Volcanoes: Key Messages

Key hazard-specific messages for individuals and communities on how to prepare for, and stay safe during, volcanic eruptions.

Tsunamis: Key Messages

Key hazard-specific messages for individuals and communities on how to prepare for, and stay safe during, tsunamis.

Heat waves: Key messages

Key hazard-specific messages for individuals and communities on how to prepare for, and stay safe during, heat waves.

Extreme cold: Key messages

Key hazard-specific messages for individuals and communities on how to prepare for, and stay safe during, extreme cold.

Hailstorms: Key Messages

Key hazard-specific messages for individuals and communities on how to prepare for, and stay safe during, hailstorms.

The 2026 'El Niño': How are we preparing for its impact on Latin America and the Caribbean?

The'El Niño'phenomenon is now in its active phase. Sea surface temperatures in the central and tropical Pacific have already exceeded the 0.5 °C above-average threshold established to define an 'El Niño' event. In addition, winds over the equatorial Pacific have begun to shift direction, carrying warm waters toward South America, indicating that the atmosphere is responding to the warming of the ocean. When this occurs, the presence of'El Niño'is officially confirmed.1. Why is there talk of a 'Super El Niño' this year? For the 'El Niño' phenomenon to be officially declared, the temperature of the Pacific Ocean need only rise 0.5°C above the historical average. For 2026, forecasts indicate a 63% probability of a strong El Niño, meaning that sea surface temperatures in the Pacific region will exceed 2.0 °C.It is these expected values that have led to terms such as 'Super El Niño' being used to describe a strong 'El Niño ', as was the case in 2015 with 'Godzilla El Niño'. The transition from cooling conditions (La Niña) to extreme warming has been much faster than usual, forcing humanitarian organizations such as the IFRC to scale up their preparedness levels immediately.2. What impact will 'El Niño' have on Central America and the Caribbean?'El Niño' does not affect the entire continent in the same way. One of the greatest concerns in the north is the reduction in rainfall. In Central America and the Caribbean, 'El Niño' typically manifests as a significant reduction in cumulative rainfall. This does not mean there is no rain at all, but rather that the pattern of precipitation is irregular and insufficient to sustain traditional agricultural cycles. The Central American Dry Corridor is one of the regions where the impact is particularly severe, with prolonged water deficits directly threatening food security and the livelihoods of thousands of families. Water scarcity affects not only crops but also increases public health risks related to access to safe water and hygiene. 3. What effects are expected from 'El Niño' in South America?Unlike in the north, 'El Niño' has the opposite effect in the southern part of the continent. While countries such as Colombia, Venezuela and northern Brazil face drier conditions and an increased risk of wildfires, regions in southern Brazil, Uruguay, northern Argentina and central Chile must prepare for above-average rainfall. This geographical contrast within the same continent means that the Red Cross and its partners must implement different strategies. 4. What is the forecast for the hurricane season under the 'El Niño' 2026?Historically, there has been a direct correlation between the presence of a strong 'El Niño' phenomenon and a decrease in the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin. In the Pacific, where hurricanes also occur, rising sea temperatures combined with changes in wind patterns caused by 'El Niño' can create conditions that are more favorable for storm formation. Forecasts indicate that the Atlantic will see below-average cyclonic activity, with fewer than the historical average of 14 named storms and seven hurricanes.Meanwhile, forecasts for the Pacific predict between 15 and 22 named storms, of which between nine and 14 are expected to become hurricanes, and between five and nine of those are expected to become major hurricanes.Regardless of the forecast, evidence shows that one single tropical storm forming and making landfall can devastate entire communities. Decades of working with communities at risk from hurricanes have taught the Red Cross that the most efficient, effective and ethical approach is to invest in preparedness and early response initiatives to protect communities and their livelihoods. 5. How do we prepare for the impacts of 'El Niño'? The Red Cross network's main strategy for addressing this phenomenon is anticipatory action, which refers to any action taken before a crisis occurs with the aim of preventing or reducing the potential impacts of a disaster. The Climate Centre collaborates with National Societies to update Early Action Protocols, enabling the immediate release of emergency funding when specific scientific thresholds are met.Three Early Action Protocols have already been activated in the Americas region. Red Cross teams in El Salvador, Guatemala and Colombia developed their protocols to protect over 22,000 people at the first signs of drought.The Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF) has allocated 1.2 million Swiss francs (CHF)—about 1.5 million U.S. dollars—for early action in response to the drought in the three countries. This funding is not allocated all at once: it is released in stages as forecasts reach risk thresholds agreed upon in advance by communities, authorities, and the Red Cross, so that each tranche of aid is mobilized just before the impact and not after.These funds will provide assistance to 10,000 people in the El Salvadoran departments of Morazán and La Unión; 10,000 more in Guatemalan municipalities in the Dry Corridor, such as Chiquimula, Jalapa, and Quetzaltenango; and 2,400 in Colombia's Tolima and Cesar departments.The Red Cross will support the most vulnerable families by providing them with cash to purchase food, fuel, and other necessities, helping them to avoid depleting their own resources. The Red Cross will also provide drinking water when sources begin to run low, supplies to care for crops and livestock, and training in adaptive agricultural practices, hygiene, and the prevention of heat-related illness. For countries that do not yet have these formal protocols, the IFRC network offers technical assistance tools and access to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF for imminent events. The aim is to anticipate risks, strengthen preparedness and use scientific evidence to protect households, ensure effective humanitarian assistance and safeguard community health before the effects of 'El Niño' peak.Where can I find more information?Our Early Warning, Early Action pageRed Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre websiteAnticipation Hub websiteAnticipatory Pillar of the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund

Drought: Key messages

Key hazard-specific messages for individuals and communities on how to prepare for, and stay safe during, droughts.

