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The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is devastated to confirm the deaths of five members of our network due to the armed hostilities in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Today, Wednesday, in two different incidents, ambulances were hit killing four Palestine Red Crescent paramedics who were helping those in need.
Previously, on Saturday, an ambulance driver of Magen David Adom in Israel lost his life while driving an ambulance to treat injured people.
The IFRC reiterates the call on all parties to respect their legal obligations under international humanitarian law. This is non-negotiable. Civilians, healthcare workers, health facilities and civilian infrastructure must be respected and protected at all times. They are not a target.
The IFRC, on behalf of all 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, sends its deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues ofthosekilled.
By Mey Al Sayegh, IFRC MENA Head of Communications
Something as ordinary as rainy days and nearby seashores have sadly become a source of fear for those living in eastern Libya, especially for those who experienced first-hand the massive floods that swept-away their homes, cars, and loved ones in the blink of an eye, on the night of 11 September.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the most of the citizens of the worst-hit city of Derna, whose memories are burdened with painful images, are in need of some kind of psychosocial or mental health support. Signs of experienced trauma, such as children screaming during their sleep or sleepwalking, have become a nightly occurrence in Derna, and even in the nearby city of Benghazi, which is where most of families fled the devastation.
Urgent mental health support needed
In a poignant example from last week, two Libyan Red Crescent volunteers, well-versed in dealing with disasters, ran terrified to the Derna branch and hurriedly closed the doors behind them closed the doors because it had started to rain.
“People are associating rain with death," said Ali Gharor, mental health and psychosocial support officer at the Libyan Red Crescent Society. “All groups of people in the city need psychological support, including volunteers.”
Even those who have sought safety in Benghazi are affected. Haya Al-Hadar, a Libya Red Crescent volunteers, shares how the Red Crescent tried to provide a chalet for a family by the sea but they adamantly refused:
“I will never forget that night. I received a call at 1:30 am, and I was informed that the man refused to stay near the sea, because of his fear of coastal areas," he recalled. "[He] insisted on returning with his wife and children to where they came from. We provided them with an apartment outside the city.”
Despite Libyan Red Crescent providing psychosocial support and psychological first aid, the need for mental health professionals in the region is urgent.
“Children and the elderly visit my clinic on a daily basis and ask for psychological support in this field hospital," saysDr. Al-Siddiq Al-Haj Ali, who serves as head of mental health at the Misrata Center affiliated with the Libyan Ministry of Health and who also volunteers in Derna."Time is of the essence. If those affected are not given psychological support during the next three to six months, we can expect to see more psychological disorders and even cases of suicide.”
Red Crescent volunteers among the affected
Through IFRC’s visits to affected areas and conversations with volunteers, it was evident that Libyan Red Crescent volunteers are also in dire need of mental health support, some of them having lost their families, loved ones, and homes.
For volunteer Hamdi Ahmed Belaid, one of the first responders to the disaster, time has stood still since the night of 11 September, when a phone call he received from his mother at approximately 2:15 am turned out to be the last time he heard her voice. When Hamdi returned to his neighborhood he was devastated at the sight of his home having been swept away, taking the lives of his parents and three brothers as well as the lives of many neighbours.,
In spite of his personal tragedy, Hamdi insists on continuing his work to help those affected: “Assisting those affected cools the fire in my heart," he adds.
Ali Gharor, the mental health and psychosocial support officer for the Libyan Red Crescent, understands Hamdi's predicament very well.“Unfortunately, there seems to be no time for volunteers to grieve, and this will likely reflect negatively on them later on," he says. "Our customs and traditions are also preventing some of them from showing weakness, but it is necessary to let grief take its time.”
IFRC specialized mental health unit will support Libyan Red Crescent
Given the massive needs, IFRC and other Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners have agreed with the Libyan Red Crescent to provide support in this critical field, while being mindful of the cultural context and customs in relation to mental health support in the country.
The IFRC is preparing to send an emergency response unit specializing in mental health and psychosocial support to the affected areas very soon. Raja Assaf, Head of IFRC Emergency Operations in Libya, explains that the unit will include mental health specialists, medication and other equipment, as well as a team to train more local Libyan Red Crescent staff and volunteers in providing psychosocial support.
“For us and the Libyan Red Crescent, this is a clear priority as we definitely try to avoid any mental health ticking time bomb and care for those affected as best as we can,” he concludes.
Over the past 20 years, the number of climate-related events and people affected in Africa has risen dramatically. Successive devastating crises, such as droughts in the Horn of Africa and deadly cyclones and floods in Mozambique and Libya, will likely continue as the frequency and impact of climate extremes continue to intensify. Africa´s population is also projected to double in the next 30 years, meaning more will be impacted in the coming years if nothing is done.
We cannot allow lives to be lost in predictable disasters. Early warning systems with early action are the most effective and dignified way to prevent an extreme weather event from causing a humanitarian crisis—especially for the most vulnerable and remote communities.
Two weeks ago, the Africa Climate Summit 2023 (ACS23) and the Africa Climate Week 2023 were convened in Nairobi. Leaders from governments, businesses, international organizations, and civil society gathered to explore ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while adapting to the mounting fallout from the climate crisis.
Shortly after, the IFRC hosted the 10th Pan African Conference (PAC) bringing together Red Cross and Red Crescent leadership from 54 countries to discuss renewing investment in the continent.
The ACS23 had only just concluded when the continent was struck by two major disasters: a massive earthquake in Morocco and Storm Daniel in Libya, both claiming thousands of lives and wiping out years of development.
Rapid analysis of Storm Daniel has shown climate change made the catastrophe ‘far more likely’. And while earthquakes are not climate-related, the impact of the Morocco earthquake will linger for years, making affected communities more vulnerable to climate-related risks and hazards.
