Reuters Derna, Ahmed Al, Mismari, ” Al, Al, Tamer Ramadan, ”, Jamal Alkomaty, Daniel, ” Karsten Haustein Organizations: CNN —, Authorities, United Nations ’ International Organization for Migration, CNN, Emergency, Ambulance Service, UN, of National Unity, GNU, Libyan National Army, Reuters, Arabiya, Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Leipzig University, Science Media Center Locations: Derna, Libya, Tobruk, Benghazi, NATO, Tripoli, Egypt, UAE, Turkey, Italy, Algeria, Libya’s, Greece, Germany

☆ ‘We knew ahead of time’: A decade of turmoil left Libya unprepared for natural disasters
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Split between two rival administrations since 2014 and having failed to hold presidential elections, Libya faces an uphill battle when it comes to severe natural disasters. Planet Labs PBC/AP Planet Labs PBC/AP Satellite images show Derna, Libya on September 2, before the flooding, left, and after the dams collapsed, right. Responding to criticism regarding lack of preparedness by the LNA, Al-Mismari said that in such situations, 50% of the responsibility falls on authorities (LNA) and 50% falls on citizens. Turkey, which backs the Tripoli government, also said it is mobilizing personnel and supplies to assist authorities in eastern Libya. Tamer Ramadan, head of international Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Libya, told CNN Tuesday that the issue of rival governments in Libya does not affect their operation.

Persons: Storm Daniel, Khalifa Haftar –, ”, Anas El Gomati, Moammar Gadhafi, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Haftar, Jalel Harchaoui, ‘, ’, Harchaoui, Gomati, Osama Hamad, Osama Aly, ” Aly, “, Al Hurra, Jamal Alkomaty, ” Harchaoui, Ahmed al, Mismari, Al, ” Gomati, there’s, Ramadan, ” Ramadan Organizations: CNN, Planet Labs PBC, AP Planet Labs PBC, AP, ISIS, Libya –, Sadeq Institute, NATO, Libyan National Army, Royal United Services Institute, Emergency, Ambulance Service, Twitter, Analysts, United Nations, United, United Arab Emirates, Civil Protection Department, Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies Locations: Libya, Split, Libyan, Derna, Greece, Morocco, “, Tripoli, Benghazi, “ Libya, London, Cyrenaica, tatters, Derna’s, Al, Italy, Egypt, Russia, United Arab, Algeria, Turkey

☆ Libya floods wipe out quarter of city, 10,000 feared missing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Ayman Werfali | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEAR DERNA, Libya, Sept 12 (Reuters) - At least 10,000 people were feared missing in Libya on Tuesday in floods caused by a huge storm, which burst dams, swept away buildings and wiped out as much as a quarter of the eastern city of Derna. "The number of bodies recovered in Derna is more 1,000," he said. "I am not exaggerating when I say that 25% of the city has disappeared. [1/5]People are stuck on a road as a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Shahhat city, Libya, September 11, 2023. Libya is politically divided between east and west and public services have crumbled since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that prompted years of conflict.

Persons: Storm Daniel, Abu Chkiouat, Al Jazeera, Ramadan, Ali Al, Saadi, Tarek Amara, Ayman Werfali, Friedrieke Heine, Angus McDowall, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Clauda, Tom Perry, Ingrid Melander, Alison Williams, Peter Graff Organizations: Reuters, International Federation of, Red Crescent Societies, Facebook, Libyan, Thomson Locations: DERNA, Libya, Derna, Geneva, Tunisia, Derna's, NATO, Tripoli, Misrata, United States

But Shautsou’s statement was the first time the Belarus Red Cross has admitted taking part in the deportations. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Red Cross umbrella organization, expressed “grave concern” and called for the practice to stop. Dzmitry Shautsou, the Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross, pictured near the Polish border. “We have contacted the Belarus Red Cross to express our grave concern and to stop any similar activity in the future,” the statement said, adding that “actions by any of our member national Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies in contradiction with our humanitarian mission” are “taken extremely seriously.”The Ukrainian branch of the Red Cross has called for the IFRC to denounce the Belarus Red Cross’ involvement in the deportations. “We implore them to carefully consider the matter of excluding the Belarus Red Cross from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,” the group said in a statement.

