27 November 2008
A two-person British Red Cross psychosocial team left the UK early on 27 November to provide practical help and emotional
support to Britons affected by the attacks in Mumbai.
More than 100 people have been killed, including at least one Briton, after gunmen opened fire in hotels and high-profile locations
across the Indian city of Mumbai, on 26 November. The attackers were reported to be seeking out British and US passport holders and the Foreign Office said seven Britons were injured.
Briony
Thomas, British Red Cross UK services adviser, and Neil Rees, clinical psychologist at the University of East London, who volunteers for the Red Cross, are travelling as part of a Foreign and
Commonwealth Office (FCO) rapid deployment team. The pair will assess the needs of those affected and offer any practical or emotional help required, including arranging travel home and local
accommodation.
Red Cross support
Vanessa Spiller, head of British Red Cross emergency response, said: "Britons caught up in the attacks are likely to need help, as are
their relatives. The team will be on hand to respond to any requests to assist people through this extremely difficult time. We're working with the Foreign Office to ensure people receive the support
they need."
The Red Cross delegates are going to India at the request of the FCO, which is responsible for providing consular assistance to Britons overseas. The British Red Cross has trained
volunteers on standby to offer practical help and emotional support to people affected by tragedies overseas.
In previous deployments, the organisation has sent support staff to assist Britons
following the Thai air disaster in Phuket in September last year and also to Brazzaville, Congo, to assist with the evacuation of British nationals in March 2007.
If you are worried
about friends or relatives who are UK nationals and may be affected, you can call the FCO on 020 7008 0000 or visit their website for further information.
More about Red Cross emergency response
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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