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14/02/2022 |

Document

South Caucasus Cluster Plan 2022

IFRC South Caucasus Cluster Plan (covering Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan) for 2022.

31/03/2022 |

Document

Iraq Plan 2022

IFRC Country Plan for Iraq in 2022.

14/02/2022 |

Document

Myanmar Plan 2022

IFRC Country Plan for Myanmar in 2022.

11/09/2025 |

Press release

PARLATINO and the Red Cross launch climate action and community resilience alliances ahead of COP30

Panama City, September 25, 2025. PARLATINO and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched the Parliamentary Alliance for Climate Action and the Alliance for the Amazon, their respective legislative and multisectoral coordination initiatives to promote adaptation to climate change, the reduction of hydrometeorological disaster risks, and the strengthening of community resilience in the Amazon.Both organizations are joining forces ahead of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP30, to be held in November in Belém do Pará, Brazil.Congressman Rolando González Patricio, president of PARLATINO, explained that PARLATINO leads the Parliamentary Alliance for Climate Action and Just Transition (APACTJ), a regional platform with global reach made up of legislators from Latin America, the Caribbean, and around the world. This space coordinates, hand in hand with specialized organizations, efforts aimed at strengthening and accelerating parliamentary contributions to the creation and maintenance of a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, where humanity lives in harmony with nature.“The Parliamentary Alliance for Climate Action and Just Transition seeks to leverage each country's constitutional mandates to deploy more immediate and effective climate action for a just transition that leaves no one behind,” explained González Patricio.Within the framework of global climate agreements and with a ten-year vision, the IFRC and its National Red Cross Societies presented their Alliance for the Amazon. This initiative combines science, humanitarian expertise, and ancestral knowledge to protect Amazonian communities and their livelihoods from the effects of disasters, exacerbated by the climate crisis and the complex challenges facing that territory.“Our alliance has a purpose that is as ambitious as it is urgent: to strengthen the resilience, health, and income of the most vulnerable families,” explained Loyce Pace, IFRC Regional Director for the Americas. “Forest fires, floods, and droughts—which are becoming increasingly prolonged, recurrent, and intense—are threatening the survival of the Amazon ecosystem and decades of progress in human development and community resilience. No community, no country, and no organization can face these threats alone, which is why coordinated work between the Red Cross, states, international organizations, and the private sector is key.”The IFRC and PARLATINO presented these initiatives at the event “Joining forces towards COP30,” held at PARLATINO headquarters in Panama City, which was also attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in the country and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).At the meeting, Gustavo Da Veiga Guimarães, Counselor at the Brazilian Embassy in Panama, delivered a message about COP 30, highlighting that the choice of Belém do Pará, the gateway to the Amazon, reinforces Brazil's commitment to tropical forests and sustainable development in the region. "COP30 will be a milestone for dialogue, inclusion, and international solidarity, addressing five challenges: increasing climate finance for developing countries, strengthening emission reduction targets, transitioning to clean and renewable energy, conserving the Amazon rainforest and other key ecosystems, and last but not least, but no less importantly, the need to strengthen climate justice for vulnerable populations."For her part, the Deputy Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Andrea Brusco, led the interactive dialogue: Protecting the Amazon as a global symbol. Brusco explained that protecting ecosystems and populations from the climate crisis is a complex, immense, and urgent issue, the scale of which should not discourage us but rather spur us to take prompt and effective action, always with the human dimension at its core.PARLATINO joins the Charter on Climate and the EnvironmentReaffirming its role as a catalyst for consensus and an active voice in building climate solutions from and for Latin America and the Caribbean, during the event PARLATINO also signed the Charter on Climate and the Environment for Humanitarian Organizations.This charter, promoted by the IFRC and other humanitarian actors, establishes commitments and a framework for action that guides its signatories and humanitarian organizations in general in promoting community resilience, adapting to new climate realities, and reducing environmental impact and carbon footprint.For more information:Mariana Carmona – PARLATINO Press Director: [email protected] Arroyo Barrantes – IFRC Communications Manager, Americas Office: [email protected] | +50769993199

24/07/2023 |

Article

El Niño: What is it and what does it mean for disasters?

