Tailoring a new future: Finding a path back to security and dignity through hard work, sewing and brightly coloured clothing.

‘I can rise again’: They lost everything to Hurricane Melissa. But they are resilient and determined to rebuild.

IFRC-DREF Pledging Conference

Leading donors from around the world gather each year at the IFRC secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland to pledge new or renewed funding to the IFRC's Disaster Response Emergency Fund, moving the fund a significant step closer to its strategic ambition of growing IFRC-DREF to 200 million Swiss Francs by 2030.

Early warning, early action

Early warning and early action, also known as anticipatory action or forecast-based action, means taking steps to protect people before a disaster strikes based on early warning or forecasts. To be effective, it must involve meaningful engagement with at-risk communities.

Nature for people

The IFRC is partnering with WWF, the world's largest environmental conservation organization, to work with nature and protect people from the climate crisis.

IFRC Emergency Needs Assessment and Planning Guidance

This technical guidance supports Red Cross Red Crescent staff, volunteers, and practitioners in carrying out effective needs assessments during disasters and crises. It introduces a structured Assessment Workflow—from context analysis to sharing results—while offering practical tools, methodologies, and ethical standards to adapt assessments to diverse emergency contexts. The guidance also highlights the importance of data preparedness, collaboration, and the human element to ensure assessments generate actionable insights for timely and impactful humanitarian response. If you are interested in accessing the toolkit, please contact your regional IFRC preparedness focal point. For more information on Emergency Needs Assessment, visit here.

Climate of storms: New Red Vest podcast episode explores link between a warming world and a recent string of super storms

The IFRC warns of growing psychological toll on children and families one month after Hurricane Melissa

Kingston/Panama/Geneva. 28 November 2025 - One month after Hurricane Melissa, people continue to report significant psychological impacts, including high levels of stress, anxiety, persistent fear, sleep disturbances, and grief linked to the loss of homes, livelihoods, and loved ones. Thousands across the affected regions are seeking psychosocial support, with demand increasing as families confront the long-term emotional toll of the disaster, reports the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).In Jamaica, children are showing a wide range of emotional reactions, including fear of the dark and heightened sensitivity to rain or wind. Some have become unusually quiet or irritable, while others are more clingy, fearful of separation, or noticeably hyperactive as they try to cope with the ongoing sense of insecurity.“While physical wounds may heal and houses can be rebuilt with time, emotional wounds can linger long after the crisis is over. Mental health and psychosocial support programs are among the least expensive interventions in humanitarian response, yet their impact is priceless,” said Dorothy Francis, Head of Operations at the IFRC in Jamaica. “It is critical to ensure the resources needed not only for psychological first aid, but also for psychoeducation, child-friendly activities, and group sessions tailored to community needs.”The IFRC has launched an emergency appeal for 19 million Swiss francs (approximately USD 23 million) to support 180,000 people affected by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, and an additional appeal for 15 million Swiss francs (USD 18 million) to assist the Cuban Red Cross in supporting 100,000 people. This funding will strengthen MHPSS interventions across all response activities, ensuring that communities receive practical, emotional, and psychological support throughout the recovery process.Red Cross volunteers and specialists are providing essential mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to adults and children affected by the hurricane. This includes psychological first aid, community-based support sessions, child-friendly activities, and referrals to specialized care when needed.Activities such as games, drawing, storytelling, music, movement, and breathing exercises support emotional expression and stress reduction. For those more deeply affected, focused group sessions offer grounding techniques, relaxation exercises, psychoeducation on common stress reactions, and safe spaces to share coping strategies and regain a sense of control. Parents also receive guidance to understand their children’s emotional needs and support healthy coping. Across all these actions, the goal is to restore safety, a sense of normalcy, and meaningful connection within the community.In Cuba, Red Cross teams are also distributing mosquito kits — an intervention that goes beyond disease prevention. By protecting families from mosquito bites and creating a safer sleeping environment, the kits help improve sleep hygiene, which is essential for emotional well-being and recovery after a traumatic event.Julio Martinez, Head of Psychosocial Support for the Cuban Red Cross, has been leading sessions with children in the community of El Aguacate. He describes how simple activities such as coloring help children express their emotions and begin to heal. “The colors reflect what the child feels in that moment. Children express themselves openly and clearly, and their drawings often reveal what is happening within the family,” he said.MHPSS is also central to building back stronger. “After the storm, people face difficult decisions— how to rebuild, return to work, and support their children,” Martinez added. “Resilience becomes essential, and psychosocial support is key to helping communities recover and rebuild that strength. No one emerges untouched; everyone is psychologically affected, so mental health cannot be overlooked.”In Cuba, Yaricel Martínez González experienced the effects of Hurricane Melissa firsthand. Before the storm, she was part of a community of fisherfolk.“To see everything we had achieved through years of effort and sacrifice collapse in just a few hours was deeply devastating for us,” mentions Yaricel. “My own mother would start crying every day at two in the morning, and I felt a knot in my throat, as if I couldn’t breathe. When something so drastic happens, you think you’ll never sleep again, never recover. But we are living proof that the techniques provided by the Red Cross do help. They taught us ways to breathe better, relieve stress, and sleep more peacefully. Even the children benefited, using drawings to express the sadness they felt from Melissa’s passing.”Note to editors:Visuals: Additional photos and video available here.For more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected] Panama:Maria Victoria Langman, +507 6550-1090Susana Arroyo Barrantes, +507 6999-3199In Geneva:Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367 Nora Peter, +36 70 953 7709 