Persons: Dzmitry Shautsou, ” Shautsou, Ulf Mauder, Shautsou, ”, “, Dmytro Kuleba, Vladimir Putin, Rights Maria Lvova, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, Cross, International Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Criminal Court, Belarus “, TV, Red Crescent Movement, Crescent, ICC, Twitter, Russian, Rights, Ukraine Russia, Crisis Management Group Locations: Belarusian, Belarus, Ukraine, Republic of Belarus, Russia, Rome, Polish, Severodonetsk

Kalamata, Greece CNN —A boat that sank killing dozens of people was caused by a “sudden” shift in weight, Greek authorities said Thursday, in one of the largest-scale migrant vessel disasters in southern Europe this year. “A sudden shift in weight is likely to be the cause of what led the boat to capsize and then sink,” Hellenic Coast Guard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told CNN on Thursday. A migrant vessel pictured by the Greek coast guard on June 13 sank in the Mediterranean on Wednesday. From their accounts there seem to have been women and children on board,” he told CNN while helping survivors on the ground. “These people had not eaten for many days, had not drunk water for many days, were burnt by the sun,” the Greek Rescue Team member told CNN affiliate CNN Greece.

Persons: Greece CNN —, Nikos Alexiou, Thanasis Vasilopoulos, ”, “, –, ” Flavio Di Giacomo, Dimitris Chaliotis, Maria Triantou, Triantou, Frido Herinckx, ” Herinckx, Francesco Rocca, ” Rocca Organizations: Greece CNN, Hellenic Coast Guard, CNN, Rescuers, International Organization for Migration, UNHCR, ERT, NGO, Hellenic, Cross, International Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Greek Rescue, CNN Greece, ” CNN Locations: Kalamata, Greece, Europe, “, East, Asia, Africa, Tobruk, Libya, Italy, ‘ State, Hypocrates, Athens

☆ Cyclone Mocha: Myanmar junta travel restrictions are holding up vital aid to cyclone-hit communities
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Myanmar’s military junta is holding up humanitarian access to some cyclone-hit communities in western Rakhine state after Cyclone Mocha devastated the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the poorest parts of the country. Storm damage has hampered efforts to access rural and hard-to-reach areas while pre-existing travel restrictions imposed by the junta have delayed the delivery of vital aid to communities in urgent need. “It seems that many agencies haven’t even been able to conduct needs assessments, let alone deliver aid, because SAC (junta) officials have not granted travel authorization. This is extremely worrying.”A girl draws water from a pump at Basara refugee camp in Sittwe on May 16 in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha. A Rohingya woman stands in her damaged house at Basara refugee camp in Sittwe on May 16 following Cyclone Mocha.

CNN —Western Myanmar is being battered by strong winds and heavy rain after Cyclone Mocha made landfall on the Bay of Bengal coastline Sunday. Local residents check the damages after Cyclone Mocha's crashed ashore in Kyauktaw in Myanmar's Rakhine state on May 14, 2023. Two children stand under a roadside shelter to protect from rain before Cyclone Mocha hits in Sittwe, Rakhine State, on Sunday, May 14, 2023. APTropical Cyclone Mocha has intensified to the equivalent of a category 5 Atlantic hurricane. Most live in bamboo and tarpaulin shelters perched on hilly slopes that are vulnerable to strong winds, rain, and landslides.

Since forming in the Bay of Bengal early Thursday, tropical Cyclone Mocha has intensified to a high-end Category 4 Atlantic hurricane, with sustained winds of 240kph (150mph). Tropical cyclones (also known as hurricanes, typhoons and tropical storms depending on ocean basin and intensity), feed off ocean heat. They need temperatures of at least around 27 degrees Celsius (80 Fahrenheit Fahrenheit) to form, and the warmer the ocean, the more moisture they can take up. The waters in the Bay of Bengal are currently around 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit Fahrenheit), about 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than average for May. Climate-change fueled sea-level rise adds to the risks, worsening storm surges from tropical cyclones and allowing them to travel further inland.

If you have one of the Chase IHG Rewards credit cards, you'll earn an extra 10 points per dollar with the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card and IHG® Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, or 5 points per dollar with the IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card. Other ways to redeem IHG pointsOpt for airline miles instead of IHG Rewards pointsIf you'd rather receive airline miles for your stays instead of IHG Rewards points, that's an option, though redemption rates vary by airline. Transfer IHG points to a friendThere's also an option to transfer IHG points to a friend or family member at a cost of $5 per 1,000 points, or buying them through IHG's website. Some of these redemptions are as low as 100 IHG points, so if you haven't had any activity in your account recently, this is a good way to keep your IHG points from expiring. Use IHG points to attend special eventsThrough IHG Auctions, you can redeem IHG points for concerts, sports, special events, or other experiences.

☆ All countries 'dangerously unprepared' for future pandemics, says IFRC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The world is "dangerously unprepared" for future pandemics, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) say in a report published on Monday, calling on countries to update their preparedness plans by year-end. In its World Disasters Report 2022, the IFRC said "all countries remain dangerously unprepared for future outbreaks" despite COVID-19 killing more people than any earthquake, drought or hurricane in history. said Jagan Chapagain, secretary general of the IFRC, the world's largest disaster response network. "There will be no excuse for a continued lack of preparedness after having gone through three terrible years." "The important thing is there has to be a political will to commit to that," he said.

