Red Cross

The Red Cross is calling on people in the Netherlands to reach out to vulnerable people around them. According to the aid organization, many people are afraid and need someone to talk to. Meanwhile, the University Medical Center in Groningen (UMCG) is opening an outpatient clinic specifically for patients who may have the coronavirus Covid-19.

Netherlands residents are not sure about how to use mouth caps or medical masks to prevent infection with the coronavirus Covid-19, according to a study by the Red Cross. The aid organization therefore advises people to prepare themselves well - also on the proper use of medical masks - before they travel, NOS reports.

Charities in the Netherlands fear that they will lose hundreds of thousands of euros per year to banks once negative interest rates on savings are implemented, Financieele Dagblad reports after speaking to four charities.

Dozens of airline passengers spent the first night of the New Year sleeping at Eindhoven Airport after low visibility prevented aircraft from taking off or landing. The country's second largest airport had struggled with fog since Tuesday.

Dozens of people were found hidden on board a DFDS cargo ferry ship that had departed the Netherlands for England. They were discovered by the ship's crew late Tuesday afternoon inside a refrigerated container.

Authorities say the 25 stowaways were all found alive. Two people were hospitalized, and 23 were treated at the scene. The 23 that were in good condition were then taken to an area police station.

An 11-year-old Dutch girl was brought to the Netherlands from Syria on Friday, the Dutch Red Cross, which played an important role in the child's recovery, confirmed to NU.nl after reports in NOS.

The public transit strike left train stations throughout the Netherlands largely deserted on Tuesday morning. People gathered in the stations were largely tourists who did not know about the strike.

Tourists Rachel, Angie, and Acqua were caught by surprise when they arrived at Amsterdam Central Station. They have a hotel booked in Rotterdam. A volunteer from Red Cross explained the strike to them.

Aid organization Red Cross and peace organization PAX are calling on the Dutch government to sign the United Nations nuclear weapons ban, a treaty adopted by the UN in July 2017. The Netherlands then abstained from voting on the ban - all the countries with nuclear weapons and almost all NATO countries boycotted the vote, NOS reports.

Flight traffic at Eindhoven Airport was halted on Sunday due to fog. This resulted in some 900 travelers being stuck at the airport. The airport asked the Red Cross to place 500 camping cots at the terminal, ANP reports.

Not all the beds were occupied. A number of travelers were able to go home, to family or to a hotel. Food and drinks were organized for those who ended up spending the night at the airport.

Whether the flights canceled on Sunday will all be made up on Monday, is not yet clear. At this stage Eindhoven Airport does not report any cancellations or delays.

Exactly a year ago today Sint Maarten was hit by Hurricane Irma. About a third of the 20 million euros the Dutch raised for aid to the island last year, has since been spent. The money was mainly used to provide basic necessities - food, water and shelter, RTL Nieuws reports.

Hurricane Irma caused massive destruction on Sint Maarten, a Caribbean island that forms part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. One person died on the Dutch side of the island, and around 90 percent of buildings were damaged.

Pay extra attention to the elderly during the coming hot days, the Red Cross advises. According to the aid organization, this vulnerable group is at risk of dehydration and overheating in the high temperatures expected for this week, NOS reports.