What is El Niño? The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a cycle of warming and cooling events that happens along the equator in the Pacific Ocean. El Niño is the warming part of the cycle. It happens when there is a decrease in cool waters rising to the sea surface near South America. This leads to an increase in sea surface temperatures across the Pacific, which then warms the atmosphere above it. The cooling part of the cycle is called La Niña and has the opposite effect. El Niño and La Niña events happen every two to seven years. They usually last for 9-12 months but have been known to last for several years at a time. How does El Niño affect weather around the world? El Niño and La Niña change the way that air and moisture move around the world, which can affect rainfall and temperature patterns globally. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently announced that El Niño conditions have developed, and that we can expect disruptive weather and climate patterns and a rise in global temperatures. We know from past events when and which areas of the world are more likely to be wetter and drier during El Niño and La Niña. But no two El Niño and La Niña events are the same, so it’s important to keep track of forecasts as they develop. Is climate change affecting El Niño? In general, climate change is leading to warmer sea surface temperatures, and there is some evidence to suggest that this is affecting how El Niño and La Niña events influence weather patterns around the world. The WMO predicts that global temperatures are likely to surge to record levels in the next five years due to a combination of climate change and El Niño. Will El Niño cause more disasters? El Niño events bring different disaster risks to different parts of the world. They can cause severe drought in Australia, Indonesia, parts of southern Asia, Central America and northern South America. When the last El Niño occurred seven years ago, it contributed to drought and food insecurity that affected tens of millions of people across southern and eastern Africa. They can also cause increased rainfall in southern South America, the southern United States, the Horn of Africa and central Asia. During summer in the northern hemisphere, El Niño’s warm waters can result in more intense tropical cyclones in the western Pacific, but fewer Atlantic hurricanes. Hear from Lilian Ayala Luque, Senior Officer for Anticipatory Action and Community Resilience for IFRC Americas, about the arrival of El Niño conditions and what it might mean for the region: What might be different about this year’s El Niño event? We are already aware of certain factors that will influence how the impacts of this El Niño will affect communities. For example: While there is an expectation of an end to the drought in the Horn of Africa, it can take some time for rain to filter down into the soil to support deep-rooted plants and begin restoring agriculture. While El Niño conditions usually limit the growth of tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic, this effect may be balanced out by the unusually high sea surface temperatures currently being observed in the region where these storms form. In Ecuador and Peru, an outbreak of dengue following flooding earlier this year could potentially be exacerbated by the expected El Niño rains in early 2024. In southern Africa, it remains to be seen whether the cholera situation will be improved by the anticipated drier conditions. How is the IFRC network preparing for El Niño? The IFRC network is developing Early Action Protocols (EAPs)– formal plans that outline the triggers and early actions we’ll take when a specific hazard is forecasted to impact communities– including to prepare for hazards related to El Niño. In Ecuador, for example, we’ve developed triggers to address the increased likelihood of flooding in the rainy season from January to April. And in Central America, EAPs cover the increased likelihood of drought from June to August. Early actions include things like reinforcing buildings and homes, planning evacuation routes or pre-positioning stocks of food and water. Where can I find more information? OurEarly Warning, Early Actionpage Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre website Anticipation Hub website Anticipatory Pillar of the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund Twitter Space series on El Niñofrom the IFRC Americas team -- This article was adapted from a blog post on the Anticipation Hub website co-authored, by Liz Stephens, Andrew Krucziewicz and Chris Jack from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre. Check out the blog post for more information about El Niño and anticipatory action.

