DREF

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Press release

2024 Triggers First-Ever Insurance Payout for Disaster Fund

New York/Geneva – For the first time, an insurance payout has been triggered by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ Disaster Response Emergency Fund (‘IFRC-DREF’), as demands for disaster relief surpassed its ‘deductible’ threshold.The IFRC-DREF is a vital fund that provides immediate funding for National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies when disasters strike, especially for smaller-scale emergencies that may not attract global attention. Previously, the fund could run dry before year-end, prompting the IFRC to secure a groundbreaking — and humanitarian-sector first — indemnity insurance policy with Aon and reinsurers.Since the start of 2023, and for an annual premium of CHF3m, the IFRC-DREF ‘pot’ has been insured on an indemnity basis. A potential payout of up to CHF15m is available if, or when, demands on the IFRC-DREF fund because of natural hazard-associated disasters hit a certain threshold — a ‘deductible’ set at CHF33m in one calendar year. For the rest of the calendar year, further demands on the IFRC-DREF for natural hazard disasters are covered by the insurance payout, up to that total maximum of CHF15m.In 2023, the threshold was not reached so the policy did not pay out. But in 2024 it has been, with allocations to respond to Super Typhoon Yagi in Asia last week tipping IFRC-DREF spend over the insurance trigger threshold. Overall, there have been almost 100 separate IFRC-DREF allocations in 2024; combined those to respond to the impacts of eligible natural hazards have exceeded CHF 33m. When NationalRed Cross and Red Crescent Societies make further requests of the fund in September, October, November or December, allocations to respond to natural hazard disasters will be paid for by the commercial insurers, up to that CHF15m cap.The IFRC’s Under Secretary General for Global Relations and Humanitarian Diplomacy, Nena Stoiljkovic, announced the insurance payout at an event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.Ahead of it, Ms Stoiljkovic said: “The triggering of the IFRC-DREF insurance policy is a significant moment. For the first time ever a single, worldwide, commercial indemnity insurance policy will pay the emergency humanitarian costs of disasters. The scale of the needs caused by 2024’s disasters is sobering. But the fact the insurance is helping with the burden is good news and proof that there are innovative finance solutions that we hope to grow in coming years.”The IFRC has plans to grow its IFRC-DREF insurance, to widen coverage beyond disasters caused by natural hazards — to epidemics and anticipatory action, for example. It hopes grant donors will see the added value of contributing to the IFRC-DREF fund if their humanitarian contributions could potentially be multiplied in particularly calamitous years.Notes to journalistsIn 2024, IFRC-DREF allocations so far have been paid, among others to:Maldives Red Crescent to help deal with a Filariasis outbreak in January (CHF 299,986)Chile Red Cross to help deal with wildfires in February (CHF 496,982)Eswatini Red Cross to help with its drought response in March (CHF 546,683)Iraqi Red Crescent to help with it deal with Flash Floods in April (CHF 499,900)Honduran Red Cross to help it deal with a hospital fire in May (CHF 336,394)Armenia Red Cross to help its response to floods in June (CHF 499,759)Venezuelan Red Cross in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl in July (CHF 270,049)Philippines Red Cross after floods in August (CHF 738,170)Cameroon Red Cross after floods in September (CHF 421,471)The single largest allocation so far in 2024 was to the Sudanese Red Crescent after floods in September (CHF 943,271); the single ‘smallest’ allocation was the Red Cross of Equatorial Guinea after a shipwreck in July (CHF 24,962).More data is available by searching ‘DREF’ under ‘Appeal Type’ at the‘IFRC’s Go Platform’1 CHF = 1.19 USDIFRC-DREF insurance is co-funded by InsuResilience Solutions Fund (ISF) to support project preparatory work, development and refinement of the insurance product as well as premium funding.IFRC-DREF insurance is also made possible by generous support in paying the premium, particularly from the British Red Cross, the Danish Red Cross and the British government (FCDO).IFRC-DREF has provided rapid and efficient funding to local Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before and after disasters strike since 1979. However, with the increasing frequency and intensity of disasters, particularly due to climate change, the demand for humanitarian assistance continues to grow.More information on IFRC-DREF insurance can be found here:IFRC-DREF InsuranceFor more information, for interviews, for quotes from IFRC-DREF partners or for video of IFRC and Red Cross Red Crescent responses to disasters [email protected] Geneva:Andrew Thomas: +41 763676587

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Basic page

IFRC-DREF Pledging Conference

Leading donors from around the world gather each year at the IFRC secretariate 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 strategicambition of growing IFRC-DREF to 100 million Swiss Francs by 2025. 

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Article

Uganda Ebola outbreak 2022: The importance of safe and dignified burials

In countries around the world, burial rituals—whether cultural, traditional, or religious—are an important way of honouring the dead and helping people grieve. For many communities, special burial practices enable them to bid farewell to their loved ones in a respectful and meaningful way.Losing someone is never easy. But what if someone you love passes away, and you’re told that the burial traditions your community holds dear may put you all in danger?This is what happened to people in Mubende, Uganda, in September 2022 when the country declared its first outbreak of Ebola in more than a decade. The government barred communities from burying their loved ones due to the risks involved, declaring that burials should be managed by trained safe and dignified burial teams.Ebola is a cruel disease. Deadly when left untreated, and highly contagious, it’s transmitted from person to person through direct contact and bodily fluids. When someone is infected, their families and friends are unable to provide hands-on care. And when someone dies from Ebola, their body continues to be highly contagious for up to seven days, meaning that safe and dignified burial measures must be followed to prevent further infection.Kuteesa Samuel from Mubende knows this all too well. He lost his wife of 20 years, Monica, to Ebola during the 2022 outbreak. Monica was seven months pregnant at the time, meaning Samuel also lost his unborn child.In Samuel’s culture, it’s customary to wash and wrap the body of the deceased. And if a pregnant woman dies in the community, tradition dictates that the foetus is buried in a separate grave. But during Ebola, these practices would have posed a deadly threat to people’s health.Knowing this, the Uganda Red Cross Society were poised to step in.Local, known, trustedUganda Red Cross staff and volunteers are part of the fabric of society in Uganda. They come from the communities they serve, follow the same local customs, and have a deep understanding of people’s needs and sensitivities when disaster strikes.They therefore understood why Samuel’s community felt scared, confused, and reluctant to abandon their traditions.But following sensitive, patient, and repeated engagement from local Red Cross volunteers—who worked hand-in-hand with local health authorities and community leaders—Samuel’s community agreed to a compromise. Monica’s body was left intact and safely buried by trained Red Cross teams following strict health and safety protocols. While a banana flower was symbolically buried in a separate grave to mark the loss of Samuel’s unborn child. “After the health workers engaged and explained everything to us, we came to an understanding. […] If it wasn’t for Uganda Red Cross, we would not even know where the deceased would be buried. They helped us to bury the deceased to ensure we don’t get infected. So, we greatly appreciate the Red Cross,” explains Samuel.Preparedness saves livesSince the last Ebola outbreak in 2012, the Uganda Red Cross Society had worked hard to improve its preparedness for future health emergencies and strengthen its auxiliary role supporting the Ministry of Health during disease outbreaks.With support from the IFRC through the USAID-funded Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3), as well as through an Ebola preparedness emergency appeal (2018-2021) and a Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF) operation (2018-2020), they undertook lots of different preparedness activities across different parts of the country.Emergency preparedness involves planning for the worst, so one of those activities was developing a pool of qualified safe and dignified burials trainers and teams across the country. These teams were ready to be deployed immediately to support communities like Samuel’s when the 2022 Ebola outbreak began.“CP3 was so instrumental to this response. We were only able to respond on time because we had done preparations. We already had prepared teams, and this enabled us to swiftly respond,” explains Dr Joseph Kasumba, Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Officer with the Uganda Red Cross who led the response.Humanity in the darkest of momentsDuring the 2022 Ebola outbreak, Uganda Red Cross teams conducted a total of 512 safe and dignified burials. These efforts contributed to the outbreak being declared over in a record four months.What’s harder to quantify is the emotional support and meaningful care that Red Cross teams provided to communities in perhaps the worst moments of their lives. For that, here’s some powerful testimony from those affected by Ebola, or involved in the response:“When it comes to Ebola Virus Disease, communities always need someone they can trust, people they can identify with. And the fact that the Red Cross is always part of the community... we know what cultural practices are done. We know what the community wants us to do and they feel confident identifying with us, even in that time of grief and sorrow.” - Dr Joseph Kasumba“We really thank the health workers because they taught us how to protect ourselves. We are still grateful for what they did. It was a miracle for us.” - Janet, Mubende resident“Since Ebola started in Mubende, it is the Red Cross that has walked with us. Every community knows Red Cross here. We appreciate you for the work you’ve done. The people of Mubende appreciate you for offering your lives to stand in the gap and save lives.” - Rosemary Byabashaija – Resident District Commissioner in MubendeIf you found this story interesting and would like to learn more:Visit the Uganda Red Cross Society websiteClick here to learn more about the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3). Funded by USAID, CP3 supports communities, National Societies, and other partners in seven countries to prepare for, prevent, detect, and respond to disease threats.Sign up to the IFRC’s Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Newsletter.