The IFRC network quickly mobilized resources and emergency teams in both countries to support affected people and get urgently needed humanitarian assistance to hard-to-reach areas. But both disasters point to the need to invest in multi-hazard and people-centered risk reduction, adaptation and resilience in communities before disasters strike—a resounding call at the ACS23 and PAC.
Africa has a strong network of 54 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the majority of which have signed our Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations which aims to galvanize a collective humanitarian response to the climate and environmental crisis. However, we need to do more to leverage our combined strengths, expertise, and resources to address the complex and diverse humanitarian challenges the continent is facing.
While there are success stories to celebrate, fundamentals of National Society Development (NSD), along with risk management, localization, digital transformation, and improved membership coordination remain central to the ambition of African National Societies to deliver the most effective humanitarian, public health, and development services to their communities.
These challenges and achievements were reviewed at the 10th PAC, with reflections and lessons turned into a reference framework for new actions and targets for African National Societies over the next four years.
At the ACS23, an initiative politically endorsed at COP was launched for the continent: the Early Warnings for All Africa Action Plan. The IFRC, with its long and in-depth experience in disaster management, will lead the preparedness and response pillar of the plan and support the dissemination and communication pillar. The latter involves leveraging digital technology, such as mobile networks, apps, and social media platforms, to reach a wider audience and ensure the delivery of warnings in a timely manner.
A huge step in the right direction, the ACS23 also provided space for:
African leaders to boldly speak on their climate ambitions, calling for urgent action and showcasing the proactive approach taken by African countries to address the impacts of the changing climate on the most vulnerable.This was clearly summarized in the Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change.
Youth and children to reflect on their power as young people to drive meaningful climate action and change in their society.
Discussion on ways to boost investments in interventions around women’s empowerment, green growth, and climate action.
A call by African leaders for accountability to countries responsible for the highest emissions to honour their commitments to operationalize the loss and damage fund, including the pressure for a shift in the global financing architecture.
As we gear up to COP 28 in Dubai, it will be crucial for the African continent to have a joint and common position on key issues related to the climate crisis, especially on prioritizing the most vulnerable communities, unlocking more and flexible financing for adaptation, and calling for further, urgent action around loss and damage commitments made at COP 27.
We need to continue dialogue with the most at-risk and vulnerable communities to address the gaps in the Nairobi declaration as we work to mobilize local resources for innovative and tangible solutions to the climate crisis.
New York, 20 September 2023- At the UN Climate Ambition Summit today in New York, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) announced the development of a large-scale, collaborative push to establish life-saving Early Warning Systems in some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries.
An initial injection of US$1.3 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) will be used to kick-start a much larger initiative aimed at delivering $157 million from the GCF and partner governments to move towards universal early warning for all. As part of the announcement, UNDP and its partners appealed for other donors to join forces, growing the initiative beyond the first group of countries of Antigua and Barbuda, Cambodia, Chad, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, and Somalia.
Designed by UNDP, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and targeting finance from the GCF – with other donors expected to come on board – the project is a key contribution to realizing the UN Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All initiative.
TheEarly Warnings for All initiativeis an ambitious push to ensure everyone on Earth is protected from hazardous weather, water, and climate events through life-saving early warning systems by the end of 2027.
UN Secretary-General's Special Advisor on Climate Action and Just Transition, Selwin Hartsaid, “Early Warning Systems are effective and proven tools to save lives and protect the livelihoods of those on the frontlines of climate crisis. Yet those that have contributed least to the climate crisis lack coverage. Six out of every ten persons in Africa are not covered by an early warning system. No effort should be spared to deliver on the ambitious but achievable goal set by the Secretary-General to ensure universal early warning systems coverage by 2027. This will require unprecedented levels of coordination and collaboration. Let's roll up our sleeves and get to work. One life lost from a lack of access to an early warning system is one life too many.”
UNDP Administrator Achim Steinersaid, “The power of science and technology to predict disasters is yet another demonstration of humanity’s ability to confront climate change. Yet these vital early warning tools remain out of reach for too many. By bridging the gaps, this new initiative will help to advance the UN Secretary-General's bold vision whereby everyone, everywhere can benefit from Early Warning Systems by 2027. We invite partners and donors to join us in mobilizing the support needed to make this ambitious initiative a reality."
GCF Executive Director, Mafalda Duartesaid, “Timely and accurate climate information is the first line of defense before disaster strikes. The more we scale up early warning systems, the more lives we save and the more livelihoods we protect. GCF is proud to make this initial contribution to Early Warnings for All to bridge investment gaps that stand in the way of a more resilient future for vulnerable communities across the developing world.”
According to the WMO, extreme weather, climate and water-related events caused 11,778 reported disastersbetween 1970 and 2021, with just over 2 million deaths and $4.3 trillion in economic losses.https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/276405By 2050, the global economymay lose up to 14 percent ($23 trillion)on account of climate change.
The benefits of multi-hazard Early Warning Systems are considerable. Just 24 hours’ notice of a hazardous event – for example, a flood or fire – cancut the ensuing damage by 30 percent. Countries with substantive-to-comprehensive early warning coverage experience disaster mortality rates eight times lower than countries with limited coverage.
Half of countries worldwide, however, are not protected by multi-hazard Early Warning Systems, nor have protocols and resources in place to deal with climate extremes and hazards.
The new 6-year project will help Antigua and Barbuda, Cambodia, Chad, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, and Somalia to develop their own projects, while also assisting at least 20 other vulnerable countries with technical and financial support from the GCF and Early Warnings for All partners.
WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalassaid, “Floods, fires, heatwaves, and drought have all wreaked devastation with people’s lives and livelihoods in recent weeks. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of these extreme events. It is therefore vital that climate adaptation policies and actions embrace multi-hazard Early Warning Systems to protect people and property.”
IFRC Secretary-General Jagan Chapagainsaid, "Communities most at risk must be warned early – and warning must be followed by action. IFRC’s role in reaching communities with early warnings and preparing them to act is critical to saving lives and livelihoods. This project demonstrates how Early Warning for All can bring together partners to take bigger and more effective actions that benefit everyone, especially communities who need it most."
