Geneva, 7 November 2025 –
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) thanks governments and partners for their commitments made at the 2025 IFRC-DREF Pledging Conference, held in Geneva on November 7, 2025.
Donors announced commitments of nearly CHF 110 million, a record level of investment into the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF), an innovative mechanism that enables rapid, locally led humanitarian response.
The IFRC-DREF has expanded rapidly over the past five years, growing from 23.5 million Swiss francs in funding in 2020 to a record 91.5 million in 2024. In that time, it has allocated a total of 295 million Swiss francs to National Societies, targeting around 80 million people worldwide. Over 75% of IFRC-DREF funding is channelled to Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies on the front lines of humanitarian emergencies.
But in the face of unprecedented humanitarian needs, greater support is needed to enable faster, flexible humanitarian responses. IFRC plans to double the size of the IFRC-DREF from its current 100 million CHF to 200 million CHF by 2030 – to enable greater investment in principled, local humanitarian actors and double the number of people reached to up to 50 million per year.
“This investment in humanity and in local action will save lives,” said Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General. “We thank our partners for their support, but we need to scale this up further in the face of unprecedented humanitarian needs. IFRC-DREF is an extremely valuable tool as we have just seen with Hurricane Melissa – where a small investment had a big impact and saved lives. In a time of financial strain across the humanitarian sector, these commitments send a strong message to communities – you have not been forgotten.”
The IFRC-DREF enables National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to respond immediately to disasters or act in advance of predicted hazards. Funds are typically approved within 24 hours and disbursed within 72 hours.
Since it was first used in 1979, the IFRC-DREF has assisted millions of people affected by floods, cyclones, epidemics and other humanitarian emergencies.
The Fund also plays a leading role in anticipatory action, releasing funds before disasters strike to help communities prepare and reduce losses. The IFRC-DREF’s insurance mechanism, a first in the humanitarian sector, is an innovative finance mechanism that leverages the power of the private sector to make stretched government donor contributions go further. Private-sector contributions have also grown tenfold since 2019, including through insurance partners.
The IFRC extends its gratitude to all partners – especially first-time donors to the IFRC-DREF and those who have increased their pledges - for their trust and support. A full breakdown of pledges will be published in due course.
About the Disaster Response Emergency Fund
The IFRC-DREF is the IFRC’s rapid, flexible funding mechanism that enables National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to respond immediately to disasters and act early to prevent impacts. Entirely donor-funded, it disburses grants within days, putting resources directly into the hands of local responders. It has supported thousands of operations across more than 100 countries. Read the 2024 Annual Report.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected]
In Geneva: Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367
Scott Craig, +41 76 370 3575