Chinese Red Cross Foundation expands international aid work

The Chinese Red Cross Foundation provided more than 2.4 million nutritious meals to over 5,500 teachers and students at 20 schools in Kenya and Tanzania last year, as part of its international humanitarian efforts, according to its 2024 annual work report released Saturday.

In partnership with the United Nations Refugee Agency, the foundation distributed essential relief supplies and cash assistance to 2,049 displaced families in six countries, including Afghanistan and Iran. It also sent nearly 25 million yuan ($3.4 million) worth of supplies to displaced youth in two African countries through the agency.

The foundation supported the establishment of assistance programs for people with disabilities and orphans in Nepal, and conducted screenings for congenital heart disease among children in Mongolia.

Domestically, the foundation provided financial aid to 12,441 children with leukemia and congenital heart disease last year, and screened 160,000 children for congenital heart disease in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Inner Mongolia autonomous region and other areas.

It also raised funds to support more than 3,300 patients with congenital heart disease, cancer and other major illnesses, and trained more than 30,000 rural, pediatric, campus and grassroots doctors.

The foundation also took part in natural disaster relief efforts and promoted emergency aid awareness and training programs.

Since 2005, the foundation has spent a cumulative total of more than 12.3 billion yuan. Total revenue and expenditure in 2024 reached about 1.26 billion yuan, according to the report.