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martinsaid, “When disaster strikes, timely communications are critical to save lives and reduce damage. Within the Early Warnings for All initiative, ITU is focusing on ensuring that communications channels are in place for warnings to swiftly and effectively reach people and communities. We are committed to mobilizing our unique public and private membership to help cover the world with an Early Warning System by the end of 2027.”
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR Mami Mizutorisaid, “Extreme weather events do not need to become deadly disasters. We need an immediate roll out of early warning systems to protect everyone, everywhere. We will only be safe when everyone is safe.”
The implementing partners will tailor their support based on country needs and focus on enhancing national and community capacities, contributing to the global knowledge base, and developing timely and easily accessible climate information for communities to make practical decisions, such as when to evacuate ahead of a cyclone or flood, or how to mitigate the impact of an impending drought.
The project will closely coordinate with and build on other efforts currently supporting the Early Warnings for All goals, such as theClimate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS)initiative and theSystematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF), a new UN fund co-created by WMO, UNDP and UNEP, that provides support to close today's major weather and climate data gaps.
It will also help link participating countries with international institutions for sustainable financing and technical support.
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For more information, please contact:
Dylan Lowthian | Head, Media Relations +1 (646) 673 6350 [email protected]
Dan McNorton | +82 32 458 6338 [email protected]
Geneva –Amiddevastatingloss of life due to disasters and conflict, there is often unfounded fear and misunderstanding concerning the dead. It is therefore important that communities have the tools and information they need to manage dead bodies safely and with dignity.This is in part to help survivors along the path to recovery,the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.
When many people die in natural disasters or armed conflict, the presence of these bodies is distressing for affected communities. Some may move quickly to bury bodies, such as in mass graves, in part in an attempt to manage this distress, and sometimes because of the fear that these bodies pose a health threat. This approach can be detrimental to the population, the organizations said.
Though local authorities and communities can be under immense pressure to bury the dead quickly, the consequences of mismanagement of the dead include long lasting mental distress for family members as well as social and legal problems. Well managed burials include easily traceable and properly documented individual graves in demarcated burial sites. This should ensure that the exact location of each dead body, as well as the associated information and personal belongings, is known as outlined in guidance developed by the organizations, in particular theICRC/IFRC/WHO Manual for the Management of the Dead After Disasters. Cremations should not take place before the body is positively identified.
In order to support better management of the dead, the organizations provide supplies and expertise to local authorities to help them manage the sometimes-overwhelming task of burying the dead. Today in Libya, Red Cross and WHO teams are working directly with authorities, communities and the Libyan Red Crescent Society, supporting them with guidance, materials, and training. The ICRC and WHO are both delivering body bags in Libya to help with the dignified treatment of the dead.
The bodies of people who have died following wounds sustained in a natural disaster or armed conflict almost never pose a health danger to communities. This is because victims who have died from trauma, drowning or fire do not normally harbour organisms that cause disease with common precautions. The exceptions are when deaths occur from infectious diseases such as Ebola or Marburg diseases or cholera, or when the disaster occurred in an area endemic for these infectious diseases.
Under any circumstance, dead bodies near or in water supplies can lead to health concerns, as the bodies may leak feces and contaminate water sources, leading to a risk of diarrheal or other illness. Bodies should not be left in contact with drinking water sources.
“The belief that dead bodies will cause epidemics is not supported by evidence. We see too many cases where media reports and even some medical professionals get this issue wrong,” said Pierre Guyomarch, the head of ICRC’s forensics unit. “Those who survive an event like a natural disaster are more likely to spread disease than dead bodies.”
“We urge authorities in communities touched by tragedy to not rush forward with mass burials or mass cremations. Dignified management of bodies is important for families and communities, and in the cases of conflict, is often an important component of bringing about a swifter end to the fighting,” said Dr Kazunobu Kojima, Medical Officer for biosafety and biosecurity in WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.
“An unnecessary rush to dispose of bodies of those killed in disasters or conflict deprives families of the opportunity to identify and mourn their loved ones, while providing no public health benefit. Dignified treatment of the dead requires appropriate time to identify the deceased and mourn and perform funeral rites in accordance with local cultural and social norms,” said Gwen Eamer, IFRC’s Senior Officer for Public Health in Emergencies and Head of Emergency Operations, Morocco Earthquake Response.
The ICRC, IFRC and WHO wish to remind authorities and communities of the following:
While it is distressing to see dead bodies, community leaders or authorities should not hastily bury bodies in mass graves or carry out mass cremations. Burial or cremation procedures must keep in mind cultural, religious, and family concerns.
The bodies of those who die from natural disasters or armed conflict are generally not a source of disease.
Unless the deceased has died from a highly infectious disease, the risk to the public is negligible. However, there is a risk of diarrhoea from drinking water contaminated by faecal material from dead bodies. Routine disinfection of drinking water is sufficient to prevent waterborne illness.
Rapid, disrespectful mass burials or cremations, make identification of the dead and notification to family more difficult and sometimes impossible.
The only time dead bodies pose a health risk of epidemics is when the deaths resulted from some infectious diseases or when a natural disaster occurs in an area where such a disease is endemic.
Lime powder does not hasten decomposition, and since dead bodies in disaster or conflict are generally not an infectious risk, the disinfection of these bodies is not needed.
After any contact with the deceased, hands should be washed with soap and water, or cleaned with alcohol-based hand rub if there is no visible soiling.
The ICRC, IFRC and WHO urge all parties to conflict, and responders in disasters, to follow established principles for the management of dead bodies, for the good of all of society, and have offered further support as needed.
For more information, please contact:
ICRC media office:[email protected]
IFRC media office:[email protected]
WHO media office:[email protected]
Geneva, 6 September 2023 - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in collaboration with global professional services firm Aon, Lloyd’s Disaster Risk Facility and the Centre for Disaster Protection, has announced a pioneering approach to disaster response. The groundbreaking risk transfer mechanism will ensure swift and agile support is available when a disaster occurs. This tool provides a backstop for the IFRC's Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF).