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Article

Bolivia: Drought on the one hand, floods on the other — safe water a critical challenge in both cases

In the last year, the Bolivian people have had to cope with devastating floods, the hottest year on record and the most severe drought in its history.Over two million people suffered from the lack of rain, while the storms left over 50 people dead and 430,000 people affected.These data seem to confirm what science has been telling us for some time: Bolivia is the most vulnerable country to the climate crisis in South America. Prolonged droughtsThe frequency and intensity of drought episodes is increasing in the highlands and plains of the country.In 2023, Bolivia experienced the longest dry period in its history, a consequence of high temperatures and the climate crisis, intensified by the El Niño phenomenon. In seven of Bolivia's nine departments (La Paz, Potosí, Cochabamba, Oruro, Chuquisaca, Tarija and Santa Cruz), nearly two million people saw the lack of rain dry up their fields, deplete their savings and damage their physical and mental health.The effects were particularly severe in rural areas, where income and jobs depend on agriculture and the raising of camelids, sheep and cows. Water reservoirs dried up completely; potato and other staple food crops were lost; and llamas and alpacas began to get sick and even die of thirst. "Every time a llama dies, apart from the emotional loss, we are losing about $100 USD, the equivalent of what we need to live for a month in our sector," says Evaristo Mamani Torrencio, a resident of Turco, in the department of Oruro.“Per family, we lose between 15-20 llamas. That is a lot of money and that is a loss not only for the community, but it is also a loss for the town, because that is where the money comes from to buy our things in Oruro. If we don't make that economic movement and if we don't have resources, then we are simply not going to move the market."Water scarcity can lead to restrictions on water use, an increase in its price and a decrease in its quality. This reduces the frequency by which people can hydrate themselves, weakens hygiene measures and increases the spread of stomach and infectious diseases.In cases such as Evaristo's and other communities supported by the Bolivian Red Cross, the long recovery time after drought can also lead families to make decisions with irreversible effects on their lives. These include being forced to sell their land, going into debt or migrating.Devastating floodsMeanwhile, in other parts of Bolivia, sudden flooding is also having a severe impact on people’s access to safe water supplies. On February 27, 2024, the Acre River in the city of Cobija, on the border with Brazil, exceeded its historical maximum and caused the flooding of 16 urban sectors and three rural communities."The landslides associated with rainfall in 90 per cent of the country contrast with a progressive annual decrease in rainfall recorded by the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service in recent years," says Julian Perez, Program and Operations Coordinator for the IFRC in the Andean countries."Something that concerns the IFRC is that both events, droughts and floods, have severe long-term impacts on the community, affecting food production, food security and generating water deficit and malnutrition."In addition to damage to fields and infrastructure, the population is already facing cases of dermatitis, respiratory infections and water-borne diseases such as diarrhea.They are also preparing to avoid mosquito-borne diseases such as Dengue."In the first quarter of 2024 alone, Bolivia has registered a total of 11,000 cases of dengue fever,”Perez says.Bolivian Red Cross in actionIn both extreme cases, access to clean water and essential services is critical to maintain health and prevent the spread of disease.With support from the Bolivian Red Cross and the Emergency Fund for Disaster Response (IFRC-DREF), 6,500 people affected by the droughts and floods will be able to protect themselves via improved access to safe water and they will be able to better decide how to recover from the floods by receiving cash to address their most urgent needs."Bolivia urgently needs to implement climate change adaptation measures, such as reforestation and the construction of adequate infrastructure, as well as improve the early warning system and support the State's efforts to strengthen disaster management", Perez concludes.

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Press release

Record-breaking CHF 64 Million pledged at IFRC-DREF conference, surpassing previous year's contributions

Geneva, 23 November 2023: On 17 November 2023, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) held its annual IFRC-DREF pledging conference with the aim of coming one step closer to its strategic funding ambition – growing the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF) to CHF 100 million by 2025. Collectively, global cross-sector partners including governments and private sector companies pledged over CHF 64 million in support of IFRC-DREF for 2023, beating last year’s total and previous record of CHF 43 million. This year’s pledging conference demonstrated purposeful commitments to help IFRC-DREF expand its capacity to respond quickly to humanitarian needs, particularly in the face of increasing demand, and increasingly complicated, climate-related disasters. Secretary General at IFRC Jagan Chapagain commented: “This year has been unprecedented for IFRC-DREF, marked by an unparalleled scale and complexities of operations. In an increasingly climate-change-shaped world, the IFRC-DREF is uniquely positioned to respond immediately and effectively to those in need. It ensures aid is efficient, effective, and empowers local actors best positioned to understand and meet community needs. This underscores the critical need for strengthening tools like the IFRC-DREF to intensify our humanitarian efforts.” IFRC-DREF 2023 milestones Every year, small and medium-sized disasters occur in silence. Without media attention or international visibility, they can struggle to attract funding. Despite this, IFRC-DREF has reached over 220 million people affected by disasters since it was launched in 1979. IFRC-DREF stands out for its commitment to channel support directly to local actors: 82% of allocations go directly to National Societies, enabling Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to deliver fast and effective local humanitarian action. Globally, the average figure stands at a mere 1.2%. In 2023, the IFRC reinforced the fund’s capacity to respond quickly, effectively and transparently. In partnership with Aon, Lloyd’s Disaster Risk Facility and the Centre for Disaster Protection, it launched IFRC-DREF Insurance – an insurance policy developed to provide a backstop for the IFRC-DREF in extreme years, a first for humanitarian risk transfers. By leveraging public aid budgets to mobilise private resources and make donor contributions go further, IFRC-DREF Insurance aims to assist up to six million more people annually by providing contingency funding of up to 20 million Swiss Francs Pledging conference 2023 results This year saw the return of long-standing global partners and supporters of IFRC-DREF, as well as new donors. The conference was attended by over 70 participants representing 35 governments and the private sector. In total, 23 pledging statements were made during the conference. The IFRC highly appreciates the introduction of several new donors to the IFRC-DREF, namely the Saudi Red Crescent Authority and their government, the multi-year commitment by the government of the Republic of Korea, the first-time Lithuanian government contribution and the contribution from Nestle. The IFRC extends deep gratitude to all existing and new donors, appreciating both their participation and public announcement of contributions at the IFRC-DREF pledging conference this year. For more information: To request an interview, contact: [email protected]

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Article

IFRC-DREF raises CHF 64 million in its annual Pledging Conference, setting new record

