Canadian Red Cross pledges aid for Attawapiskat

The Huffington Post:

The Canadian Red Cross will help bring aid to the Attawapiskat reserve in Northern Ontario where a state of emergency has been declared due to deplorable living conditions.

NDP MP Charlie Angus described a "fourth world" community lacking in basic sanitation or proper water and with families crammed into makeshift tents — with no one coming to their aid.

The Red Cross will be managing donation support for the community as well as providing such necessities as generators, heaters, insulated sleeping mats, blankets and winter clothing.

Donations can be made on the Canadian Red Cross website.

As public outrage grew, pressure piled on the federal government to step in and help those in Attawapiskat. Officials from Aboriginal Affairs say they will be visiting early next week.

Angus, whose blog post on Huffington Post Canada brought the issue to the fore, says the government's slow response is coming much later than it should have.

Angus will visit the community again early next week with interim NDP leader Nycole Turmel.

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