☆ The world is 'dangerously unprepared' to handle the next pandemic, the Red Cross says in a scathing report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The world is "dangerously unprepared" for future pandemics, the Red Cross warned in a report. The Red Cross' secretary general said the COVID-19 pandemic "should be a wake-up call." The humanitarian aid organization said in its World Disasters Report released Monday that "many countries" were not prepared for COVID-19 and that "all countries remain dangerously unprepared for future outbreaks." Pandemic preparedness plans, the report says, "should include concrete measures to strengthen equity, trust, and local action." By 2024, according to the report, all countries should adopt a new treaty and revised International Health Regulations.

☆ Studiu: Circa 10,3 milioane de persoane, strămutate din cauza dezastrelor naturale în ultimele şase luni
▼ + stars: | 2021-03-17 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

IFRC a afirmat că aproximativ 2,3 milioane de persoane au fost strămutate în urma conflictelor în aceeaşi perioadă, indicând că marea majoritate a strămutărilor interne sunt în prezent provocate de schimbările climatice.Deşi cifrele acoperă doar o perioadă de şase luni începând cu septembrie 2020 până în februarie 2021, acestea evidenţiază o accelerare a tendinţei globale a strămutărilor legate de climă, a declarat Helen Brunt, coordonator pentru migraţie pentru zona Asia-Pacific în cadrul IFRC. "Lucrurile se înrăutăţesc pe măsură ce schimbările climatice agravează factorii existenţi precum sărăcia, conflictul şi instabilitatea politică", a spus Brunt. "Impactul agravat face ca recuperarea să fie mai lungă şi mai dificilă: oamenii abia au timp să-şi revină şi sunt loviţi de un alt dezastru", a afirmat ea.Circa 60% dintre persoanele strămutate intern din cauza dezastrelor naturale în ultimele şase luni au fost în Asia, potrivit raportului IFRC.Statistici ale Centrului de monitorizare a deplasărilor interne (IDMC) arată că, în medie, 22,7 milioane de persoane sunt strămutate în fiecare an. Cifra include deplasările cauzate de fenomene geofizice precum cutremure şi erupţii vulcanice, însă marea majoritate sunt strămutate de evenimente legate de vreme.Potrivit unui raport al Institutului pentru Economie şi Pace de anul trecut, se aşteaptă ca peste 1 miliard de persoane să se confrunte cu migraţia forţată până în 2050 din cauza conflictelor şi a factorilor ecologici.

Persons: IFRC, Helen Locations: Asia - Pacific, Asia

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☆ Inundaţiile, furtunile şi valurile de căldură au dus la peste 410.000 de decese din 2010
▼ + stars: | 2020-11-17 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

Astfel de dezastre, care includ inundaţii, furtuni şi valuri de căldură, au dus la peste 410.000 de decese din 2010, a declarat marţi la Geneva Federaţia Internaţională a Societăţilor de Cruce Roşie şi Semilună Roşie (IFRC).Grupul de ajutor umanitar estimează că vieţile a 1,7 miliarde de persoane au fost perturbate după ce şi-au pierdut membrii familiei, casele, animalele, terenurile agricole şi mijloacele de trai în urma acestor dezastre.Din anii 1990, numărul dezastrelor legate de climă şi de condiţiile meteorologice a crescut cu aproape 35% în fiecare deceniu, potrivit IFRC. "Prima noastră responsabilitate este de a proteja comunităţile cele mai expuse şi mai vulnerabile la riscurile climatice", a precizat secretarul general al IFRC Jagan Chapagain într-o declaraţie. "Cu toate acestea, cercetarea noastră demonstrează că lumea eşuează la nivel colectiv să facă acest lucru", a adăugat el.Organizaţia sa a criticat faptul că ţările care se confruntă cu cele mai multe calamităţi naturale obţin o pondere insuficientă din fondurile cheltuite pentru adaptarea la schimbările climatice.Somalia, afectată de secete, inundaţii, cicloane şi boli legate de climă, se află în fruntea listei ţărilor cele mai ameninţate de schimbările climatice realizată de Crucea Roşie.Cu toate acestea, această ţară africană ocupă doar locul 71 în ceea ce priveşte cheltuielile pe persoană pentru măsurile de adaptare la schimbările climatice. "Investirea în capacitatea de adaptare în cele mai vulnerabile locuri este mai rentabilă decât acceptarea unor creşteri continue ale costului răspunsului umanitar", a precizat Chapagain.

Persons: Internaţională Locations: Geneva, Semilună Roşie

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