14/07/2022 |

Press release

IFRC warns that the growing heatwave in Europe could have tragic consequences

Budapest, 14 July 2022 - Extreme temperatures have spiraled countries into dangerous heat waves and wildfires across Europe. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) urges cities and communities to prepare to avoid a further disaster. Since May, Europe has been among the fastest “heat wave hot spots” in the world. Forecasts show no sign of abating. Many parts of western Europe are experiencing extreme temperatures and countries like Portugal are battling raging wildfires, impacting thousands of people. “With the climate crisis, this heat is part of our ‘new normal’,” says Maarten Aalst van, Director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre. “These deadly events are now more frequent and more intense.” In the past ten years, climate- and weather-related disasters have killed more than 400,000 people, affected 1.7 billion others and displaced an average of 25 million people each year world-wide.The people most at risk of heat waves include older people, children, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing health conditions. Heat waves have cascading impacts in other areas of society, such as reduced economic output, strained health systems and rolling power outages. Staff and volunteers from National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies across the region are supporting communities preparing for and impacted by the heat waves. At the same time, teams are responding to the devastating wildfires most notably in Portugal, but also Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Turkey brought on by the extreme heat. “Many have had to evacuate their homes with the few things they can carry," saysAna Jorge, President of the Portuguese Red Cross."Our medical teams are focused on ensuring people are getting to safety, providing critical health care to those suffering from burns and other injuries and providing them with a bed to sleep in and the necessities as they decide their next steps.” With heat waves becoming more likely around the world as the climate crisis worsens, more preparedness and early warning systems are required to reduce and manage the risks. “People are not always aware of the dangers of heat. But when communities understand the risks and take simple measures to prepare for it, they can prevent unnecessary tragedies,” says van Aalst. “We urge cities and communities to prepare and take the necessary steps to save lives, now and in the long term.” For more information and to arrange an interview: In Budapest: Corrie Butler,[email protected]+36 704306506 In Athens: Georgia Trismpioti, [email protected] +30 6971809031 Note to Editors: IFRC’s Heat Wave Guide for Citiesand Urban Action Kitare resources for city officials, urban planners and community organizations to anticipate and plan for extreme urban heat and reduce deadly risks. C40’s Urban Cooling Toolboxprovides approaches to lower urban temperatures and reduce the impact of the urban heat effect; the Heat Resilient Cities Benefit Toolhelps city planners and decision-makers quantify the health, economic and environmental benefits of adaptation actions. A heat wave is an extended period of unusually high temperatures and often high humidity. Extreme heat can cause shock, dehydration and other acute illnesses, and worsen cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. There is now a mountain of evidence that climate change is increasing the occurrence of deadly heat waves. For instance, scientists have concluded that climate change has made the 2022 heat wave in India and Pakistan 30 times more likely, the 2019 heat wave in western Europe at least 10 times more likely, the 2019-20 heat wave in Australia that contributed to the devastating bushfires 10 times more likely, and that the extreme heat in the northwest US and Canada in 2021 would have been virtually impossible without climate change. For details, see for instance, the World Weather Attribution analyses.

25/11/2022 |

Document

Iraq 2023 Plan

IFRC network country plan for Iraq in 2023.

11/08/2021 |

Document

South Africa Plan 2021

IFRC Country Plan for South Africa in 2021.

16/12/2019 |

Document

Global Plan 2020

As 2020 draws to a close the IFRC will transition into the new global Strategy 2030, which will guide Red Cross and Red Crescent operational plans for the next decade. This operational plan acts as a bridge between the past decade and the one to come.

11/08/2021 |

Document

Sri Lanka Plan 2021

IFRC Country Plan for Sri Lanka in 2021.

03/06/2025 |

Document

IFRC Global Platform for Risk Reduction 2025 Call to Action

This document highlight the call to action brought by the IFRC to the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction taking place in Geneva, Switzerland during the week of June 2-June 6, 2025. The report emphasizes three key messages: Make locally led action the default, invest ahead of disasters, and break the cycle – put the root causes of risk at the centre of action.

04/12/2020 |

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IFRC Plan and budget 2021-2025

The IFRC network is more relevant and needed than ever. While the full impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic is unfolding, more and more people are seeking assistance from the Red Cross and Red Crescent. National Societies and the IFRC Secretariat must adapt and adjust to new ways of working to assist them. COVID-19 is directly affecting people and health systems and having a massive impact on the socio-economic situation of millions of people. Marginalization and exclusion have been exacerbated, pushing an estimated 176 million people into poverty, and between 71 to 100 million people into extreme poverty.

20/08/2021 |

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