Emergency funding always available when needed
DREF has proven to be the simplest, fastest, most transparent, and localized way for IFRC's member National Societies to access reliable international, short-term emergency funding for community action in all kinds of disasters when needs surpass the resources available at the national level. The new insurance backstop will be a critical safety valve for DREF’s life-saving work, ensuring the DREF can continue to meet the needs of today while standing ready for the crises of tomorrow.
Andrew Mitchell, Minister of State for Development and Africa, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said:“Climate change is devastating the lives of millions around the world. With natural disasters on the rise, this innovative new insurance will provide extra funding for life-saving emergency assistance. This is UK expertise at its best – funding from the UK, insurance purchased through the City of London and technical support from the Centre for Disaster Protection.”
IFRC’s ambition is to grow the fund every year to reach 100 million Swiss Francs in 2025 (US$116 million, €104 million, £89 million). Currently, there is an alarming increase in small and medium-scale emergencies, and funding may not always be available when needed.
The new insurance tool provides DREF with contingency funding of up to 20 million Swiss Francs (US$23 million, €21 million, £18 million). Essentially, once DREF’s allocated funding for natural hazards hits 33 million Swiss Francs (US$38 million, €34 million, £29 million), the reinsurance is triggered to replenish DREF’s reserves.
By transferring risk from strained public balance sheets to the private sector, DREF is now able to respond more flexibly and effectively, with the potential to reach an additional 6 million vulnerable people each year. The reinsurance acts as a safety net for DREF, ensuring that extra funds are available and ready to provide aid to vulnerable communities, even during periods of increased demand.
Pioneering partnerships
Aon and Lloyd’s Disaster Risk Facility together developed the insurance mechanism and designed a unique structure drawing upon DREF’s 40 years of experience in supporting IFRC's member National Societies across the world. Importantly, this has been achieved without forcing any changes to DREF’s current operational process.
DREF insurance is supported by international donors including: the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (UK FCDO); the British Red Cross and Danish Red Cross; and the private sector. DREF Insurance is also co-funded by InsuResilience Solutions Fund (ISF) to support insurance premium funding and product development. Global law firm Reed Smith provided legal advice to IFRC, with support from Swiss law firm Lenz & Staehelin and offshore specialist law firm Ogier.
Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General, said:“Strategic partnerships with the private sector are essential to address rising humanitarian needs and the humanitarian funding gap. We have a responsibility to respond rapidly and at scale, in the most effective and sustainable manner, and to ensure that our actions are locally led and community-centred. Our partnership with Aon and the Centre, and through the bespoke insurance solution for DREF, allows exactly that.”
Eric Andersen, President of Aon, said:“The impact of climate is giving rise to an increasing number of natural disasters that are disproportionally affecting underserved communities. At Aon, we are honoredto play a role to help protect DREF from volatility and increase its capacity to effectively distribute funds to those in need through our innovative capabilities in matching capital to the risk and the innovation in our industry to address the humanitarian impact from climate-related disasters.”
The partnership has resulted in a completely novel – yet replicable and scalable – reinsurance product that:
Is tailor-made for DREF and modeled on its actual historic performance
Uses publicly published data, supporting transparency and accountability of approach
Is, for the first time, an indemnity-based reinsurance model that has been developed within a Humanitarian Disaster Risk Finance context
Is designed to make use of well-established commercial catastrophe re-insurance markets, reducing cost and improving scalability (allowing it to be used in other humanitarian contexts)
Has been continuously vetted and subject to an independent assessment prior to ensure its applicability
Daniel Clarke, Director, the Centre for Disaster Protection, said: “Having the right plans in place before a crisis is crucial for effective management of its impacts. We are proud to have supported IFRC and Aon teams to develop a risk transfer policy that strengthens DREF's ability to provide emergency funds that will help meet the needs of people affected by crises globally.”
Annette Detken, Head of the InsuResilience Solutions Fund, said: “IFRC’s intention to enhance and complement DREF’s capacities when hit by climate-related hazards is a unique opportunity to bring development work closer to the humanitarian work and pilot climate risk insurance as a means for enhancing humanitarian aid activities. The ISF is proud to co-fund this innovative programme, adding capacity to improve the resilience of vulnerable people in many parts of the globe.”
John Neal, Lloyd’s CEO, said: “Insurance has a vital role to play in building society’s resilience against climate-related risks: acting as a backstop when the worst happens and a buttress for preparedness in the meantime. This innovative response tool builds on the work of our Disaster Risk Facility and shows what our market can do when we collaborate with our partners in government to close global insurance gaps and mitigate the human and financial impacts of natural catastrophes.”
The capacity for the reinsurance deal was offered by the three founding members of the London-based Lloyd’s Disaster Risk Facility, as led by Hiscox alongside Chaucer and RenaissanceRe, with Fidelis MGU completing the placement as the sole representative of the Bermuda market.
Notes to the editor:
About the IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF)
Established in 1979, the DREF is the quickest, most efficient, and most transparent mechanism for donors to channel global short-term emergency funding directly for local community-based action. While the average of international humanitarian funds directly channeled to local actors every year lies around 1.2% globally, 86% of DREF’s allocation is directly transferred to the National Societies. Since its inception, more than 220 million people in crisis worldwide have benefited from DREF support.
About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries and sovereignties with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.
Aon UK Limited is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the provision of regulated products and services in the UK. Registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 00210725. Registered Office: The Aon Centre, The Leadenhall Building, 122 Leadenhall Street, London EC3V 4AN. Tel: 020 7623 5500. FP#13103 has been approved until 5th September, 2025, after which time the content should not be used or distributed.
