American Red Cross Northern Minnesota Region - Annual Report FY12 July 2011-June 2012 | Page 7

Local Efforts, Global Reach
As part of a worldwide humanitarian network, the Northern Minnesota Region works to
deliver international humanitarian aid in the wake of disasters; prevent disease and teach
about International Humanitarian Law.
Here in the Northern Minnesota Region we provided 189 international tracing services,
helping families in our community ?nd missing loved ones following armed con?icts
and disasters.
Just as our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners do in their countries all around the
world, the American Red Cross at the local level helps educate adults about the limits of
war and the Geneva Conventions, which protect civilians, prisoners of war and wounded
soldiers, and provides teachers with easily integrated activities and lesson plans to
facilitate discussions about these complex issues.

Helping build safer, more resilient communities
You often see members of the American Red Cross in the news, at the scene of a house

Restoring Family Links

shelter, reunite with family members and put their lives back in order. We take disaster

Through Restoring Family Links, the Red
Cross helped Minneapolis resident Abdiaziz

try to prevent it altogether – or at the very least, be appropriately prepared to respond and
recover.
This year, our Red Cross region helped our communities better understand the disaster
risks they face, reduce their risks and develop emergency preparedness and action plans
for their families.
Last year, we helped improve our community's health, safety and disaster
preparedness because:
• 290,286 people learned skills necessary to prepare their families, neighborhoods and
businesses for future disasters
• 81,486 people trained in ?rst aid, CPR and water safety skills

“I am really thankful to the Red Cross for
the job they did for me and my family,” says
Warsame. “I gave up until the Red Cross
found her alive.”