Leading donors from around the world gathered in Geneva, Switzerland on 17 November to pledge new or renewed funding to the IFRC's Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF), moving the fund a significant step closer to its strategic ambition – growing to CHF 100 million by 2025. Collectively, global cross-sector partners including governments and private-sector companies pledged over CHF 64 million in support of IFRC-DREF for 2023, beating last year’s total and previous record of CHF 43 million. In addition, thanks to the insurance structure in place for 2023, up to additional CHF 15 million can be tapped in by IFRC-DREF subject to meeting the trigger for insurance payout. This year’s Pledging Conference demonstrated purposeful commitments to help IFRC-DREF expand its capacity to respond quickly to humanitarian needs, particularly in the face of increasing demand, and increasingly complicated, climate-related disasters. “This year has been unprecedented for IFRC-DREF, marked by an unparalleled scale and complexities of operations,"said IFRCSecretary General Jagan Chapagain. "In an increasingly climate-change-shaped world, the IFRC-DREF is uniquely positioned to respond immediately and effectively to those in need. It ensures aid is efficient, effective, and empowers local actors best positioned to understand and meet community needs. This underscores the critical need for strengthening tools like the IFRC-DREF to intensify our humanitarian efforts.” Click the link below for a video recording of the full pledging conference live stream. IFRC-DREF milestones Every year, small and medium-sized disasters occur in silence. Without media attention or international visibility, they can struggle to attract funding. Despite this, IFRC-DREF has reached over 220 million people affected by disasters since it was launched in 1979. IFRC-DREF stands out for its commitments to channel support directly to local actors: 82 percent of allocations go directly to National Societies, enabling Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to deliver fast and effective local humanitarian action. Globally, the average percentage of funding that goes to local actors stands at a mere 1.2 per cent. In 2023, the IFRC also reinforced the fund’s capacity to respond quickly, effectively and transparently. In partnership with Aon, Lloyd’s Disaster Risk Facility and the Centre for Disaster Protection, it launched IFRC-DREF Insurance. By leveraging public aid budgets to mobilise private resources and make donor contributions go further, IFRC-DREF aims to assist six million more people. More 2023 Pledging Conference results This year’s Pledging Conference saw the return of long-standing global partners and supporters of IFRC-DREF, as well as new donors. The Conference was attended by over 70 participants representing 35 governments and the private sector. In total, 23 pledging statements were made during the Conference. The IFRC highly appreciates the introduction of several new donors to the IFRC-DREF, namely the Saudi Red Crescent Authority and their government, the multi-year commitment by the government of the Republic of Korea, the first-time Lithuanian government contribution and the contribution from Nestle.   The IFRC would like to thank all participants and donors for their commitment to this critical tool for humanitarian response and community resilience. Please click here to read the Pledge Statements Sum-Up documentfor all details. For more information about the IFRC-DREF or the 2023 pledging conference: Visit this page on our website. Read this Twitter thread to see how the conference unfolded. For more information, you can also contact: Florent Del Pinto (Manager, Emergency Operations Centre)[email protected] Ivana Mrdja (Manager, National Society and Government Partners)[email protected]

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Article

Kazakhstan: ‘Early action’ helps people stay warm through deadly cold snaps

In Kazakhstan, winter weather can be extremely harsh, with temperatures plummeting to -40 C at night. This presents a challenge for all people, but especially for some of the most vulnerable groups: homeless, lonely older people, people with disabilities and single parent households."My husband and our two sons have died and my relatives are living far away, therefore now I am all alone in this world,” one 81-year-old woman told a Red Crescent team. “I’m grateful to the Red Crescent volunteers for bringing me soup, buns and pilaf – I’ll eat it with pleasure and save some for tomorrow.”Drivers and passengers who get stuck on the road may also find themselves in a difficult situation.Whenever extreme cold hits, the Red Crescent of Kazakhstan is ready to support people in need thanks to a system the National Society developed that allows it to mobilise as soon as a severe cold wave is predicted.Getting ahead of the cold wavesThrough the activation of the Simplified Early Action Protocol for Cold Waves, the Red Crescent is receiving CHF 68,000 from the IFRC's Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF). They money is used to fund anticipatory actions supporting 2,000 people in the worst-affected regions and reach a further 80,000 with awareness-raising activities.The protocol was triggered by a cold wave on 11 December, when the national weather forecast service predicted temperatures to go below -40 degrees in the north of Kazakhstan."This simplified early action protocol allows us to support people surviving extreme cold in the most difficult conditions, and to do it quickly," said Lena Kistaubayeva, director of the Emergency Situations Department at the Red Crescent of Kazakhstan."Distributing warm clothes from prepositioned stocks and arranging hot meals for homeless people and older people living alone are the key activities at the moment,” she added. “We keep monitoring weather forecasts, so as to respond in a timely manner and address further needs in this and other target regions of the country, through our local branches." Hot meals, clothes and blanketsThroughout the winter, Red Crescent teams have been helping homeless people reach warm shelters and provide them with hot meals and basic items such as winter clothes, shoes and blankets. Volunteers are also providing First Aid at warm-up shelters."Since I was a child, I have been spending most of my time on the street and taking care of myself,” said a 54-year-old homeless man. “I ended up with bad company and spent ten years in prison, but at least I had food and a bed there. Now I’m alone again and I don’t know where to go. Volunteers will take me to an accommodation centre and helpe me with the registration.”IFRC is a lead in the Early Warnings For All Initiative, which will provide early warnings to people across the globe by 2027. Learn more.

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Article

Off the radar: Ten disasters of 2023 you’ve likely never heard of

Maybe it's because the disaster happened in a remote, rural area, far from media hubs. Maybe it’s “too small” to warrant a global reaction. Whatever the reason, some emergencies don't get as much attention as others. For the people living through these crises, however, they are just as real, heartbreaking and life-changing as the big catastrophes that go viral or that benefit from the ‘CNN effect’. And when you’ve lost your home to a flood, fire or landslide – or you’ve had to leave town with nothing but the clothes on your back – you don’t have time for the world to catch on. This is why the IFRC has a rapid-response funding mechanism called the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF) that gets funds quickly to all crises, large or small. Here are ten of the least-known disasters that IFRC-DREF responded to in 2023. 1. El Nino in Ecuador In the later half of 2023, extreme rainfall generated by the El Niño phenomenon on the Ecuadorian coast caused rapid flooding. Fortunately, affected communities were more prepared than in the past thanks to actions they took ahead of the rains. When the El Nino’s impacts were first forecast, government agencies declared that preparing for and preventing damage from the expected heavy rains was a national priority. For its part, the IFRC-DREF allocated funds to ensure 1,000 at-risk families would have safe drinking water, proper waste management, food set aside and many other precautionary measures. 2. Cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe Like many other relatively localized or regional epidemics, the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe in 2023 has received little international attention. It started in February 2023 and to date, suspected and confirmed cases have been reported in 41 districts in all the country’s 10 provinces. The IFRC has launched an emergency appeal to support the work of the Zimbabwe Red Cross, but even before that, IFRC-DREF dispersed CHF 500,000 to support 141,257 people with health care and water, sanitation and hygiene support in key impacted areas. The goal is to prevent and control the spread of Cholera, interrupt the chain of transmission, facilitate the improvement of case management and improve basic sanitation, hygiene practices and access to safe drinking water. 3. Floods in Bosnia-Herzegovina The northwestern area of Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced intense rainfall in mid-May 2023, causing widespread flooding and extensive damage to people’s houses and local infrastructure. The floods also destroyed crops and rendered much farmland and dairy production inoperable. It was a severe blow to one of the lowest-income areas in Europe, a region that relies on local agriculture for sustenance and income. IFRC-DREF allocated CHF 126,504 to the Bosnian Red Cross to support 1500 people through a variety of assistance measures, including cash transfers, distribution of essential equipment and hygiene supplie, and dissemination of health information, among other things. 4. Storms and floods on top of drought and conflict Sometimes disasters are hidden by the larger crisis enveloping a particular region. The scale of the humanitarian suffering in Yemen is so massive and widespread, there was little notice of the tropical cyclone that hit the country in October 2023. Tropical Cyclone Tej made landfall over the southern coast of Al Mahrah Governorate on the night of 23 October and continued to move northwestward. The cyclone caused widespread flooding, infrastructure destruction, displacement of communities, and the loss of many lives. IFRC-DREF quickly supported the response of Yemen Red Crescent with CHF 281,000 to support internally displaced people, host communities, returnees, marginalized groups, and migrants/refugees. 5. Fires in Chile In Febuary 2023, strong winds and high temperatures caused dozens of forest fires across central and southern Chile, leading to casualties and widespread damage. They followed earlier, destructive forest fires in December 2022 that spread rapidly around the city of Viña del Mar. With IFRC-DREF funding, the Chilean Red Cross provided support to more than 5,000 people. Staff and volunteer teams provided medical support and distributed cash so that people could buy the things they needed to recover.More information. 6. Deadly Marburg outbreak in Gabon In early February 2023, the Government of Equatorial Guinea reported the death of nine people who presented symptoms of hemorrhagic fever and soon after the WHO confirmed the country was experiencing an epidemic of Marburg disease. The Gabon Red Cross contributed to the government’s preventive measures and by 15 May, the epidemic over. Roughly CHF 140,000 in emergency DREF funds are now being used to increase the Gabon Red Cross’s ability to respond to Marburg disease and other outbreaks in the future by ensuring the mobilized personnel can detect suspected cases quickly, anticipate spread and prepare for a coordinated response with health authorities. 7. Severe hail storms in Armenia In June 2023, severe hailstorms struck various regions of Armenia, causing extensive damage and disruption. In the southern region, rural communities near the border experienced heavy precipitation that overwhelmed sewage systems, flooded streets and houses, and rendered roads and bridges impassable. The hail and subsequent flooding resulted in significant damage to houses, livestock, gardens, and food stocks. IFRC-DREF quickly allocated CHF 386,194to support Armenian Red Cross's efforts to help 2,390 people who lost crops, livelihoods or who suffered extreme damage to their homes. 8. Population Movement in Benin Around the world, there are hundreds of places where people are fleeing violence that rarely gets reported in international media. Here’s one case in point: over the past three years, non-state armed groups in the Sahel region has increased in the border area of Burkina Faso with Benin and Togo, forcing thousands to leave their homes. The IFRC-DREF allocated CHF 259,928 to support Benin Red Cross in assisting displaced people and host communities in Benin. The funds were used to provide immediate food and material aid to the most vulnerable households, covering immediate needs (shelter, access to drinking water, basic household supplies) for at least 3,000 people. 9. Cold spells and snowstorms in Mongolia A devastating snowstorm swept across eastern parts of Mongolia and certain provinces in Gobi areas, starting on 19 May 2023. The storm brought high winds and 124 people (mostly from herder community) were reported missing after following their livestock, which wandered off because of the storm. A total of 122 people were found, but tragically 2 people died. There were also severe damage to infrastructure, including the collapse of 22 electricity sub-stations, which caused power outage in several counties. Nearly 150 households suffered loss or severe damage to their “gers” or yurts (traditional circular, domed structures), as well as widespread death of livestock. IFRC-DREF allocated CHF 337,609 to support the Mongolian Red Cross's efforts to provide shelter, cash assistance and psychosocial support to 3,400 people. 10. Drought in Uruguay Uruguay is currently experiencing widespread drought due to a lack of rainfall since September 2022 and increasingly high temperatures in the summer seasons—prompting the Uruguayan government to declare a state of emergency. The government officially requested the support of the Uruguayan Red Cross to conduct a needs assessment of the drought, so it could understand how it was impacting people and agricultural industries. With funding IFRC-DREF, Uruguayan Red Cross teams headed out into the most-affected areas to speak to more than 1,300 familiesabout the drought’s impact on their health, livelihoods and access to water. Their findings are helping the government make more informed decisions on how to address the drought, taking into account the real needs of those affected.More information.