About the Centre for Disaster Protection (the Centre)
The Centre works to find better ways to stop disasters devastating lives, by supporting countries and the international system to better manage risks and move from reaction to readiness. The Centre is funded with UK aid through the UK government.
About Lloyd’s
Lloyd’s is the world’s leading marketplace for commercial, corporate and specialty risk solutions. Through the collective intelligence and expertise of the market’s underwriters and brokers, we’re sharing risk to create a braver world. The Lloyd’s market offers the resources, capability, and insight to develop new and innovative products for customers in any industry, on any scale, in more than 200 territories.
About Lloyd’s Disaster Risk Facility
The Disaster Risk Facility at Lloyd’s was formed to look at closing insurance gaps around the world through development and provision of contingent risk financing solutions to mitigate the human and financial impacts of natural hazard and other catastrophic risks.
Seven Lloyd’s syndicates – AXA XL, Hiscox, Beazley, RenaissanceRe, Chaucer, MS Amlin, Nephila – have joined forces to develop new solutions to help developing economies tackle underinsurance and improve their resilience against the economic impact of natural catastrophes.
The group engages with governments, municipalities, and non-governmental organizations, in addition to Lloyd’s usual, valued client base, and supports the Insurance Development Forum (IDF).
For more information:
For media enquires or to coordinate an interview, please contact:[email protected]
Click here to learn more aboutDREF Insurance.
Watch this video explainer about DREF Insurance.
Geneva/Kuala Lumpur/Dhaka, 24 August 2023: Six years after displacement from Rakhine State in Myanmar, nearly one million people still reside in Cox’s Bazar camps, and 30,000 people are in Bhasan Char. The situation is dire, with the displaced population continuing to face multiple and simultaneous threats, including fires, climate-related disasters, and epidemics in crowded, temporary shelters. With challenges mounting and resources shrinking, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) calls for sustained global support, particularly for durable solutions and improved settlements.
The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, IFRC, and partners, including the Bangladesh government, have assisted over a million people from displaced and host communities. Still, challenges remain for those in congested camps.
In the past year, challenges like 33 fire incidents, Cyclone Mocha, and funding shortfalls have heightened vulnerabilities related to malnutrition, security, and education. The IFRC stresses the importance of ongoing investment in settlements and camp management to uphold the dignity of camp residents. Presently, living spaces average 24 sqm per person, falling short of the 30 sqm global standard. While the Red Cross and Red Crescent provide shelters meeting basic requirements, more support is needed to protect vulnerable camp and host community members, ensuring their safety, privacy, and dignity.
The Secretary General of Bangladesh Red Crescent, Kazi Shofiqul Azam said:
“We stand with the displaced people and the local communities that have generously hosted them in Cox’s Bazar. We’ve witnessed the aftermath of the sufferings caused by flash floods, fire incidents, and the recent Cyclone Mocha in Cox’s Bazar camp. We’ve immediately responded to each disaster and repeatedly rebuilt damaged shelters. With fire incidents on the rise and Cox’s Bazar being highly susceptible to cyclones, there’s a growing need for improved shelter and infrastructure.
The resilience of the displaced people from Myanmar has been truly exceptional. They deserve to live with dignity and hope until they can safely repatriate. We remain committed to working alongside them and our partners to collectively alleviate their sufferings.”
To date, the Bangladesh Red Crescent has facilitated nearly 2 million health consultations, and over 60,000 families have received 1.1 billion litres of safe drinking water. Despite these efforts, durable solutions remain essential, especially given the challenging living conditions. Continued international support is crucial to ensure that people in these camps can return to their places of origin with dignity once it's safe to do so.
The IFRC Head of Delegation in Bangladesh, Sanjeev Kafley, added:
“Six years into the crisis, our commitment remains firm. We stand by the many who continue to remain displaced, offering them a helping hand, a compassionate heart, and a voice that echoes their struggle for dignity, and a better tomorrow.
As we navigate this protracted crisis, finding durable solutions becomes imperative. Yet, year by year, needs grow while funding gaps widen. This overlooked crisis risks the very services, relief supplies, and healthcare that thousands rely on. Without renewed attention, we risk being forced to prioritize support solely for the most vulnerable. We urge the international community to reengage and support, before lives are further impacted.”
The IFRC and Bangladesh Red Crescent have been steadfast in supporting both displaced people and host communities from the beginning. However, the appeal is significantly underfunded. Only 61.5% of the CHF 133.2 million needed has been raised, leaving a gap of over CHF 51.2 million. Learn more about the emergency appeal.
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: [email protected]
In Cox's Bazar: Barkat Ullah Maruf, +880 1711222922, SM Taslim Reza, +880 1759004869
In Dhaka: Al-Shahriar Rupam, +880 1761775075
In Kuala Lumpur: Afrhill Rances, +60 192713641
In Geneva: Mrinalini Santhanam, +41 763815006
Kuala Lumpur/Dhaka/Beijing, 10 August 2023 – Countries across Asia Pacific are reeling from multiple disasters that are wreaking havoc in the region and climate analysts attribute this to a phenomenon called El Niño. The International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) urges authorities and humanitarian organizations to brace for multiple disasters hitting simultaneously, with more intensity.
These past few months, the IFRC has released eight Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) allocations for climate related events – three for dengue to Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, three for floods, to Mongolia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, one for a tropical cyclone to Bangladesh, and one for a cold wave event to Mongolia.
Although the full impact of the phenomenon is expected in the months of September this year to March next year, many regions in Asia and the Pacific are already facing multiple hazards now, and they all point to a deteriorating climate situation.
In Bangladesh, dengue infections have swarmed the nation and there have been almost 30,000 new cases this year, almost 5 times higher than last year's numbers. Moreover, local public health experts confirm that many people are being infected with multiple types of dengue, making the treatment complicated.
