Red Cross announces emergency blood shortage, calls on Americans to donate

The Americans Red Cross announced Monday it is experiencing an emergency blood shortage and is calling on more people to donate blood urgently.

The American Red Cross said Monday it is experiencing an emergency blood shortage.

According to the humanitarian organization, it is seeing the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years.

Hospitals are currently receiving blood products -- including whole blood, red blood cells, plasma and platelets -- faster than donations are coming in, the Red Cross said in a release.

This means the Red Cross, which says it supplies about 40% of the nation's blood donations, has had to limit distributions of some of the most transfused blood types to hospitals.