From trust to toilets: Community-led change in Nepal's mountains

In a changing world, one thing remains constant: we will always need the toilet. As climate change intensifies, water and sanitation related disasters are becoming more frequent and severe.Floods destroy sanitation infrastructure, droughts make hygiene nearly impossible, and when toilet systems fail, untreated waste can spread diseases like diarrhoea and cholera.These are some of the reasons the IFRC and its network of National Societies around the world work alongside communities to enhance their access to safe, clean water, while also helping them to improve sanitation and hygiene. Here is the story of one, ongoing project unfolding in remote, hillside communities in Nepal.Building confidence, one household at a timePuri Lal Devkota, a 75-year-old farmer, lives with his wife Kalashi in a hillside house in Kalikot, Nepal. Previously they didn't have their own toilet and relied on their son's—a challenge, especially with age.That changed when a community health volunteer began visiting them regularly as part of the Enabling Action for Community Health (EACH) Project, implemented by the Nepal Red Cross Society in collaboration with the Swiss Red Cross and the British Red Cross.For about a year, the volunteer—a woman from the same community—came monthly to talk about how to store and use drinking water safely, and the importance of using a toilet that is clean, private and away from water sources so it does not harm people’s health or the environment. Through her respectful and consistent engagement, she built strong trust with the couple.Encouraged by these visits, Puri Lal and Kalashi felt confident to take action. Without financial or material support, they arranged the materials, hired workers, and had a toilet constructed near their home within seven days."I was convinced in a single day," Puri Lal says with a smile."At this age, the toilet should be close," he explains. They also began boiling their drinking water and using clean containers. These changes have brought a sense of security and well-being to their daily lives."She always came with respect and trust," Puri Lal says of the volunteer. The couple is now eager to pass their knowledge on to others in the community.Supari becomes a champion for change: 'We need models'Supari Luhar lives alone in her hillside home in the same community. For years, she faced the discomfort and shame of using the jungle or a dilapidated shelter for a toilet. Without running water, basic hygiene was a daily struggle.Eight months ago, after regular visits from the same behaviour change programme, Supari mobilized local workers to build her own toilet. With the new water tap provided by the project, she now filters and boils her drinking water and keeps her toilet clean—changes she calls "a pleasure."But Supari didn't stop there. She now visits neighbouring households, sharing what worked for her. Through her guidance, around ten households have improved their sanitation practices."We need models," Supari says—and she has become one, actively shaping change in her community.Working with communities to achieve sanitation systems that lastWhat was once daily hardship is now a story of empowerment and resilience. These stories highlight how the IFRC and National Societies build resilient sanitation systems that last: working through trusted volunteers who are from the communities, empowering people to take action themselves which creates genuine ownership and using community champions to multiply impact. Supari's transformation shows how change spreads organically, and how motivation can spread and lead to wider impact.Future-ready sanitation for allToday, 3.5 billion people still live without safely managed sanitation—nearly half of humanity. Stories like Supari's and Puri Lal's show that future-ready sanitation requires more than infrastructure—it requires investing in people, building community ownership, and creating systems that adapt to our changing climate.On 19 November, we renew our commitment to leaving no one behind in sanitation. We call on everyone to become a sanitation champion in their community! Because everyone, everywhere deserves access to a toilet they can use safely and with dignity—no matter what challenges our changing world brings.Stories shared by Nepal Red Cross Society and Swiss Red Cross.Want to learn more about the IFRC’s work in water, sanitation and hygiene? Visit the IFRC's Water Security/Water, Sanitattion and hygiene portal. Connect with National Society and IFRC colleagues working in community health and WASH onIFRC Communities

