29 January 2015
Red Cross Aid Workers Continue to Help with Ebola Crisis
New Zealand Red Cross general manager of communications and marketing Corinne Ambler is the latest Kiwi aid worker
heading to West Africa to help with the Ebola response.
Ms Ambler will be working for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) coordinating
their Ebola communications from the regional hub in Accra, Ghana.
Since August last year 14 New Zealand Red Cross nurses have been part of the international Red Cross team responding to
the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone and Liberia. A further three nurses and a water and sanitation engineer will also head
to Sierra Leone next month.
New Zealand Red Cross secretary general Tony Paine says New Zealand Red Cross is delighted that courageous and committed
Kiwis continue to put up their hands to head to the front line.
“Our aid workers are highly skilled and trained, and internationally regarded for their capability and experience in
working in tough and demanding conditions. Given our size as a small country, our contribution is pretty significant.”
“We’re already seeing the positive impact international donations and health professionals are having on the Ebola
crisis, but there is still much to do,” says Mr Paine.
Communication specialists have also played a vital role in the Ebola response, working with local communities to educate
on how the virus is spread the importance of early treatment and, and working internationally to help create
understanding and reduce stigma of the virus, particularly for aid workers.
Ms Ambler has been with New Zealand Red Cross for three years and prior to that worked as a current affairs journalist
for TVNZ. She leaves for West Africa on 12 February and will be there for at least six months.
In response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, IFRC has mobilised 6,000 local volunteers and 200 international staff
in an operation aimed at reaching 39 million people.
ENDS