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Article

Nigeria: A community response that is saving lives

By Ene Abba/IFRC When Red Cross volunteers came to her neighborhood, distributing flyers and sensitizing residents about diphtheria Aisha Adam Ibrahim did not take them seriously at first. "I was dismissive at first when the Red Cross volunteers brought the information on diphtheria to our doorstep,” she says. “But that knowledge saved my life." When Aisha fell ill, those information sharing sessions played a crucial role, says Ibrahim, who lives with her extended family in Ungogo community in Kano state. Recognizing the symptoms early, she sought medical help promptly, potentially saving her life. Since December 2022, diphtheria has been spreading across Nigeria, posing a community-wide challenge. Communal living, close-knit neighbourhoods, and shared spaces play a big role both in how this outbreak is spreading and its mitigation. Kano state, with its large diverse population and unique architectural landscape, faces distinctive challenges in combating the spread of this epidemic. As the epicentre of this crisis, Kano is where 80 per cent of all reported cases in Nigeria originate. With a large population compounded by the close-knit nature of the houses, diphtheria finds an easy transmission from person to person. Aisha lives in such a close-knit neighbourhood, and as a primary school teacher interacts constantly with children in her community. Aisha encountered heartbreaking stories at the hospital where she was admitted for treatment. One such grieving parent is Surraya Musa, who lost her only two children to diphtheria within a week. Surraya now dedicates herself to educating neighbours and communities about the severity of the outbreak, imploring parents to heed the advice of Red Cross Volunteers regarding vaccination and hygiene practices. "I tell my neighbours to listen to what the Red Cross volunteers say,” she says. “I lost all my children, I don't want any parent to experience what I did." New Red Cross volunteers Amina Abdullahi and Maryam Ibrahim are also advocates in their communities. Having gone through training, they actively participate in Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), active case searches, and contact tracing. Amina and Maryam express their fulfilment in supporting their community during this challenging time. "Being part of the Red Cross allows me to make a difference. I feel responsible for protecting my community," says Amina. Maryam adds: "It's a tough time for everyone, but seeing the impact we can make on people's lives makes it all worthwhile." Red Cross Intervention The severity of the outbreak prompted the Nigeria Red Cross Society (NRCS) to step in and collaborate with the government in March 2023. With a DREF allocation of CHF 430,654 from the IFRC, NRCS launched a multifaceted response. Over 4.9 million people have been reached through public health prevention, RCCE activities, and 760 volunteers trained in diphtheria prevention. Meanwhile, more than 920,000 people have been mobilized for vaccination through 120 trained teams, and 1,915 suspected cases have been referred to health facilities through NRCS volunteers, as of early December 2023. As the outbreak gained momentum, IFRC has scaled up its diphtheria emergency appeal to 5.4 million CHF. This support is what allows people such as Salisu Garba to continue the life-saving work. As health coordinator for NRCS in Kano, he walks through the communities and interacts with the locals in a manner that exudes familiarity with the street corners and the names of neighbourhood vendors. He highlights the critical role of close relationships with community leaders. This trust and access enable the Red Cross to take effective actions, ensuring that diphtheria will be stopped as quickly as possible. "Our connection with communities allows us to reach more people effectively,” he says. “Together, we are working tirelessly to ensure that every person in Kano is informed, vaccinated, and protected from diphtheria."

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Podcast

Nena Stoiljkovic: breaking the mold on how to finance recovery after crisis

In this episode: breaking the mold on the way humanitarian organizations pay for recovery and rebuilding after crisis. We talk with Nena Stoiljkovic, IFRC’s Undersecretary General for Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization about new, innovative finance tools that help people and communities get back on their feet quickly after crisis.

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Article

Measles crisis in Kyrgyzstan: Red Crescent volunteers take the lead

Amidst a concerning surge in measles cases, the Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan (RCSK), in collaboration with the IFRC, has launched an immunization campaign to combat what has become a significant threat to many communities in Kyrgyzstan. As of early September, Kyrgyzstan has reported a staggering 1,982 confirmed cases, making measles a major threat to communities in the Kyrgyz Republic and one of the highest measles incidences globally. A highly contagious disease, and a leading cause of child mortality worldwide, measles is almost completely preventable with vaccination. The first major challenge in tackling the outbreak lies in dispelling misinformation about the disease and vaccinations. “Tackling measles and other communicable diseases begins and ends in communities,” says Chingiz Djakipov, president of the RCSK, adding that communities play a pivotal role in addressing diseases like measles. ”Something as simple as a vaccine can help prevent many unavoidable deaths and illnesses. But we have a far way to go to tackle vaccine hesitancy in the country,”. Additionally, the National Society and the IFRC have deployed trained volunteers and staff country-wide to support the government’s national immunization campaign. Their mission includes raising awareness about measles and rubella prevention, dispelling misinformation, alleviating fears, addressing questions, and facilitating access to vaccination points and health services. As an additional help, IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) allocated 139,000 Swiss francs to bolster the RCSK’s efforts in curbing the outbreak. Over the coming months, the Red Crescent Society aims to reach 70,000 individuals across the most affected regions and cities, including the cities of Osh and Bishkek cities, and the Osh and Chui regions. “Debunking misinformation about the disease and vaccinations is the first major hurdle to tackling this next outbreak,” says Seval Guzelkilinc, head of IFRC’s Central Asia Country Cluster Delegation. “For many years, the Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan has played a fundamental role in responding to health-related emergencies across the country and it is seen as a reliable and trusted source of information for communities.”