Turning the tide on cholera in Zambia: When communities lead, change lasts

“Our village has experienced cholera cases in the recent past, and at first the situation was very alarming. Thankfully, Zambia Red Cross stepped in to support us… Because of this support, we have seen a noticeable reduction in cholera cases in our area.”— Rodaness Chipesa, mother from Tonga Village, Mpulungu DistrictWhen cholera resurfaced in northern Zambia’s Mpulungu District in September 2025, there was no waiting for external teams or emergency deployments. The first responders were already there.Zambia Red Cross volunteers — neighbours, shopkeepers, teachers, fishermen — moved rapidly through their own communities. With megaphones slung over their shoulders and chlorine sprayers in their hands, they went from home to home, sharing lifesaving information, supporting the sick, disinfecting water sources, and helping families act before the disease could spread.There was urgency. But there was also familiarity.People knew these volunteers, and they trusted them.That trust made the difference.Response rooted in trustIn Mpulungu, Nsama, and Mbala, volunteers moved swiftly with local health teams. They were not strangers in reflective vests — they were familiar faces who understood the rhythm of daily life, the gathering spaces, the water sources, and the elders who needed checking on.“People listen to us because we are part of them,” one Mpulungu volunteer shared. “They know that when we knock on a door, it is because we want them to stay safe.”Where cholera once crossed districts in days, outbreaks slowed, then stopped. This same approach had already halted transmission in Lusaka, Kabwe, and Chililabombwe during the previous season — proof that when trust leads, containment is possible.Prevention begins at homeCholera isn’t defeated in treatment centres alone — it is prevented in kitchens, community wells, and conversations between neighbours. Across six provinces, Zambia Red Cross Society volunteers have been visiting households to share practical guidance on safe water storage, handwashing, food hygiene, and early treatment. Nearly 14,000 families have also received hygiene kits including soap, chlorine, zinc and oral rehydration salts — small items that make a powerful difference in cholera prevention.For families like those in Tonga Village, that shift has been life-changing. Rodaness explains how receiving chlorine, soap, water buckets and hygiene education helped protect her children and neighbours — evidence that when households understand both “why” and “how,” communities become safer.Systems strengthened for the futureZambia’s cholera success is rooted in strong national preparedness and community leadership. The country is the first in Africa to launch a National Simulation Exercise Framework — led by ZNPHI with support from Africa CDC, UKHSA, and IFRC — ensuring that outbreaks are met not with improvisation but with coordinated, well-practised action. As British High Commissioner Rebecca Terzeon noted, it is “a testament to what is possible when communities are trained, trusted, and empowered to lead.”This rapid response didn’t happen by chance. Months of preparation under the Case Area Targeted Interventions (CATI) approach — supported by IFRC’s Country Support Platform and funded by Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — gave communities a head start. Volunteers had already drilled outbreak triggers, health facilities were linked with community watch points, and prevention messages reached families before the first case appeared.“The difference today is confidence,” says Dr Adive Seriki of the IFRC Country Support Platform for Africa. “Communities aren’t waiting for help — they are the help. This is what preparedness looks like when local action meets global solidarity.”Resilience begins and ends with peopleFrom canoe ports along Lake Tanganyika to the dense markets of Lusaka, Zambia’s cholera response tells a larger story — one of ordinary people stepping into extraordinary roles.Prepared volunteers. Engaged communities. Local health systems strengthened through partnership, not replacement.“This is the future of humanitarian response,” says Dr Seriki. “When communities lead, outbreaks don’t stand a chance.”The fight against cholera is far from over — but something fundamental has shifted. Fear has been replaced with readiness. Isolation has been replaced with partnership, and vulnerability has been replaced with agency. Across Zambia, homes are safer, communities are stronger, and the first line of response now begins where it matters most: With the people who live there.Learn more about the Country Support Platform

Severe flooding across Asia: millions affected – urgent humanitarian response underway

