Red Cross stories
Red Cross stories
Read our stories filled with humanity, resilience and the spirit of volunteering. They show how your support is helping vulnerable people in New Zealand and around the world.
19 December 2024
“It was just like a war zone” – memories of Aceh
On Boxing Day 2004, a massive earthquake struck an area off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The 20-metre-high waves reached Aceh in northern Sumatra in minutes, where they smashed into the coast and destroyed everything three kilometres inland.
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19 December 2024
A day the world won’t forget
On 26 December 2004, a massive earthquake struck an area off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The earthquake triggered tsunami waves that pummelled coastal areas at speeds of more than 500 kilometres an hour.
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19 December 2024
Boxing Day Tsunami – memories from the Maldives
When the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami reached the Maldives the waves drove thousands of tonnes of sand and 37,000 cubic metres of dangerous waste through communities.
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5 December 2024
Volunteers are the heart of the Red Cross Movement
Kiwi John Entwistle has worked for the Red Cross in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe and says volunteers are the lifeblood of the Movement.
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5 December 2024
University of Auckland wins 2024 IHL Moot
This year's Moot case saw TechAnon appear before the International Criminal Court. Although a fictional case, it highlights real concerns about the use and misuse of artificial intelligence (AI), deepfakes, and social media in modern warfare. It shows the effects of war in cities and the risks of targeting civilian objects.
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