Media contact: Keith Paul
Regional Communications Director
keith.paul@redcross.org | 702-400-7680

SALT LAKE CITY (June 17, 2022) — Propelled by the war in Ukraine and other deadly conflicts, the number of people forced to flee wars, oppression, violence, and human rights abuses has risen this year to an all-time high of 100 million. Of these refugees, almost half are children under the age of 18. On World Refugee Day, June 20, the American Red Cross of Utah joins with the global community to call attention to the plight of refugees and the support they need when forced to flee their home countries.

Diane Bahati, a 19-year-old University of Utah sophomore and board member of the Greater Salt Lake Chapter of the Red Cross, has experienced firsthand how the organization assists refugees in the U.S. and around the world. “In 2002, my parents gathered up our family of 9 and fled the Democratic Republic of Congo from a compounding crises of volcano eruptions and violence from a civil war,” she recalled.

The Red Cross, the United Nations, and others aided the family through this time of struggle, but one of her clearest memories is of the Red Cross. “In the camps, we received first aid kits and hygiene products.” Bahati said. “On these kits, in big red letters, we saw the words: ‘American Red Cross.’ Little did I know that 16 years later, I would become a Red Cross board member.”

Supporting the needs of the refugee community goes beyond one day of international recognition, however, stressed Heidi Ruster, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region. “The Red Cross of Utah is committed to helping people all year long,” she said. “Every day, the American Red Cross—as part of our International Family Tracing program—transmits messages from all over the world to help families reconnect with loved ones.”

Globally, the Red Cross and Red Crescent network facilitated the exchange of thousands of messages between families separated by disaster and conflict this year. “Armed conflicts and disasters leave millions of people around the globe in urgent need of humanitarian assistance every year,” said Ruster.

“As a community with a vibrant refugee population, we are directly tied to what happens in seemingly far off places. While providing shelter and relief supplies are the most visible ways we help, the American Red Cross in Utah also makes a difference with our Restoring Family Links program.”

Diane and her family persevered, aided by the very Red Cross programs the college student now supports. “I want to help ensure that every child who has left their country is guaranteed safety, education, and a better future,” she said. “And I plan to go to law school in hopes of becoming a change agent for peace in the world.”

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.