Sanjeev Kafley, Head of IFRC Bangladesh Delegation says:
"We are working closely with the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) and health authorities to combat the situation. In 85 dengue hotspot wards in the cities of Dhaka, Chattogram, and Barishal, our volunteers are focusing on public awareness and prevention efforts. We are progressing to procure testing kits for our health authorities as well as supporting the availability of platelet concentrate through the blood banks of BDRCS. We are supporting in all intervention points, from life-saving areas to preventative measures."
IFRC’s climate mitigation efforts at national levels in different countries are towards improving water management systems, curbing mosquito breeding, strengthening surveillance and monitoring systems to track outbreaks and increase health care capacity to managing cases and providing treatment.
Olga Dzhumaeva, Head of IFRC East Asia Delegation says:
“Torrential rains and floods hit East Asia severely this summer. North, northeast and some regions in southern China saw one of the largest rainfalls Beijing has experienced in the past 140 years. Capital city Ulaanbaatar and 13 provinces in Mongolia, central parts and many provinces of the Republic of Korea, and in the Kyushu region of Japan also suffered from severe impact of extreme rains in July. As a result, millions of people in East Asia were greatly affected and displaced, and roads, bridges, homes, and infrastructures were very badly damaged, many beyond repair. In responding to the situation, our colleagues and volunteers from National Societies in China, Japan, Mongolia and Republic of Korea have been deployed to the front lines, activating their emergency responses, making every effort to evacuate people trapped by the floods and debris, and urgently sending relief supplies such as blankets, tents, folding beds to the affected areas.”
IFRC, National Societies, and its partners believe we equally need to focus on resilience building through inclusion of nature, anticipation, adaptation and mitigation. Early or anticipatory action, for example, whereby funds are proactively allocated based on weather forecasts to support people at risk before disaster strikes is an important emphasis in the context of rapidly increasing climate hazards.
Luis Rodriguez, IFRC Asia Pacific, Lead for Climate and Resilience says:
“These events were more intense than usual due to the prevailing warming conditions, and this brings heavier precipitations, triggering cyclones, rains, and floods. These climate factors also heavily influence the dynamics of infections. Increased rainfall creates new and conducive habitats for larvae or viruses, and increased temperature accelerates the development of insects carrying viruses and virus incubation time. Severe changes in temperature and precipitation patterns due to climate change will enable the spread and transmission of disease in areas that are currently considered low risk or dengue free. These are all not stand-alone events. They are connected.”
In anticipation of more extreme weather events that will hit more regions in the Asia Pacific, national societies together with IFRC are carrying out heavy preparedness measures such as heatwave action planning, simulations and drills, prepositioning of relief stocks, and evacuation and rescue equipment, and urgent refreshers on procedures and regulations for volunteers, staff, and technical teams. Moreover, the DREFs ensure National Societies can act speedily and efficiently and this means millions of lives and livelihoods are saved.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
[email protected]
In Kuala Lumpur:
Afrhill Rances, [email protected] , +60 19 271 3641
In Geneva:
Anna Tuson, [email protected] , +41 79 895 6924
Our Resilient and Empowered African Community Health (REACH) initiative, in partnership with Africa CDC, aims to improve the health of communities across Africa by scaling upeffective, people-centred and integrated community health workforces and systems.
This opinion editorial was originally published on Fortune.comhere.
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The humanitarian and private sectors may appear to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, but closer collaboration could yield solutions to the world’s biggest problems.
From Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to Environmental Social Governance (ESG), the corporate world has increasingly sought to engage in socially and environmentally beneficial activities. Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations are overwhelmed with rapidly increasing needs that traditional funding cannot keep up with.
TheGlobal Humanitarian Assistance Report 2022found that total funding for crisis response has plateaued despite historically high (and rising) demand. The report showed that the value of international humanitarian assistance reached an estimated $31.3 billion in 2021. The World Economic Forum anticipates an increase to $50 billion by 2030.
The donors we currently rely on—primarily a core group of governments—are too few and too precarious. We need to grow and diversify our funding sources if we are to have any hope of keeping up with the level of humanitarian needs forecast.
I believe it’s possible to move toward a shared ownership approach, whereby both the private sector and humanitarian partners align their objectives, including financial returns.
The private sector’s responses to the conflict in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic have shown its power in times of crisis. To date, this has been mostly through grants, but the private sector’s skills, knowledge, and expertise could be the real game changers for the humanitarian sector.
Insurance companies are one example of where we have significant overlap when we drill down into our operations and goals: We are both dealing with the impacts and consequences of loss and damage caused by crises and disasters.
Since 1985, the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) has worked as a central pot of money that can be quickly and transparently distributed to support community action in countries facing disasters before or when they hit.
Now we are working with AON and the Centre for Disaster Protection to structure an innovative insurance mechanism that uses commercial insurance markets to leverage contributions of traditional donors in order to increase the capacity of the DREF for responding to natural disasters to CHF 100 million by 2025. We are aiming for the new insurance mechanism to be in place in 2023.
We are taking a system that’s been proven over three decades and adapting it to an uncertain future. Through the insurance mechanism, instead of putting up the money to fund disaster responses, donors pay the premium. This stretches the value of their contributions and transfers the risk to the private sector if allocation requests exceed available resources. The approach uses reinsurance markets to lay off the risk of excessive natural hazards and ensure funds for response are available in a timely and reliable manner even in periods of excessive or unanticipated demand.
Our ambition will not be possible to achieve through grants alone. We will need innovative financing that can leverage our resources and allow for the private sector to meaningfully engage. Through our initiative, we are keen to demonstrate the value of structures that can be more sustainable, replicable, and scalable to address humanitarian needs.
Currently, we’re exploring options of innovative finance for our other flagship programs, including the potential to use green bonds or climate bonds as well as impact bonds for our water, sanitation, and hygiene programming.
We’ve set up a pilot with the Islamic Development Bank following the impact bond model that unlocks private capital through investors. Instead of the donors paying grants ahead, they pay when the results are proven. Investors provide the upfront funding, while the bank acts as the guarantor, which reduces the cost of the bond and enables true additionality of capital.
