Red Cross prepares for need in India

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32773, 25 November 1971, Page 5

Red Cross prepares for need in India

Although it was not Red Cross policy to ask for money other than at its annual appeal for funds, the society was “well and truly implicated” in emergency relief in East Pakistan and India because the Indian Red Cross was responsible for the major disbursement of relief supplies, said Commander M. C. Ashdowne, secretary general of the New Zealand Red Cross Society, in Christchurch this week.

Commander Ashdowne stocking warehouses with said that the work of the Red equipment for relief,” he Cross in India and Pakistan sa £ n side of was twofold—disaster pre- ii e f, the Red Cross had 20 vention and disaster pre- teams of disaster workers, paredness, and disaster relief doing everything required in work among the refugees in the situation, including mediIndia and those people need- cal, agricultural, nutritional ing help in East Pakistan, and distribution of supplies. “I think the C.0.R.5.0. Commander Ashdown is in effort in raising funds for Christchurch to discuss with the refugees in India is ter- members of the North Canriffle; the last thing the Red terbury branch of the Red Cross wants to do is inter- Cross the progress of the disfere with the work of other aster relief team in the area, agencies, such as C.0R.5.0., Three teams have been set in the area,” he said, when up in New Zealand —in Auckasked about the co-ordina- land, Wellington, and' Christtion of relief services in church—and they form a India. composite whole ready to "Cyclones in the Bay of travel anywhere in’ New ZeaBengal happen every year, land or the world to meet and the immense damage is an emergency situation, ciused when the combination The first such disaster reof the cyclonic wind and the lief unit to be formed in the extremely high tide at high world, these Red Crash teams water Springs produces the had given rise to considerdamaging tidal waves. So able interest from other part of our effort is the pro- countries, especially Austraduction of special cyclonic Ha and America, said Comshelters and building and rnander Ashdown.