The Canadian Red Cross will provide disaster relief to a northern Ontario reserve that declared a state of emergency over unsafe living conditions, which local officials say has put the community on the brink of a public health disaster.
The agency said Saturday that it will provide generators, heaters, insulated sleeping mats, blankets and winter clothing, among other items, to the community of Attawapiskat, near James Bay.
Conditions on the reserve forced officials to declare a state of emergency on Nov. 12. According to John Saunders, director of disaster management at the Red Cross, mould has forced 25 families out of their homes.
They are living in un-insulated tents and wooden sheds, which are not warm enough to protect against the current night time temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius.
"There obviously is no running water into these separate facilities, the tents and shacks," Saunders told CTV News Channel on Saturday afternoon. "So in many cases the toilets are buckets and ditches are the closest remedy for emptying the buckets, which can obviously cause some potential health difficulties."
"Our focus right now with Attawapiskat is making sure that these people have a warm, safe place to sleep at night," he added later.
Last week, Chief Theresa Spence appealed to both the provincial and federal governments to declare a state of emergency and ramp up efforts to stave off a potential health crisis in the community.
Spence said some residents have been living in makeshift housing for two years, and concerns about the spread of infectious diseases, burns and frostbite are growing.
She said while the community has many needs, emergency housing is a key priority.
"It's really a crisis that we're facing in our community and I think it's time for the government to really accept and understand what's going on and deal with it," she said.
"We're in a Third World situation. It's not improving, so it's time for both governments to recognize and work with us. Kids and the elder are at risk."
NDP MP Charlie Angus, whose riding includes Attawapiskat, visited the community earlier this month. He said federal and provincial officials held a conference call on Friday in what he hopes was a step toward a co-ordinated effort to tackle the community's problems.
"A disaster like this doesn't just happen," Angus told News Channel. "This is years and years of problems that have been compounding. This is a community that's been fighting for a school for 12 years.
Angus pointed out that the community has declared a state of emergency three times in the past three years.
He said all levels of government must work together on "long-term solutions. This doesn't need to be a horror story."
The federal Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development has said it will send a representative to the community next week.
Saunders said the primary impediment to getting supplies into the fly-in community is simply logistics. For now, the Red Cross has to prioritize items to be flown in until ice roads form and more supplies can be shipped.
"Obviously the one thing that can help is also the one thing that can hurt the most, is the cold weather," he said.
In the meantime, the Red Cross is seeking donations to help with relief efforts in Attawapiskat. Donations can be made at www.redcross.ca or by calling 1-800-418-1111.