Stand with us to Protect Humanity

Violence against humanitarian workers and volunteers must stop. But we can’t make it stop without your help. The Protect Humanity campaign needs you – your voice, your involvement and your action – to help us put an end to violence against those who risk their lives to help others. We must protect the first responders and volunteers who give everything to protect us. Together, we can #ProtectHumanity.

Business opportunities

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is currently seeking to procure the goods and services listed below.

'This gives us hope': How climate-resilient farming is helping communities in southeastern Zimbabwe reclaim food security in the face of drought and a capricious climate

Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Red Cross activates Early Action Protocols at the first signs of drought in El Salvador, Guatemala and Colombia

Panama City, 11 June 2026 — The Red Cross Societies of El Salvador, Guatemala and Colombia have activated their Early Action Protocols to protect more than 22,000 people at the first signs of drought. In all three countries, the lack of rainfall could worsen as a result of the El Niño phenomenon, which, according to the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), entered its active phase on 11 June.Early Action Protocols are instruments that bring together measures agreed in advance among communities, public authorities and the Red Cross, and are triggered when certain risk thresholds are reached, so that aid can be mobilized before damage occurs."Drought is a slow-motion disaster: it does not arrive in a single night and it rarely makes the headlines, which is why aid runs the risk of arriving too late," explained Loyce Pace, IFRC Regional Director for the Americas. "The difference between a hazard and a humanitarian crisis is almost always decided before the impact. This time, thanks to weather forecasts, pre-agreed joint action and anticipatory financing, we know that the moment to protect people is now."In Colombia, El Salvador and Guatemala, the activation of the drought Early Action Protocols is based on data gathered by the three countries' meteorological services, which point to the same forecast: rainfall well below normal for the June-to-August quarter, just as the agricultural cycle begins.In El Salvador, the General Directorate of the Environmental Observatory warned of a rainfall deficit between May and July. In Guatemala, the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology (INSIVUMEH) forecasts El Niño-related conditions with a 70 per cent probability, along with below-normal rainfall. In Colombia, a cartographic analysis by the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) estimates a more than 50 per cent probability of below-normal rainfall and a moderate drought index by August.National Red Cross teams had been waiting for this scientific data to launch the readiness activities funded by the IFRC's Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF). In total, this fund has 1.2 million Swiss francs (CHF) — around 1.5 million US dollars — available for early action against drought in the three countries. This funding is not allocated all at once: it is released in stages, as forecasts reach the risk thresholds agreed in advance among communities, public authorities and the Red Cross, so that each tranche of aid is mobilized just before the impact, not after.IFRC-DREF resources will make it possible to assist 10,000 people in the departments of Morazán and La Unión, in El Salvador; another 10,000 in municipalities of Guatemala's Dry Corridor, such as Chiquimula, Jalapa and Quetzaltenango; and 2,400 in the Colombian departments of Tolima and Cesar.Although each context is different, the measures follow the same logic: to act before the disaster strikes and to protect, at the same time, the food security, livelihoods, health and water access of affected communities — areas that droughts tend to hit simultaneously.The Red Cross will support families in the most vulnerable situations through cash transfers to safeguard food, obtain fuel and cover basic needs without depleting their assets. Teams will also provide safe drinking water as sources begin to run low, supplies to protect crops and livestock, and training in adaptive farming practices, hygiene and the prevention of heat-related illnesses.Worldwide, only one in every 10 dollars allocated to humanitarian action is invested in reducing or mitigating disaster risk. "It is critical that governments, cooperation agencies, financial institutions and international organizations invest in anticipatory action, early warning systems and forecast-based humanitarian action as essential mechanisms to protect lives, reduce economic losses and strengthen resilience," said Pace.For more information, contact: [email protected] Panama: Susana Arroyo Barrantes +50769993199

Statement: IFRC appalled by the killing of Sudanese Red Crescent volunteer in North Kordofan

Khartoum/Nairobi/Geneva,13June2026 –The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) isappalled by thedeathof Sudanese Red Crescent Society volunteer AhmedYaqoubOthman, on 10 June 2026, in the outskirts of ElObiedCity, in NorthKordofan.Ahmed was killed while he was providing first aid to injured people following earlierattacks. Hewas a volunteer of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society's NorthKordofanBranch. He was serving his community and supporting humanitarian activities when the incident occurred.The IFRC extends its deepest condolences to Ahmed's family, friends, fellowvolunteersand staff of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society during thisdifficult time.Ahmed's death is a painful reminder of the risks faced by humanitarian workers and volunteers who dedicate themselves to helping others, often under challenging and dangerous circumstances. His commitment to serving vulnerable people embodied the humanitarian values of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.The IFRC reiterates that humanitarian personnel and volunteers must be able to carry out their work safely. Their dedication strengthens communities and provides vital support to people affected by crises.Our network mourns the loss of a colleague who served with compassion,commitment,and humanity. Ahmed's contribution to his community will not be forgotten.For more information,please contact:[email protected]:EzaldeenSuliman, +249 90 570 6473 InNairobi:    SusanMbalu, +254 733 827 654In Geneva:Tommaso Della Longa +41 79 708 4367

National Society Investment Alliance

The National Society Investment Alliance (NSIA) is a pooled funding mechanism, run jointly by the IFRC and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). It provides flexible, multi-year funding tosupportthe long-term development of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Urban resilience

For most of humanity the future involves living in cities. But to do so safely, urban communities need to be prepared for, and resilient to, the increasing and changing shocks they face.