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Press release

Humanitarian needs in Sudan grow as funding gap widens, IFRC warns

Geneva/Nairobi/Port Sudan, 16 October 2023: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) issues an urgent call for international support as Sudan's humanitarian crisis intensifies, and the funding gap widens. Since the conflict started in Sudan six months ago, it has resulted in the displacement of over 5.8 million people within Sudan and neighboring countries. The ongoing conflict has resulted in many families dealing with the loss of loved ones, and others facing the challenges of separation. The fighting has also put immense strain on services, where people are grappling not only with severe food shortages but also limited access to clean water, inadequate healthcare and shelter. Despite logistical challenges, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society operates in all Sudanese states, of which over 2,000 are actively responding to the crisis. Additionally, outside Sudan, Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies are operating service centers at key border points, providing vital services such as psychosocial support, medication, first aid, food and family reunification assistance to those fleeing the conflict. Aida Elsayed, Secretary General of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society said: “Many partners have come in to give technical and financial support, but the needs now outweigh the support, and we humbly request more assistance. Many Sudanese residents have crossed into neighboring countries to start life afresh. Those that have remained continue to experience the pain of separation, sickness, lack of food and water, and much more. We must act urgently and get support to meet humanitarian needs and save as many lives as possible.” However, today, the humanitarian situation in Sudan is exacerbated by climate disasters, including floods and drought, as well as worsening economic conditions. In addition, there are health-related issues such as dengue and measles outbreaks, which are adding pressure to an already fragile healthcare sector. This further emphasizes the need for continued support. Farid Aiywar, IFRC Head of Delegation in Sudan, said: “Despite the logistical challenges that the Sudanese Red Crescent Society has experienced while implementing lifesaving activities in Sudan, the staff and volunteers are continuing to offer hope and support. They have been active within communities since the first day of the fighting.” "While we deeply appreciate the support we've garnered, both technical and financial, from our partners, the magnitude of the current needs far outstrips the assistance at hand. A significant number of Sudanese are relocating to neighboring countries in search of a fresh start. However, for those remaining, the challenges - from family separation to health concerns and shortage of basic necessities - are overwhelming. Our collective imperative is clear: to address these surging humanitarian needs and to ensure the dignity of those affected." IFRC launched two appeals to provide support for this crisis. A 60 million Swiss Francs appeal for Sudan to support the Sudanese Red Crescent Society in scaling up their life-saving activities within the country. Meanwhile, a regional appeal of 42 million Swiss Francs to support the humanitarian response in neighboring countries, including Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, and Libya. Currently, these appeals are largely underfunded with only 9 percent of the Sudan appeal and 8 percent of the population movement appeal raised. For more information For more information, visit the IFRC website to support the Sudan Emergency appeal and the Population Movement appeal. For interview requests, please contact: [email protected] In Geneva: Tommaso Della Longa: +41 79 708 4367 Mrinalini Santhanam: +41 76 381 5006 In Nairobi: Rita Nyaga: +254 110 837154

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Press release

Red Cross responding to major humanitarian needs as tens of thousands cross into Armenia 

Geneva/Budapest/Yerevan, 28 September 2023: Tens of thousands of people have crossed into Armenia via the Lachin corridor leaving everything behind, since the deadly escalation of hostilities. Food, essential services, and medicines are scarce and telecommunications services have been disrupted, making it hard for families to contact one another. Armenian Red Cross teams have mobilized to meet them at humanitarian service points. People are receiving food, water, first aid, and much-needed psychosocial support there. “The majority of people that are coming across are women, children and elderly who have been stranded on the streets of the corridor, coming into Armenia with barely any food or sufficient clothes on them with this kind of weather that is getting colder and colder,” said Hicham Diab, IFRC operations manager in Armenia. “It is an incredible job what the Armenian Red Cross staff and volunteers are doing for an operation that will very likely not take weeks but a much longer-term effort.” The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is supporting the Armenian Red Cross to respond. In Armenia, the humanitarian needs are growing rapidly, and with tens of thousands arriving from the conflict affected area, the IFRC and Armenian Red Cross are scaling up human and financial resources. This includes ensuring an initial 3,000 people with essential items, first aid, and psychosocial support. “Armenian Red Cross teams are supporting in registration, information provision, first aid, and psychosocial support. Assistance to people in transit, including energy bars, water, dry ration packs are also provided,” said Dr. Anna Yeghiazaryan, Armenian Red Cross Society Secretary General. “We will continue to mobilize in the medium and long-term to alleviate suffering of displaced people and meet their humanitarian needs.” The IFRC is coordinating closely with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has been responding to the conflict for years. This week, the ICRC delivered nearly 70 metric tons of humanitarian supplies via the Lachin corridor. Its teams have also evacuated over 100 patients in need of critical medical care in recent days to Armenia via ambulance. More information: To request an interview, please contact:[email protected] In Budapest: Edgar Zuniga: +36 20 337 7221 InGeneva: Andrew Thomas: +41763676587 Mrinalini Santhanam: +41 76 381 50 06 Tommaso Della Longa: +41 79 708 43 67

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Press release

IFRC launches 20 million Swiss Francs appeal to support people on the move in Armenia

Geneva/Budapest/Yerevan, 29 September 2023: In the wake of escalating hostilities affecting vulnerable communities, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) announces an emergency appeal for 20 million Swiss Francs. This initiative aims to provide immediate relief and long-term support to tens of thousands of people who have recently crossed into Armenia via the Lachin corridor. The IFRC, working in collaboration with the Armenian Red Cross Society, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and other Red Cross Red Crescent movement partners, has activated contingency plans and mobilized hundreds of staff and volunteers. They are providing urgent support in the form of food, water, first aid, non-food items, mental health services, safe spaces for children and support with restoring contact with missing family members (RFL). “The situation on the ground is dire. We are witnessing families with children so weak they have fainted in their parents' arms. These are circumstances that require immediate and significant emotional support,” said Hicham Diab, Operations Manager of IFRC in Armenia. “As we confront the growing humanitarian needs, we must also look ahead,” said Birgitte Bischoff Ebbesen, Regional Director of IFRC Europe. “For many people who are now displaced, the next steps are daunting. They will need further support as they navigate the many questions of settling somewhere new. At IFRC, we're already planning for the future, aligning our resources for an extended response to offer more sustained support for communities. Therefore, we urge governments, international organizations, and media outlets to help us put a spotlight on this situation and mobilize the resources required.” Local communities have shown immense solidarity by assembling tents, offering food, and even relocating grocery stock for free distribution next to registration points. However, despite these efforts, humanitarian needs continue to grow. Critical services like hospitals are stretched thin, and with the onset of colder weather, shelter has become an increasingly pressing need. Funds raised from this appeal will facilitate the Armenian Red Cross Society and IFRC in offering sustained support for communities, including essential household items, mental health and psychosocial support, and more permanent shelter solutions. More information Your contribution can make an immediate difference. To fund the emergency appeal and support people in their time of dire need, visit the donation pagefor more information. To request an interview, please contact: [email protected] IFRC - Europe Anastasia Sharkova: +7 916 040 19 72 IFRC - Global Tommaso Della Longa: +41 79 708 43 67 Mrinalini Santhanam: +41 76 381 50 06

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Press release

IFRC launches groundbreaking financial mechanism to transform disaster response

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.