Kuala Lumpur, Geneva 1 December 2025 - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is responding to severe flooding that has affected millions of people across Southeast and South Asia. Countries including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Viet Nam are reporting widespread devastation, displacement, and urgent humanitarian needs.Intense monsoon rains and climate-driven weather extremes have triggered rapid-onset floods and landslides, destroying homes, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure. Families have lost homes and incomes, and thousands are sheltering in evacuation centers. Health risks from waterborne diseases and sanitation challenges are rising, while flooded roads and damaged bridges are cutting off access to essential services.In Indonesia, severe flooding and landslides have impacted 39 districts across Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, following high-intensity rains linked to Tropical Cyclone Senyar. Approximately 1.1 million people have been affected, with 290,700 displaced and 435 deaths reported. The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has mobilized staff and volunteers to conduct evacuations, provide First Aid, distribute clean water, and operate public kitchens, but access remains difficult and resources are stretched.In Sri Lanka, more than 968,000 people across 25 districts have been affected, with 193 deaths and 228 missing. Over 41,000 families are sheltering in official safety centers, while thousands remain with relatives. The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) has deployed over 3,500 volunteers to provide First Aid and distribute water, hygiene kits, bedding, and clothing. However, road closures and the risk of secondary landslides continue to hamper relief efforts.In Malaysia and Viet Nam, localized flooding has disrupted transport and essential services, compounding vulnerabilities for communities already facing economic pressures and climate-related shocks. Recovery will be slow and difficult without sustained support.Beyond immediate response, these floods underscore the urgent need for stronger legal and policy frameworks to protect people in disasters. The goal of the ongoing negotiations towards a Treaty on the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters (PPED) aims to establish binding international obligations for disaster risk reduction and humanitarian assistance. The Philippines and Thailand have played key roles in advancing this treaty, which would help ensure faster, more coordinated support and better protection for vulnerable communities in future crises.“The picture in Southeast Asia shows that you still need even better early warning systems. Even better shelter for people to go to in times of flooding if you're really going to mitigate these risks. Even more nature-based solutions - the planting of trees and mangroves in those places, particularly at risk of flooding to keep people safer. Better social protection systems in disaster so they can immediately get cash and get the food, the medicine, and the shelter they need when a disaster strikes. These are all things that the IFRC is working on and we'll continue to work on in the years to come,” says Alexander Matheou, IFRC Regional Director for Asia Pacific.Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are on the frontlines of the response, but the scale of needs is growing faster than local capacity. IFRC calls for urgent international support to meet immediate humanitarian needs and help communities rebuild. These floods are a stark reminder that climate-driven disasters are becoming the new normal, and investment in resilience and preparedness is critical.Note to editors:Visuals:Sri LankaThailandViet NamPhilippinesFor more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected] Kuala Lumpur: Afrhill Rances +60 19 271 3641In Geneva: Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367 Scott Craig, +41 76 370 3575

IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund 2024 Annual Report

In the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi

IFRC announces closing of Humanitarian Service Point at Sea and partnership with SOS MEDITERRANEE

Budapest/Geneva, 9 December 2025– The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) regrets to announce the closing of its operation supporting people on the move on the Central Mediterranean, delivered in partnership with SOS MEDITERRANEE aboard the Ocean Viking search and rescue vessel.Despite exhaustive efforts, the IFRC has been unable to secure the necessary resources to continue the operation beyond 2025. As a result, IFRC network staff will no longer be present on board the Ocean Viking, and SOS MEDITERRANEE will cover the vessel’s operational costs alone.This mission has been a lifeline for thousands, rescuing people from the Mediterranean’s perilous waters and providing them with safety, dignity, and care. In the past four years, IFRC network teams onboard Ocean Viking helped save more than 8,600 people, including 2,200 children.“It brings us tremendous pain and sadness to have financial constraints directly impact such a vital and lifesaving operation,” said Maria Alcazar Castilla, IFRC Deputy Regional Director for Europe. “We are grateful to all our partners who supported this important initiative, from funding to sending staff onboard and advocating on behalf of migrants.”On board the Ocean Viking, IFRC teams provided post-rescue humanitarian services, including medical care, first aid, psychosocial support, food, and information about asylum procedures in Europe. Over the years, the IFRC teams participated in 156 rescue operations, distributed 96,000 meals, provided 6,500 medical consultations, and helped deliver 3,200 ‘safe and well’ messages to families of survivors. This work was carried out in an increasingly restrictive and dangerous environment, making the delivery of impartial humanitarian assistance ever more challenging.“We thank SOS MEDITERRANEE for their partnership over the years. Search and rescue operations remain a humanitarian necessity, ensuring that people in distress at sea are brought to safety. Even though our cooperation is ending, we wish for their work to continue for as long as it’s needed,”added Maria Alcazar Castilla.While IFRC’s work at sea concludes, our commitment to people on the move remains steadfast. Red Cross and Red Crescent teams continue to provide humanitarian assistance along migration routes, from disembarkation to integration. This includes Spain, Italy, and Greece, where National Societies are present on the coastlines, and many others across Europe and beyond, offering health care, psychological support, safe shelter, food, and assistance with reconnecting families.Globally, through more than 600 humanitarian service points, migrants and displaced people can access trusted and neutral spaces for support, protection and essential services along every stage of their journey.Note to editors:The Central Mediterranean Sea is one of the world’s deadliest migratory routes, with more than 25,000 people having lost their lives or gone missing in the past 10 years. Every day, many people risk their lives at sea, travelling in unseaworthy, overloaded boats.In July 2021, the IFRC entered a partnership with SOS MEDITERRANEE – a European maritime and humanitarian organization conducting search and rescue operations to save lives in the Central Mediterranean. The operation is conducted from the rescue ship Ocean Viking.Since 2021, the IFRC received a total financial support 5.2 million Swiss francs for the humanitarian operation at sea, with the greatest contributions coming from the Swedish Red Cross, Icelandic Red Cross and the Netherlands Red Cross, as well as the Muslim World League. Additional support was received from Canadian Red Cross, Danish Red Cross, Finnish Red Cross, French Red Cross, Irish Red Cross, Japanese Red Cross and Monaco Red Cross.Other partners supported the mission through staff deployments, including American Red Cross, Belgian Red Cross, Finnish Red Cross, French Red Cross, Hong Kong Red Cross Branch (of the Red Cross Society of China), Icelandic Red Cross, Italian Red Cross, Kuwait Red Crescent, Monaco Red Cross, Slovak Red Cross, and Swedish Red Cross.The Swedish Red Cross, thanks to a generous contribution from the Swedish Post Code Lottery, continues to support SOS MEDITERRANEE in the adoption of advanced technologies to enhance the efficiency of search and rescue at sea. This project will continue in 2026.· Visuals:Additional photos and video available here: LINK· Audio:An interview on IFRC News, IFRC’s weekly news podcastFor more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected] Budapest:Nora Peter, +36 70 953 7709In Geneva:Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 43 67

