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

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

IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund 2024 Annual Report

In the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi

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

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

Preparedness for Effective Response Leaflet and Case Studies

This short leaflet highlights the importance of strengthening National Societies' preparedness capacities to ensure timely and effective humanitarian assistance. It also summarizes the IFRC's Preparedness for Effective Response (PER) approach, explaining its key principles, phases and activities. The leaflet is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic below. Several case studies from National Societies using the PER approach are also available to read and download below.

A race against time: How a shepherd’s quick thinking saved a village in Pakistan from a sudden, devastating flood.

IFRC unveils 2026 Global Plan to address rising humanitarian needs with stronger locally led action

Geneva, 12 December 2025 - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has today launched a summary of its Global Plan for 2026, outlining the organisation’s operational priorities for the coming year as humanitarian needs reach unprecedented levels - while funding for humanitarian action continues to shrink.The plan highlights the urgent challenges facing communities worldwide, from more frequent climate related disasters to protracted conflicts, rising displacement, health emergencies and growing vulnerabilities. In many crises, IFRC, Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers are increasingly the only humanitarians still present as other actors scale down or leave.“Humanitarian needs are rising, challenges are growing and funding is shrinking. Many organisations have to leave communities just when they are needed most. Not us,” said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain. “The IFRC network is local, everywhere, and in 2026, that is not going to change.”A 3.4 billion CHF plan focused on protecting people most at riskThe IFRC network’s total funding requirement for 2026 is 3.4 billion Swiss francs (a breakdown is available in the Global Plan summary document). Some of the key areas of IFRC investment include:• Disasters and crises• Health and wellbeing• Migration and displacement• Climate and environment• Values, power and inclusion• Emergency appeals• Scaling special purpose funds including the IFRC DREF (Disaster Response Emergency Fund) and the National Society Investment Alliance.Increased support for locally led actionUnder the Global Plan, the IFRC will channel 75 percent of all internationally mobilised resources to the national level, placing more people and expertise closer to communities. It will strengthen National Societies’ ability to lead in emergencies, expand volunteer networks and deepen accountability to affected communities.The plan builds on IFRC’s ongoing ‘Renewal’ process, a transformation started by the IFRC Secretary General to make the IFRC Secretariat more agile, locally led, impactful, efficient and accountable, with wide consultation amongst staff, National Societies and Partners.Doing things differently with lessWith 191 National Societies, 17 million volunteers and 289,000 local branches, the IFRC remains the world’s largest humanitarian network. Yet the context in which it operates is becoming more fragile, with rising humanitarian needs and risks to humanitarian personnel. Fifty-seven Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers have been killed in the line of duty in the past two years. Protecting humanitarian personnel to deliver effectively on our mandate is a key priority for the IFRC in 2026.A call to invest in proven and cost-effective local actionInvestment in locally led response remains one of the most cost efficient and high impact ways to address humanitarian needs. Regular Resources, the IFRC’s unearmarked funding, will be especially important in 2026, providing the flexible resources needed to anchor locally led action, sustain core services and support National Societies on the frontlines of rising humanitarian needs.With the Global Plan 2026, the IFRC renews its commitment to being local, everywhere, ensuring that communities have trusted support close to home when it matters most – and we invite our donors and partners to fund the Plan.Read the summary of the Global Plan for 2026.The full plan will be published in January 2026.More information, visit the Global Plan 2026 web page.For media requests, please contact: [email protected] Geneva: Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367 Scott Craig, +41 76 370 3575

IFRC launches emergency appeal as Sri Lanka faces worst floods in decades

Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, Geneva, 4 December 2025 - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched a CHF 5 million Emergency Appeal to support the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) in responding to catastrophic flooding and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah, which struck Sri Lanka on 27 November 2025. Bringing torrential rainfall of over 350 mm within 24 hours - a huge amount of rain falling in just one day - in some areas, the cyclone triggered widespread flooding and landslides across all 25 districts, affecting more than 1.46 million people and making it one of the country’s worst disasters in decades.“The scale of this disaster is immense,” said John Entwistle, IFRC Head of Country Cluster Delegation for South Asia, currently in Sri Lanka. “While floodwaters are receding in some areas, humanitarian needs remain critical. People have lost loved ones and homes, and urgently need food, water, shelter, and medical assistance. Over 1.5 million people face food insecurity due to crop losses, disrupted livelihoods, and rising prices. The IFRC appeal will help us deliver life-saving aid now and support recovery for the long road ahead.” Authorities report hundreds of deaths with many people still missing as search and rescue operations continue. More than 230,000 people remain displaced, sheltering in overcrowded safety centres with limited access to water, sanitation, and hygiene. Over 20,800 homes have been damaged or destroyed, while severe infrastructure damage—78 roads and 15 bridges impacted, nearly 278,000 buildings inundated, and more than 65,000 power and telecommunications outages—continues to restrict access to affected communities. Flooding remains a serious risk in downstream areas, with river levels in key basins still rising despite reduced rainfall.The IFRC has provided vital technical and financial support to the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS), enabling the pre-positioning of essential stocks such as shelter materials, hygiene kits, and health supplies in high-risk areas. This support also strengthened preparedness for disasters through Early Action Protocols and climate adaptation.To enable immediate action, IFRC has already released CHF 100,000 from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF), with a further CHF 1 million allocation underway to scale up operations ahead of the full appeal.The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society has mobilized more than 3,500 volunteers, who are conducting rapid assessments, supporting evacuations, providing first aid, and distributing safe water, hygiene kits, bedding, and food rations.“Our volunteers are working tirelessly to support communities who have lost everything,” said Dr. Mahesh Gunasekara, Secretary General of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society. “Urgent needs include cooked food, safe water, medicines, and shelter, but the scale of devastation means sustained support is essential to prevent worsening food insecurity, disease, and poverty.”Essential services have been severely disrupted. Hospitals and health facilities remain flooded or damaged, limiting access to care and disrupting maternal, child, and reproductive health services. Overcrowded evacuation centres are struggling to meet the needs of pregnant and lactating women, older persons, and people with disabilities, while mental-health and psychosocial needs are increasing. Access to safe drinking water remains critically compromised due to damaged and contaminated water systems.The IFRC Emergency Appeal will support emergency shelter, health, water and sanitation, livelihoods, and protection services, while strengthening community resilience to future climate-related shocks.Note to editors:  Visuals from Sri LankaFor more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected] Kuala Lumpur:Afrhill Rances, +60 19 271 3641 In Geneva:Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367Scott Craig, +41 76 370 3575 