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Article

Sudan conflict: Sudanese Red Crescent Society and IFRC teams responding

Latest information Sudan: Complex emergency- our Emergency Appeal to support people inside Sudan Sudan crisis: Regional population movement- our Emergency Appeal to support people fleeing the conflict to neighbouring countries -- Fighting broke out in Marawei military base, Sudan on 15 April and then escalated rapidly in Khartoum and across the country. Reports indicate that hundreds of peoplehave lost their lives, with thousands more wounded and in need of urgent medical attention. Civilians are unable to access food or water because shops remain closed and their safety is not assured. Basic services like electricity and internet services have been disrupted. So far, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced internally or fled across borders to seek safety in neighbouring countries. Medical personnel are struggling to access health facilities due to the fighting. Hospitals that are usually re-stocked every 2-3 days are now going weeks withoutsupplies. Some of the most urgent needs in hospitals are first aid kits, diesel for power generators, stretchers, and beds, as well as transportation for medical staff and volunteers. This latest flare-up of violence threatens to worsen a humanitarian crisis in a region that has suffered from years of violence, instability, economic hardship andfood insecurity. Our response so far More than 200 Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) volunteers have been deployed in Khartoum to offer first aid services and psychosocial support to those affected. Hundreds of volunteers have also been deployed in other states; North Darfur, South Darfur and Northern State (Merawi) to offer first aid services in hospitals. Volunteers are running a family reunification service for people who have been separated from their loved ones, offering psychosocial support to those who have lost contact. On 2 May we launched an Emergency Appeal for Sudanfor 30 million Swiss francsto scale-up the Sudanese Red Crescent Society's local, life-saving action in the country, in collaboration and coordination with members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The IFRC has also made the following funding allocations to National Societies through ourDisaster Response Emergency Fund(DREF): 475,320 Swiss francs to the Sudanese Red Crescent Societyto enable them to provide health services, psychosocial support, and search and rescue efforts across multiple states. Find out more. 137,369 Swiss francs to the Chad Red Cross to help them support the growing number of people fleeing the conflict and crossing the border into Chad. Find out more. 305,832Swiss francs to the Egyptian Red Crescent to help them support the growing number of people fleeing the conflict and crossing the border into Egypt.Find out more. 485,297 Swiss francs to the Ethiopian Red Crossto help them support the growing number of people fleeing the conflict and crossing the border into Ethiopia. Find out more. 355,567 Swiss francs to the South Sudan Red Crossto help them support the growing number of people fleeing the conflict and crossing the border into South Sudan. Find out more. 223,438 Swiss francs to the Central African Republic Red Cross to help themsupport the growing number of people fleeing the conflict and crossing the border into Central African Republic. Find out more. We continue to call on parties involved in the conflict to provide vital humanitarian space. With every single hour that the wounded and the sick cannot receive urgent assistance, the human toll continues to grow. Health-care facilities must be protected, and their personnel and transport must be given safe passage. It is an urgent priority for us to be able to reach these facilities and for maintenance teams to reach power and water stations. For more information English: Reuters article 'Red Cross warns of possible humanitarian disaster on Sudan-Chad border'(23 May) Audio report from IFRC Deputy Regional Director for Africa (17 May) Press release about an IFRC shipment of aid arriving in Port Sudan (16 May) Audio update from IFRC Africa Migration and Displacement Coordinator (5 May) SciDev.net article 'Sudan conflict leaves health system in 'total collapse'quotingIFRC Head of Country office for Sudan (27 April) Audio report from IFRC Operations Manager in Sudan, Mohamed El Amin Ibrahim (26 April) ABC interview with Farid Abdulkadir, IFRC Head of Country office for Sudan (25 April) Al Jazeera English interview with Farid Abdulkadir, IFRC Head of Country office for Sudan (20 April) Reuters article 'Almost impossible to provide aid in Sudanese capital', quotingIFRC Head of Country office for Sudan (April 18) Other languages: (Arabic) AlQAhera interview with IFRC MENA Regional Head of Disasters (28 April) (Arabic) AlQAhera interview with IFRC Head of Country office for Sudan (25 April) (Spanish) El Pais article quotingOsama Osman, Director of Communications at the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (19 April) Media enquiries If you are a journalist and would like more information or to request an interview about this emergency, please contact [email protected] Follow these Twitter accounts for the latest updates: IFRC Africa Regional Team: @IFRCAfrica Sudanese Red Crescent Society: @SRCS_SD Farid Abdulkadir, IFRC Head of Country office for Sudan: @FARID1969 @IFRC Donations If you would like to donate to help us support people affected by the conflict in Sudan, please click here. We are grateful for your valuable support. You can learn more about donating to the IFRC here.

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Article

Flooding around the world: Red Cross and Red Crescent teams responding

In recent weeks, floods have been hitting communities and making headlines around the world. Let’s take a look at some of the countries dealing with flooding and see how Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are helping people who have been affected. Slovenia Torrential rains over the past couple of weeks have affected two-thirds of Slovenia, prompting the country’s Prime Minister to declare it the ‘biggest natural disaster’ in the country’s history. The floods have killed three people and destroyed bridges, roads and houses - causing an estimated 500 million euros of damage. Volunteers from the Slovenian Red Cross have been delivering food, water and medicine to people affected by the floods – often on foot, since it’s the only way to reach many isolated communities. They’re also accompanying people staying in temporary shelters. The Czech Red Cross, Croatian Red Cross, Hungarian Red Cross and Polish Red Cross have all shown solidarity by sending additional food, water and hygiene items into the country to help with the response. Norway In Norway, Norwegian Red Cross volunteers are helping people affected Storm Hans, which is causing havoc across the south of the country – bringing extreme rain, landslides and floods. Volunteers are assisting with evacuations, running emergency ambulances, delivering food to isolated people and building sandbag flood defences. Many local branches remain on high alert, with more volunteers standing by to support as the situation develops. Sudan With millions reeling from the ongoing conflict in Sudan, communities across White Nile state have also now been impacted by heavy rains and flash floods. Torrents of water swept away and destroyed everything in their path. Families have lost homes and belongings, and many are resorting to sleeping outside in the open air. Shelter and clean water are needed urgently. Sudanese Red Crescent Society volunteers, who have already been responding to people’s needs during the conflict, are assessing the situation closely to provide additional support. China Torrential rains and floods have hit East Asia severely this summer, including areas of north, northeast and southern China. Beijing has seen the largest rainfall experienced in the city in the past 140 years. Disaster relief teams from the Red Cross Society of China are helping people in flood-stricken areas – supporting with clean-up and recovery, as well as distributing household items, quilts, waterproof jackets and more. Philippines In the Philippines, Typhoons Doksuri and Khanun (known locally as Egay and Falcon) have brought devastating floods. An estimated 313,000 people have been displaced by Doksuri alone, and more than 25 people have sadly lost their lives. Philippine Red Cross volunteers have been bringing relief supplies, meals, medical assistance and psychosocial support to affected communities. Afghanistan Flash floods and heavy rainfall have caused loss of life, injuries and severe damage to hundreds of households in Afghanistan – a country already experiencing complex humanitarian crises. Afghan Red Crescent and IFRC emergency teams are providing urgent relief – including blankets, jerry cans, tarpaulins and shelter kits. And mobile health teams are bringing medical services to remote communities. Iran In Iran, Iranian Red Crescent Society teams have been responding to flooding in Sistan Balochistan, North Khorasan and West Azerbaijan provinces – deploying 35 response teams and providing support to hundreds of people. Volunteer teams have been rescuing people stranded in the flood waters, setting up temporary shelters, and providing essential items. Honduras In western Honduras, localized flooding caused by rainstorms hit the town of Copan Ruinas – damaging homes and local businesses. The local Honduran Red Cross branch responded quickly to distribute relief items to local people and help clear up debris and fallen trees. -- Thank you to all our National Societies for supporting communities affected by floods in recent weeks. If you'd like to learn more about floods and how you can prepare, click here.

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Press release

Climate situation wreaks havoc in Asia Pacific; causing relentless floods, diseases, and life-threatening heat

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

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Article

The IFRC wants to leverage financial markets to keep up with the world’s unprecedented humanitarian needs. Here’s how.

This opinion editorial was originally published on Fortune.comhere. -- 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.

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Article

The untapped potential of innovative financing and humanitarian organizations

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.

