Volunteers provide assistance to Congolese refugees after the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano, in January 2002

Climatic, socio-economic and food security crises dominated 2002, highlighting the continued need for the Federation to develop long-term strategies for both preventing and responding to the phenomena that lead to large-scale disasters. Southern Africa and the Horn of Africa faced severe droughts, conflict threatened in West Africa and the Middle East, floods engulfed many regions of the planet and Argentinians faced economic ruin. To prevent and respond, the Federation launched appeals to assist 52 million people through 115 operations during the year.

	Volunteers provide assistance to Congolese refugees after the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano, in January 2002.

Rapid-onset disasters
Climatic, socio-economic and food security crises dominated 2002, highlighting the continued need for the Federation to develop long-term strategies for both preventing and responding to the phenomena that lead to large-scale disasters. Southern Africa and the Horn of Africa faced severe droughts, conflict threatened in West Africa and the Middle East, floods engulfed many regions of the planet and Argentinians faced economic ruin. To prevent and respond, the Federation launched appeals to assist 52 million people through 115 operations during the year.

Red Cross solidarity in Goma
In February, just one month after the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) caused massive population movements and destruction, the 500,000 residents of nearby Goma were placed at further risk from seismic activity around a second volcano, Nyamuragira.

Hundreds of volunteers from the DRC and Rwanda Red Cross, and staff from the ICRC and the Federation joined forces to help 165,000 affected people. The Red Cross societies of the DRC and Rwanda provided emergency food rations and drinking water to people on the move.

The worst floods in 100 years
The heaviest floods in decades in Asia and Europe brought a rapid and effective response from Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world. Many thousands of volunteers came to the aid of the millions made homeless.

In Europe, volunteers built sandbag walls that literally helped stem the tide, distributing clothes and hygiene items and evacuating affected areas. They were particularly active in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Russia and Slovakia.

In Asia, Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in Bangladesh, China, India, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Nepal responded to massive floods by setting up first-aid posts, distributing relief goods, providing safe water and purification equipment, distributing shelter materials, doing search-and-rescue missions and sending out mobile medical teams to help the millions of people affected.

The Moroccan Red Crescent distributed food aid, shelter and warm clothes to victims of November’s heavy rains and floods. The flash floods killed 63 people in the west of the country, mostly when houses built of straw and mud bricks in dried-up riverbeds were swept away.

An example of the success of disaster preparedness was seen in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in August, when widespread floods left thousands homeless. An early flood alert by the National Society and local authorities led to the safe evacuation of people in high-risk areas and helped avoid loss of life.

Preparedness saves lives
Hurricanes Isidore and Lili swept over south-western Cuba in late September, causing major damage to property but, thanks to good preparedness, no lives were lost.

The Cuban Red Cross, working with the national authorities, evacuated 280,000 people from high-risk areas. The most notable characteristic of the response was the implementation of well-organized emergency procedures ensuring rapid and orderly evacuations.