As Ebola in DRC declared over, IFRC calls for investment in community-based surveillance

Kinshasa/Nairobi/Geneva – 5 December 2025— Following the Ministry of Health’s declaration that the 16th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is officially over, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is calling for an urgent scale-up of community-based surveillance, stronger infection prevention and control, and long-term investment in local health systemsto prevent a resurgence.IFRC warns that the immediate post-outbreak period remains critical, particularly in communities already strained by cholera, mpox, and fragile health infrastructure. To reduce the risk of flare-ups, the DRC Red Cross, with support from IFRC and other National Societies, focuses on strengthening community-based surveillance to rapidly identify and report unusual illnesses or deaths.Ariel Kestens, IFRC Head of Country Cluster Delegation in Kinshasa, says:“Containing an Ebola outbreak is a critical milestone, but the real test begins now. Communities need continued support to detect health threats early. Investing in community-based surveillance, local health workers and stronger systems today is the best protection against potential outbreaks.”Communities remain central to stopping future flare-upsDRC Red Cross volunteers were instrumental in containing the outbreak and will remain at the forefront during the post-outbreak phase. Their ongoing work includes early detection, close coordination with local leaders, hygiene promotion, and countering misinformation, a community-driven approach especially vital in remote areas with limited formal health services.Gregoire Mateso, National President of the DRC Red Cross, says:“Frontline communities and Red Cross volunteers have once again demonstrated what early action can achieve. However, the cycle of epidemics will continue if there is no long-term investment. It is time to stop retreating and instead strengthen our preparedness based on the lessons learned.”During the outbreak, the DRC Red Cross conducted 118 safe and dignified burials and deployed more than 500 volunteers trained in epidemic control. Risk communication and community engagement activities reached over 236,000 people, and hygiene promotion and decontamination support benefited more than 78,000 people. The Red Cross also provided psychosocial support to 2,500 people, while national vaccination efforts immunized more than 47,500 individuals, demonstrating the crucial impact of local action in protecting communities.Need for stronger preparednessDespite swift containment, the outbreak exposed weaknesses in local health systems, including limited isolation capacity, shortages of protective equipment, and gaps in infection prevention and control. Concurrent cholera and mpox outbreaks further strained resources, while vulnerable groups, especially women, children, and displaced families, faced heightened risks.These gaps underline the urgency of long-term resilience and stronger community-based preparedness. The IFRC is calling on partners and donors to join efforts in scaling up community-based surveillance, strengthen infection prevention and control, reinforce water, sanitation, and hygiene systems, support and train local volunteers, the first responders in remote areas, and expand psychosocial and protection services.More informationTo request an interview, contact: [email protected] Kinshasa:Jean-Michel Ntalemwa: +243 999 842 933In Nairobi:Susan Mbalu: +254 733 827 654In Geneva:Tommaso Della Longa: +41 79 708 43 67Scott Craig: +41 76 370 35 75