The International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a leading humanitarian
organization, which has been working to prevent and alleviate
human suffering for over 85 years. Through its core areas of
work in disaster management, health, organizational development and the promotion of humanitarian values, the International
Federation’s 186 member National Societies are making
a significant contribution to reducing the vulnerability of
people living in some of the most hazard-prone areas of the
world. The importance
of disaster risk reduction is reflected in the Agenda
for Humanitarian Action adopted by the 28th International
Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in December 2003.
At this conference, the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and
the states party to the Geneva Conventions committed to a
plan of action that aims to reduce vulnerability to the risk
and impact of natural disasters. This commitment has since
been reiterated in the International Federation’s Global
Agenda (2006–2010), which explicitly calls for increased
action with vulnerable communities to reduce disaster risk.
The International Federation
also fully supports the conclusions of the UN
World Conference on Disaster Reduction, held in Kobe, Hyogo,
Japan in January 2005 and continues to work through its
member National Societies and in partnership with the UN,
governments, donors and civil society to meet the objectives
of the Hyogo
Framework for Action 2005–2015, which was the key
outcome of that conference.
To reduce disaster risk,
the International Federation has three main strategies: to
strengthen the preparedness and capacities of communities
so that they are in a better position to respond when a disaster
occurs; to promote activities and actions that mitigate the
adverse effects of hazards; and to protect development projects
such as health facilities from the impact of disasters.
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Disaster management