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Article

7 disasters in the Americas in 2023 that you may not have heard about

Disasters and crises happen all the time around the world. Some make international headlines – like the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria or the international armed conflict in Ukraine – but others go unheard of to people outside the countries where they strike. These smaller, lesser-known disasters still claim lives, destroy livelihoods, and set entire communities back. The Americas region alone has faced many small and medium-sized disasters so far this year. But while these disasters may have gone unnoticed to the wider world, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies across the region have been there – right by the side of communities. The IFRC has supported – getting money to our National Societies quickly through our Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) so they can prepare and respond effectively. Let’s take a look at seven disasters in the Americas you may not have heard about from the first half of 2023, and how the IFRC network has supported the people affected. 1. Chile - forest fires: In Febuary 2023, strong winds and high temperatures caused dozens of forest fires across central and southern Chile, leading to casualties and widespread damage. They followed earlier, destructive forest fires in December 2022 that spread rapidly around the city of Viña del Mar. With DREF funding, the Chilean Red Cross provided support to more than 5,000 people affected by the fires over the following months. Staff and volunteer teams provided medical support to communities and distributed cash so that people could buy the things they needed to recover. More information. 2. Uruguay - drought: Uruguay is currently experiencing widespread drought due to a lack of rainfall since September 2022 and increasingly high temperatures in the summer seasons—prompting the Uruguayan government to declare a state of emergency. The government officially requested the support of the Uruguayan Red Cross to conduct a needs assessment of the drought, so it could understand how it was impacting people and agricultural industries. With funding from the DREF, Uruguayan Red Cross teams headed out into the most-affected areas to speak to more than 1,300 familiesabout the drought’s impact on their health, livelihoods and access to water. Their findings are helping the government to make better-informed decisions on how to address the drought, taking into account the real needs of those affected. This is the first time DREF funding has been used to support a damage assessment in this way. More information. 3. Paraguay - floods: In February and March 2023, heavy rains in northern Paraguay caused severe flooding—forcing many families to abandon their homes and paralyzing key infrastructure and industries. The Paraguayan Red Cross responded, providing first aid and psychosocial support to people in temporary shelters. Volunteers also shared information with communities on how to protect themselves from water-borne diseases and from the increase in mosquitoes. More information. 4. Ecuador - floods, earthquake, and landslides: In the first quarter of 2023, Ecuador was struck by several, simultaneous disasters—floods, landslides, building collapses, hailstorms and an earthquake—that put the Ecuadorian Red Cross to the test. Their volunteers deployed quickly provided wide-ranging support to people affected--including shelter, health care, water, sanitation and cash assistance. They also conducted surveys to understand exactly how people had been affected, and what they most needed to recover. More information. 5. Argentina - floods: In June, heavy rains caused flash flooding in the municipality of Quilmes, Buenos Aires, affecting an estimated 4,000 families. The flooding caused power outages, road closures and a contamination of water supplies—prompting the local authorities to request the support of the Argentine Red Cross. Volunteer teams quickly mobilized to provide first aid and psychosocial support to people who had moved to evacuation centres in the area. In the coming weeks and months, the Argentine Red Cross – with DREF funding – will provide shelter, health, water, sanitation and hygiene support to 500 of the most vulnerable families affected by the floods. More information. 6. Haiti floods: Flash floods also struck Haiti in early June following an exceptionally heavy rainstorm that swept the entire country. Though not classified as a cyclone or tropical downpour, the rainstorm nonetheless affected thousands of families, claimed more than 50 lives and submerged entire houses. The Haitian Red Cross quicklydeployed rescue workers to provide first aid and assist with evacuations. Working alongside Movement partners, and with DREF support, they’ve also been distributing mattresses, shovels, rakes, hygiene kits, water treatment kits and plastic sheeting. In a country already experiencing a cholera epidemic, Haitian Red Cross volunteers continue to share important information with communities about how to stay healthy and adopt good hygiene practices—especially important due to the increased risk from flood waters. More information. 7. Dominican Republic - floods: This same rainstorm in Haiti also affected communities across the border in the Dominican Republic, causing flash flooding in the country’s west. The Dominican Red Cross has been providing humanitarian assistance in the form of search and rescue, evacuation, health and hygiene services, psychological first aid and restoring family links (RFL) services. More information. -- These are just a few examples of the many disasters that have hit the Americas so far this year. With DREF support, Red Cross Societies across the region have been able to respond quickly to these disasters—providing effective and local humanitarian assistance directly to those who need it. If you would like to help our network to continue responding to smaller disasters like these, please consider donating to our Disaster Response Emergency Fund today.

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Speech

Secretary General speech at the Inter American Conference 2023

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, It’s so good to be here in the beautiful Bahamas. Bahamas —thank you for hosting this conference. I take this occasion to congratulate the Bahamas on 50 years of your Independence. President Terez Curry, IFRC Vice President Miguel Villarroel, Dr Judith Carvajal, Vice Chair of CORI, GB members and Commission and Committee chairs of the IFRC, George Weber Vice Chair of Standing Commission, Giles Carbonier VP of ICRC, National Society leaders, staff and volunteers and my amazing IFRC secretariat team led by Martha Keys —I pay tribute to all of you who have shown incredible leadership these past few years--through the COVID-19 pandemic and so many other compounding crises. I thank you all for your focus on doing what is right for the people we serve, and for your unwavering commitment to your communities. The Americas region is vibrant, teeming with diverse communities and extraordinary resilience. It is also one of the most unequal regions in the world, hit by a complex web of crises that is driving up humanitarian needs and negatively impacting communities’ lives, livelihoods, and dignity. The climate crisis with rising temperatures, extreme weather events and environmental degradation are wreaking havoc on communities and their livelihoods, across the region. Endemic violence has shattered communities leaving scars that last for generations. It has widened inequality and worsened socio-economic conditions. It is pushing people to flee their homes and has directly contributed to the most severe migration crisis the Americas region faces in recent history. Today, 3 out of every 10 migrants or asylum seekers leave their country of origin because of threats of violence. Sadly, women and children bear the brutal brunt of this terrible crisis. The tragic and horrifying stories of the people I met who were making the perilous journey across the Darien Gap last August will stay with me forever. Every day, around 1000 people take this dangerous path in Darien Gap, in search of safety, hope, and new opportunities. With no political solutions in sight and less resources available, the global humanitarian system is buckling under pressure to meet assistance, and protection needs of people in these circumstances. But, 35 National Societies in this region, sadly only 34 now, have shown that we can confront these challenges by providing a wide range of services that address the core needs of communities. From managing blood banks, clinics, hospitals, and ambulances to leading search and rescue operations, supporting people on the move, running nursing institutions, and developing solutions to tackle the climate crisis and violence, National Societies play crucial role. IFRC is proud to support these efforts through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund, Capacity Building Fund, Emergency Appeals and our annual unified plans. To address increasing migration needs, we are expanding our Humanitarian Service Points (HSPs) to provide life-saving and inclusive services across migratory routes. Collectively, we have reached millions: Over a million people through programmes for migrants and host communities A further one million people through disaster response, More than 3.5 million people through health and well-being programmes. And the millions reached during the COVID-19 response and related immunization efforts. But we cannot rest on our laurels. Today we face serious challenges, both in our ability to meet growing humanitarian needs but also in our ability to safeguard our fundamental principles. In this context, today we gather at this 22nd Inter-American Conference recognizing the responsibility we bear, the solidarity we must foster, and the impact we can create together. Firstly--The responsibility we bear is our opportunity to contribute to something greater than ourselves. Our IFRC network is like no other. We are part of the communities we serve. And we are the largest, most connected, global humanitarian network. This sum of local action and global reach makes National Societies effective auxiliaries to their public authorities in humanitarian field. Our responsibility is to deliver quality humanitarian action that makes a positive difference in people’s lives, that reduces their risks and vulnerabilities, and that enhances their capacities and potential. We can only succeed if we remain true to our Fundamental Principles. They are the foundations of just and inclusive humanitarian action. They are the building blocks of unity, trust, and cooperation in our Movement. They are our moral compass. Without them, our credibility is called into question and our ability to deliver neutral, independent and impartial humanitarian action is threatened. We must reassert our Fundamental Principles. Let’s practise them in our work, speak to them in our discussions, live by them, teach them, help communities, partners and donors understand them. Secondly, solidarity is at the heart of everything we do across the IFRC network. Solidarity and commitment to our Strategy 2030 and Agenda for Renewal has enabled us to respond to the multiple crises and disasters in this region, to provide relief to those in need, and to support communities as they recover and rebuild. Solidarity also means that we stand together as one. It means that we put the needs of those we serve before our own, and that we work to alleviate their suffering. Solidarity enables us to leverage our collective resources, expertise, and influence, to reach more people in need, to advocate for their needs and aspirations, and to amplify their voices. Solidarity is not an option. It is a moral duty. We need this now, more than ever. Thirdly—Our impact. Our success is measured by the outcomes we achieve for the people we serve. In this era of fast paced change and shifting political divides, our focus must be on accountability, agility, engagement, and innovation—which are important elements of our Agenda for Renewal. For this, the IFRC is working for and with National Societies. We have invested in scaling up digitalization, risk management, new funding models for greater agility, accountability, and impact to reach to the communities we serve. We use these resources to foster learning and strengthen National Society capacities, so they are leaders in the humanitarian field, not just in response but in resilience building, data, influence, collaboration, and innovation. This brings me to our volunteers—the lifeline and heartbeat of our network. More than 50 percent of our volunteers today are people under 30. Young people bring with them energy, technological know-how, and innovative solutions. Let’s harness their skills today, give them opportunities to lead us to a more just and equitable future. Colleagues, our impact must be about scaling up our delivery, while ensuring the quality, relevance, and sustainability of our actions. None of the obstacles we face today are insurmountable. We have the knowledge, the resources, the expertise and the skills to bring about the change. As Mother Teresa once said – “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples”. Colleagues- just like Mother Teresa, let us all dare to cast a stone across the water that will collectively create millions of ripples to make this world a better place for everyone. Not just for the few but for everyone. Thank you.

