Their daily diet has been reduced to cold sausage, cheese and bread. In extreme cases, when they have no heat at all, people are moving in with friends and families to keep warm. I have seen frozen apartments with ice flowing out of the balcony. Authorities are working around the clock to attempt to repair the damaged heating systems. In the meantime the number of cases of respiratory and other diseases due to the cold is rising rapidly.
Many hospitals are also have no heat and most schools are closed.
The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 176 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.