Paraguay: Red Cross strengthens neonatal care to protect mothers and newborns

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, held each year, reminds us that the protection and well-being of women and children must be prioritised in all settings. This includes the right to access affordable, safe, quality healthcare during pregnancy, childbirth and the neonatal period.In Paraguay, the pioneering work of the Red Cross's Reina Sofía Hospital is a prime example of how investing in maternal and neonatal health can help to prevent gender-based violence.The Reina Sofía Hospital is a historic pillar of maternal and child health in Paraguay. It was the country's first premature care centre and the first to have neonatal intensive care. It receives pregnant women from all over the country and delivers around 2,200 babies each year, 8–10 per cent of whom are born prematurely.However, the neonatal unit had been working with minimal equipment and obsolete devices.Therefore, to improve infrastructure and technology, the Paraguayan Red Cross accessed the IFRC Capacity Building Fund, which enabled the complete remodelling of the inpatient rooms and the acquisition of two new ultrasound machines for the diagnostic area.These improvements will enhance the care provided to pregnant women, newborns and premature babies, minimising risks and ensuring safer, more protective environments.Yenny Benítez, president of the Paraguayan Red Cross, summarises the impact:“The Paraguayan Red Cross is proud to say that we are raising the standards of our hospital to provide better and better care for mothers and their children.”To prevent gender-based violence, mothers must also be protectedAccess to safe and respectful obstetric care is an essential component of preventing gender-based violence, especially obstetric violence.Thanks to an agreement signed with Paraguay's Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare, the neonatal therapy rooms have also been equipped with new ventilators, light therapy devices, and incubators. These improvements enable an adequate response to neonatal emergencies and protecting the lives of mothers and newborns, especially in cases of premature birth or respiratory complications.With almost 30 years of service at the institution, Head of Neonatology Dr. Marta Bareiro recalls the hospital's history:“This is a hospital with a long history of maternal and neonatal care. It used to be a premature baby ward, the first premature baby center in Paraguay. Later, it was also the first place to offer neonatal intensive care, and we were also the first hospital certified as mother- and child-friendly.”The center has intensive and intermediate care units, shared accommodation to strengthen the mother-infant bond, a clinic for healthy children, and specialized follow-up care for premature babies. It also promotes community first aid knowledge through trained volunteers from the Paraguayan Red Cross.Testimonials of protectionThe experiences of women treated at Reina Sofia Hospital demonstrate the importance of a safe environment and quality care in ensuring the emotional and physical well-being of mothers and newborns.Mirtha Alfonso, who gave birth in 1986, fondly recalls how her son was born:“He was born on 16 August 1986 here at the Red Cross. I was going to have a normal delivery, but it didn't work out, so I had a caesarean section. Then he went to intensive care. It wasn't so simple because the wards were full. Thankfully, though, one of the children was moved to intermediate care, so a crib became available.”Mirtha even donated breast milk to babies whose mothers were unable to breastfeed."When my baby was transferred to intermediate care, I was finally able to hold him and breastfeed him," Mirtha recalls, becoming emotional again. "I remember it so clearly, and it still makes me emotional. It was the first time I held my baby, and I cried with joy."Liz Marlene Ayala, a mother of two who was pregnant as a teenager, says she chose the Paraguayan Red Cross because she received understanding and dignified treatment there.“I was very young, and one of the things that made me continue my treatment here was the way I was treated. I was 16 in 2000 and came here for my consultation because of how they treated teenagers.”Having returned more than 15 years later, she recognises the improvements in infrastructure and technology, as well as the respect and warmth of the healthcare team, which has remained unchanged over the years.Hospital and Paraguayan Red Cross staff also work with the Ministry of Health on campaigns promoting sexual and reproductive health, preventing cancer in women, tackling addiction and epidemics, and encouraging voluntary blood donation.Providing care with empathy, active listening, support, and ensuring adequate technology are all ways of protecting women, girls, and newborns.In Paraguay and around the world, the IFRC network will continue to promote safe, violence-free healthcare environments, so that every mother and baby receives the care they deserve from day one.Such investments therefore play a critical role in preventing what is often referred to as “obstetric violence”, in which women are subjected to inadequate care, neglect or mistreatment in facilities involved in reproductive healthcare.