In collaborative financing models, it is important to consider the value and approach for each partner: The private sector can engage in ways that drive social impact as well as profits, governments can lead the change by creating enabling frameworks, and humanitarian agencies can embrace more agility in their operating models—all with the goal of mobilizing more private sector funding for humanitarian assistance and leveraging overstretched government donors’ grants.
We also need to strike the right balance between risks and rewards and be alert to conflicts of interest, value for money, and ethical questions. Today’s humanitarian needs demand that we create opportunities and conditions for private capital to come in to scale up funding, but it is paramount that the product we develop is in line with our principles.
This transition will take time and require making difficult compromises and changes to our operating models. We will likely fail before we succeed, but unless we try—with the will to learn from our mistakes—our humanitarian investments will continue to be mere drops in an ocean of needs.
For the private sector, this will be an opportunity to design innovative solutions that align with their ESG approach and to be at the forefront of a new untapped market while saving the lives of millions of people.
This piece was originally published in the OECD Development Co-operation Report 2023 'Debating the Aid System', available here.
The past several years have been unprecedented for the humanitarian sector. Worsening disasters and evolving crises across the globe have demonstrated that, despite our best efforts, the assumptions, approaches and structures that have long defined humanitarian responses are no longer capable of adequately meeting people’s needs.
This comes as no surprise to members and observers of the humanitarian sector. Important and necessary discussions on questions of localisation and the decolonisation of aid reveal the extent to which transformation is necessary – not only for the future of the humanitarian system but also the future of our organisations and the future we strive to build for the individuals and communities we partner with.
At the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), local organisations lead our humanitarian action. The 192 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that make up the IFRC network are embedded in their local communities and are intimately aware of the needs and how best to shape an appropriate humanitarian response. In this way, the IFRC network has a unique strength and capacity to directly channel resources from the international ecosystem to local and national organisations.
A recent analysis found that local and community actors deliver programming that is 32% more cost efficient than that of international intermediaries. We know through the work of our IFRC network that localising humanitarian assistance promotes greater inclusion and equity, more trust, faster and more timely responses, more flexibility, broader access, and long-term sustainability in our operations and programming. By investing in local and national support systems, we are able to strengthen and reinforce national infrastructure – directly benefiting the people who need it most.
Yet despite donor commitments in the Grand Bargain and significant progress made by some donors, the overall percentage of direct funding to local actors has barely moved beyond the low single digits. As the impacts of climate change accelerate, and as new and unexpected conflicts devastate entire populations, small or medium-sized crises and disasters struggle to attract visibility and funding, leaving those affected at risk of being neglected by the international community. At the IFRC, we are exploring innovative ways of covering the costs of our work to prevent this from happening.
We’ve had to ask ourselves, how are we reacting to the challenge of doing better with less? How are we exploring innovative ideas around financing and engaging with new donors?
The blurring of lines between the humanitarian and the private sectors is an area of exciting growth that represents untapped potential when it comes to innovative financing. In a groundbreaking move, the IFRC is collaborating with Aon and the Centre for Disaster Protection to build an innovative insurance mechanism whereby commercial insurance markets leverage the contributions of traditional donors to expand the capacity of our Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) to respond to natural disasters.
The DREF, established in 1985, is a central funding mechanism through which the IFRC releases funds rapidly to national societies for early action and immediate disaster response. The balance of funds required by the DREF to meet the demands of national societies has historically been funded through an annual appeal. However, in 2020, high requests for funds meant that DREF allocations surpassed available resources for the first time in history. The growing needs facing national societies around the world and the uncertainties of the future have therefore sparked a process of modernisation with the aim of making the DREF more flexible and more effective.
Through the insurance structure we are developing, donors would pay the premium instead of directly financing disaster responses through the DREF. This extends the value of their contributions and transfers the risk to the private sector if allocation requests exceed available resources. Reinsurance markets would relieve the risks of excessive natural hazards and would ensure funds are available for national societies to rely on even in periods of excessive or unexpected demand.
Through this cutting-edge approach, we aim to increase annual DREF allocations to CHF100million (Swiss francs), equivalent to about USD 100 million, in 2025. As it is impossible to reach this target through donor grants alone, the insurance mechanism represents an enormous step forward that has the capacity to transform how the international humanitarian system responds to complex crises in the future.
Another way the IFRC has answered this call is through our cash and voucher assistance programming. Using cash reiterates our commitment to more agile and efficient methods of providing humanitarian support that promotes choice and preserves dignity for people and communities. This type of programming allows us to cut down operating costs by placing the people affected by crisis and disaster – and most importantly, their own preferences and decisions – at the centre of our operations.
Recently we developed a new Cash app, built on learnings from other emergency operations, that allows people fleeing Ukraine to self-register and be verified for assistance. This new innovative approach to cash, which has been rolled out in Romania, has allowed us to take our response to scale and at speed, in many instances as the leading agency in the delivery of cash in the Ukraine response. Over 56000 people have been reached and assisted with EUR 17.4 million in Romania. The app has also been launched in Bulgaria, where in just four days, 20% of the known Ukrainians in the country were able to self-register.
Ultimately, by scaling up and replicating these ambitious and innovative programmes across our global network, the community-connectedness of organisations like the IFRC can be harnessed in a powerful way. The inescapable reality is that more funds will be urgently needed to confront the ever-increasing humanitarian emergencies of the world – yet financial innovation holds the key to sustainable, meaningful and impactful humanitarian work.
Central Mediterranean,10 July 2023 -The lives of shipwrecked personsand a humanitarian crewfrom SOS MEDITERRANEEand IFRCwereputin danger on Fridayafternoon, July 7, during a rescue operation at sea.TheLibyancoastguard fired shots in close proximitytoa rescue crew.This isthe third incident this year,andpart ofa context of increasinginsecurityin the MediterraneanSea.