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Article

Nevado del Ruiz volcano: Preparing for an eruption

On 30 March, the Colombian Geological Service increased the alert level of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in central Colombia from yellow to orange, signifying a probable eruption in a matter of days or weeks. While it is not possible to know exactly when or how a volcano will erupt, it is possible to monitor a volcano’s activity and take early action to minimize its potential impact on communities living nearby—which is exactly what IFRC network teams are doing right now. Nevado del Ruiz is an explosive volcano. Its eruptions involve the fracturing of rock and rapid expulsion of gases and fluids—called ‘pyroclastic flows’—at high speeds and temperatures. But there’s also one quite unique additional risk: as one of the highest volcanoes in the region, standing at 5000+ metres tall, it is covered snow and has a thick ice cap. The concern is that this ice cap melts, as it did during the 1985 eruption when avalanches of water, ice, rocks, and clay ran down the volcano's sides, erasing the nearby town of Armero and killing more than 25,000 people. To prepare for this risk, the Colombian Red Cross has activated its general plan of action. This plan defines the preparedness actions they need to take in response to different levels of volcanic activity, including if the alert level changes from orange to red—indicating that the volcano is in the process of erupting or is going to erupt any time. With anticipatory funding from the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF), Colombian Red Cross teams have been working hard to get their volunteers and communities ready for the worst-case scenario. They’ve been re-training volunteers in first aid, evacuation, and emergency coordination, and restocking essential emergency response items such as first aid kits, identification items for first responders, and emergency signal equipment. They’ve also been sharing as much information as possible within local communities around Nevado del Ruiz: warning at-risk families to evacuate; talking to them about how and where to evacuate safely; and handing out radios and batteries to people in hard-to-reach areas so they can stay informed. But some families are reluctant to leave and are dismissing evacuation advice from local authorities and the Colombian Red Cross. On the surface, this can be difficult to understand—why wouldn’t you want to move away from a volcano that’s potentially about to erupt? There’s no simple answer. For the many farmers who rely on the rich volcanic soils surrounding Nevado del Ruiz, they may not want to leave their properties or animals and abandon the livelihood upon which they rely. Other people simply cannot, or choose not to, believe something as horrific as the 1985 eruption could ever happen again. Right now, Colombian Red Cross, IFRC and partners are gathering in the region to step up preparedness efforts. This includes an increased focus on community engagement to understand people’s thoughts and fears and convince them to evacuate. They are also preparing for, and trying to reduce the risk of, mass displacement should the volcano erupt. Through the DREF operation, they are taking early actions such reinforcing critical infrastructure, providing people with cash assistance, and pre-positioning food and safe drinking water. We will share more about these vital efforts in the coming weeks. In the meantime, click here to read more about the anticipatory action funding we have provided through the DREF. Further information: What are volcanic eruptions? How the Anticipatory Pillar of the DREF works Disaster preparedness Follow IFRC Americas @IFRC_es and the Colombian Red Cross @cruzrojacol on Twitter

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Speech

Climate adaptation: IFRC Secretary General statement at the UN Early Warning Initiative to Implement Climate Adaptation

Your Excellencies and Colleagues, On behalf of the IFRC, thank you for inviting me to speak here today. Due to time, I kindly acknowledge all protocols to be observed. I welcome the UN Secretary-General’s pledge on Early Warning Systems for All (EW4A). This pledge, rightly put in the hands of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), is a very timely and achievable initiative that contributes to keeping people safe across the globe, but especially in the furthest to reach places, where the most at-risk and vulnerable to climate change live. Since the establishment of IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) over 35 years ago, IFRC and our member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have supported governments prepare for, manage, and respond to disasters. Every year, DREF is used ahead of and in response to over 100 small and medium sized disasters and has supported over 200 million people. We know from our long experience that early warnings that lead to early actionssave lives. Excellencies, Over the last decade, some of the most recent - and often predicted -extreme weather events were the most deadly, costly, devastating. Early warnings can only work if they are turned into early actions and response. Here is how: First, improve the decision-making process, data and information to identify triggers and decide when and where to act before a disaster. What and who is likely to be impacted must underpin all our actions. Second, improve early action planning, systems, and local capacities to reduce risks and prepare for an effective early action. Third, and most importantly, create and adapt financing mechanisms, like DREF, that can disburse funds for pre-agreed plans ahead of the disaster to reduce the humanitarian impact. Additional funding is especially needed for early warning communications and dissemination and the ability to translate these warnings into action. In the last decade, humanitarian organizations have invested in enhancing and transforming early warning systems into anticipatory action approaches. Adequate, sustained and coordinated resources are needed to bring these approaches to scale. This requires a systematic shift in funding flows for us to move to scalable action. At the same time, early warning and early action systems need to be seen as development and climate issues, rather than exclusive humanitarian tools. In closing, the IFRC network, along with the Risk-Informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) and Anticipation Hub, look to collaborate with WMO and other actors in investing in early warnings that lead to early actions and response. Together, let us ensure that early warnings are clear, tailored, and people-centered, and that they support people in the furthest to reach places. Thank you.

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Article

DREF Pledging Conference 2022: Donors united to pledge increased support to local humanitarian action

Climate-related disasters are occurring with increasing frequency and intensity. But the vast majority do not make international headlines—devastating lives, infrastructure and economies without attention, resources or help for those affected. At the IFRC, we know that the global-to-local funding model is the most effective and cost-efficient way to get aid to where it’s needed the most, both in anticipation of disasters and immediately after they strike. This is exactly why we set up our Disaster Response Emergency Fund in 1985: to get funding quickly to local Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies who can support communities in crisis around the world like no other. Since its launch, the DREF has funded thousands of emergency responses worldwide and supported more than 210 million people. And this year, the DREF has evolved to provide even more agility, flexibility and resources to National Societies. Watch the following video to learn about some of the lesser-known crises the DREF has supported in 2022. But donations to this vital fund are not keeping pace with the growing number of climate-induced disasters and increasing humanitarian needs. "Given the need to respond to compounded and frequent humanitarian crises, our collective ambition should be to grow DREF to be able to address these increasing needs" Jagan Chapagain IFRC Secretary General The DREF Pledging Conference 2022 therefore sought to grow the DREF to 100 million Swiss francs per year to address this funding gap—making sure that silent disasters are met with loud responses. To support this aim, we were delighted to receive pledges at the conference from the following governments: Australia Canada Czech Republic France Germany Ireland Netherlands Norway Luxembourg People's Republic of China Sweden Switzerland Thailand United Kingdom United States of America In addition, we also received valuable pledges from the European Union (EU) and, from the private sector, the companies Splunk and White & Case. This year’s conference also showcased an innovative insurance-based finance mechanism we’ve developed for the DREF in partnership with Aon and the Centre for Disaster Protection (CDP). The insurance mechanism aims to leverage donor contributions to attract private capital and ultimately increase the fund’s capacity in times of increased need. Watch the below video and read this recent opinion piece in Fortune magazine to find out more. Now more than ever, communities on the frontlines of climate change—and in many other emergency settings—need fast and effective local assistance to prepare for, and respond to, crises. It is urgent that the DREF can keep pace and help Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies be there for communities when they are needed the most. We are deeply grateful for the involvement of all existing and new donors who participated in the DREF Pledging Conference 2022. For more information about the DREF or the 2022 pledging conference: Visit this page on our website. Read this Twitter thread to see how the conference unfolded. Download our DREF Annual Plan 2022 and DREF Strategic Ambition 2021-2025. Or you can contact: Florent Del Pinto (Manager, Emergency Operations Centre) [email protected] Ivana Mrdja (Manager, National Society and Government Partners) [email protected]