By AP
Johannesburg: The international Red Cross is asking for $420 million to help better prepare for floods, earthquakes and disease outbreaks around the world.
But the agency says it realizes the global financial crisis means that donors will be less generous. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies made the appeal during a presentation in South Africa on Tuesday.
The agency’s southern African operations director Francoise Le Goff says donors are more likely to respond to emergencies than to spend on infrastructure projects. But she says spending on preparedness now would mean future disasters will be less costly.