The crew onboard humanitarian rescue ship Ocean Viking, operatedby SOS MEDITERRANEEandthe International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), responded to a mayday relay call about a small boat in distress in international waters off the Libyan coast. It was the second operation of the day after a first rescue of 46 persons that also took place in international waters in the Libyan Search and Rescue Region.
Shortly after the evacuation of the eleven shipwrecked personsby the Ocean Viking’s smaller inflatable rescue boats,a Libyan Coastguard patrol vessel approached the scene at high speed and started to fire multiple shotsat close range.The gunshots were fired less than 100 meters from the humanitarian rescue crew and the shipwrecked persons– including a woman and five unaccompanied children – as they were trying to get back to the Ocean Viking.
While all shipwrecked persons and crew members made it to safety onboard the Ocean Viking, all are in shock and some sustained injuries because ofthe dangerous manoeuvres of the Coastguard.Giannis, leader of the inflatable rescue boat closest to the Libyan patrol vessel, describes the imminent danger of the incident: "The impact of the wake created by the Libyan patrol vessel on our boats was so strong that I injured my back. As they continued shooting and chasing us, the safety of the rescued people and crew were in the hands of a gunman."
It is the third time since the beginning of this year that the crew of the Ocean Viking faced a dangerous incident during a rescue operation. IFRC and SOS Mediterranee call uponall governments to ensure humanitarians can providelifesavingsupport at sea without risking their lives.
Ashumanitarianorganizations, our focus is on saving lives, filling the gap in search and rescue left in the Mediterranean and these situations put people at increasing risk. At the same time, numbers of dead and missing at Europe’s southern border continue to mount.
“We are extremely worried about the security situation onthe MediterraneanSea.We have seen devasting numbers of people that perishedat seathis year, with the horrific shipwreck off the coast of Greeceas a recent example. At the same time, humanitarian organizations tryingto help people in distress at seafear for their safety. Thisdangerous situation can lead to the loss of more lives, even though all these deathsofpeopleat sea are preventable,”saysMariaAlcazar Castilla, DeputyRegional Director for Europe and Central Asiaat IFRC.
2023 has been a particularly deadly year so far: 1,728 people have died trying to cross the central Mediterranean in search of safety and peace in Europe since January. It is the highest death toll since 2017 and almost certainlyan undercount.
To prevent more deaths, it is crucial that humanitarianscan operatesafely to assistpeople in distress at sea.
Note to editors
Photos and footage of the incident can be found here.
OnJanuary25, the Libyan Coastguard interfered with an ongoing rescue operation by preventing the SOS MEDITERRANEE Search and Rescue team on arigid-hull inflatable boat to return to the mothership. All survivors and crew eventually reached safety onboard the Ocean Vikingwhere IFRC provided them with post-rescuesupport.
On March 25, a Libyan Coastguard patrol vessel came dangerously closeto the Ocean Viking (less than 50 meters). Not answering to VHF calls, the Libyan Coastguard started firing shots in the air in close proximityof the Ocean Viking as therescue ship was trying to leave the scene. Only after firing gunshots, the Libyan Coastguard in Arabic language requested the Ocean Viking to leave the area.
The operational partnership between IFRC and SOS Mediterranee onboard the Ocean Viking fills an important gap in the humanitarian response to assistand rescue persons in distress at sea. We do this by providingessential humanitarian services such as food, items for basic needs, and access to protection and health services to all survivors, regardless of their migration status.
For more information, please contact:
IFRC:
Julie Enthoven/+36 70 508 5702/[email protected]
SOS MEDITERRANEE PRESS CONTACTS:
International
Alisha Vaya /+33 6 34 10 41 33 /[email protected]
France
MérylSotty / +33 6 11 74 10 11 / [email protected]
Italy
Francesco Creazzo / +393478151131 / [email protected]
Federica Salvati / +393332091366 / [email protected]
Switzerland
Alice Ganguillet/ +41 78 301 81 30/ [email protected]
Germany
Julia Schafermeyer/ +33 6 12 52 15 69/ [email protected] /
With his son Santiago always at his side, Juan arrived in Colombia in late October 2018 from Venezuela and immediately began looking for any kind of menial task to survive. After the searing heat of the Cucuta border town, the pair would walk miles of dizzyingly zigzagging roads, through the cold, rainy town of Pamplona, along sheer mountain passes and lush green valleys before luckily being given a ride across the freezing Paramo de Berlin – the most challenging section of the road to Bucaramanga.
Juan tells us: “Back in Valencia, I was a bus driver but, in the end, what I was making just wasn’t enough. I didn’t own the bus and when it broke down, it sometimes took a week or more to get repaired as there is a scarcity of parts. During that time, I wouldn’t be paid, and those periods became progressively longer.”
“We arrived in Colombia on October 31st, my birthday. Santiago had fever and we were not in a good way. I never thought I would ever walk so much.I picked up aluminium cans on the streets of Cucuta to sell for recycling for a few days to get some money, and I had to bring Santiago along with me as there was nowhere else to put him. With this money I managed to rent a room sharing with three other people.”
“We were travelling in a group for safety, but it’s also difficult– people have different speeds and sometimes not everyone gets a ride which splits up the group. It’s hard to stay together. Luckily, we got a ride across the Paramo. I heard that people die up there from the cold.
“One friend saw me carrying Santiago and offered to help me with my suitcase. But then I got a ride and he didn’t so now he has my bag with our clothes and the most valuable thing – my passport.”
“At one point, a truck pulled up and the driver said only women and children, so I handed Santiago to a woman and we met up later. Later I became a bit nervous. You hear rumours about children getting kidnapped here, but in the end he was safe. He asks for his mother a lot, who he hasn’t seen in two months.”
“Back in Venezuela I was working from early in the morning until late at night, so I didn’t see much of my son. Now, despite these adverse conditions, I’m still happy we can spend some time together. For Santiago it’s a big adventure, he even started to learn how to ask for rides on the road. He was my reason for leaving, and mymotivation to continue.”