Protecting the Amazonian cocoa: innovation, science and early warning from the Ecuadorian Red Cross

In the Ecuadorian Amazon, where the rainforest is integrated into every aspect of life and culture, cacao is more than just a crop; it is a source of sustenance and a tradition.Ecuador is the world's third-largest exporter of fine aroma cocoa, a product that sweetens our palates, drives the local economy, and supports thousands of families in the Zamora Chinchipe region of the Amazon, near the border with Peru.However, cocoa crops are under threat from climate change and phenomena such as El Niño. In major cocoa-exporting countries such as Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, extreme rainfall and prolonged droughts have led to the emergence of pests that have wiped out entire plantations.When plantations are lost, chocolate production declines, poverty increases, and food security is compromised. In this multi-threat scenario, timely information and anticipation can mean the difference between losing or saving a crop.To protect cocoa in the Amazon rainforest, two young volunteers from the Ecuadorian Red Cross branch in Zamora Chinchipe have combined science, innovation and local knowledge to design an Early Warning System to help cocoa-growing families anticipate risks and plan preventive actions.One of the two young women who promoted this initiative is Josselyn Balcázar. She is very clear about the problems facing cocoa-producing communities:‘The problem we identified is the vulnerability of cocoa producers due to the empirical management of their plantations, which does not take into account meteorological measurements in the context of climate change impacts,’ she explains.Technology to the rescue of cocoaThis Early Warning System is called SATHEOBROMA, which refers to theobroma, the scientific name for the cocoa plant. The project was launched in 2023 thanks to the Limitless programme of the Solferino Academy.‘It is a mini weather station that records precipitation, temperature, humidity and other variables daily. This information helps producers to understand when pests are likely to appear, enabling them to take appropriate measures and avoid losing their crops,’ explains Verónica Andrade, national climate change adaptation technician at the Ecuadorian Red Cross.The information is analysed to detect conditions that favour the proliferation of pests such as the well-known monilia, which can destroy entire plantations.While the initiative cannot stop the rains or prevent droughts, it does enable action to be taken before the problem escalates into a disaster. Producers receive alerts so they can act quickly and prevent losses from spreading.‘It's crucial to bring this technology to the field because without local information, we can't prevent problems,’ says Oswaldo Castillo, a Shuar cocoa technician.‘This is a very important initiative so that we can take timely action and avoid low yields,’ says Bolívar Flores, a local producer.A pilot version of the system was installed on one farm to demonstrate its functionality, before being expanded to two more farms. The Ecuadorian Red Cross plans to roll it out more widely in future to benefit additional cocoa-producing communities in the area.The initiative has even caught the interest of local institutions.'With the support of technology and technical assistance, we must prepare so that, when effects occur, we can mitigate and counteract them,' said Karla Reátegui, Prefect of Zamora Chinchipe.'From the prefecture, we also reaffirm our willingness to coordinate actions that will allow us to continue expanding the benefits to more farms and producers,' she concluded.Climate change will continue to present challenges, but with tools such as SATHEOBROMA, agricultural families are not alone.In a world where weather events are increasingly unpredictable, early warning systems are essential for ensuring food security and enabling communities to adapt.This initiative demonstrates that involving communities in decision-making allows us to identify and plan preventive measures, prepare for and respond effectively to multiple crises and disasters, and ensure that resources are directed to those who need them most.

Forced to Flee in a Changing Climate - Africa

This IFRC report,‘Forced to Flee in a Changing Climate’,highlights concrete ways National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies — and others in impacted communities — are helping people prepare and adapt to climate change, so they can stay safe in their homes or move safely and with dignity on their own terms.The report features 30 case studies from 15 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Africa that are already working across mutiple areas—identifying and reducing risks and promoting adaptation, preparing and acting early to reduce needs, providing assistance and protection, and promoting resilient recovery—to help communites adapt to a changing climate.

Sri Lanka: Tropical Cyclone Ditwah

Cyclone Ditwah has slammed Sri Lanka with catastrophic rainfall and severe flooding, leaving more than a million people affected and forcing over 218,000 into crowded safety centers. Entire communities are cut off as roads and bridges remain impassable, while thousands of homes lie destroyedand the risk of further landslides and rising waters persists. The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society is delivering first aid, assessments, and essential household items, but it urgently needs support to scale up assistance for the hardest-hit families. Your donation can make a difference – donate now to help the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society provide life-saving assistance.

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)

Access to safe water and sanitation is a human right. But right now, hundreds of millions of people around the world do not have access to safe water and billions cannot access the sanitation services they need. Discover how the IFRC is at the forefront of responding to global water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs.