All countries in the Southern Africa are currently experiencing pockets of dryness. Worryingly for the sub-region, Angola, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe have declared state of emergencies due to looming drought. The United Nations Climate Action Summit scheduled for 23 September 2019 in New York, United States of America, presents a timely opportunity for urgent global discussions that will hopefully culminate inconcrete, realistic plans to address thedisproportionate impacts of climate change on developing countries. Southern Africa is one of the regions most affected by serious impacts of climate-induced natural disasters. This year alone, a succession ofcyclonesandfloodshas already resulted in significant loss of life and assets in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and kept humanitarian organisations busy with emergency responses, as well as recovery and rebuilding efforts. Tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth were different in that they managed to attract global attention because they caused significant devastation during a short period. Climate change-induced natural disasters in Southern Africa are often invisible in the global media, even though they are protracted and threaten the livelihoods of millions. Even lower-level cyclones can cause devastating floods that are quickly followed by debilitating droughts. Many national economies in Southern Africa are agriculturally based and as long as climate change mitigation strategies enshrined in existing globalpoliciesare not wholeheartedly implemented, a significant portion of the 340 million inhabitants of Southern Africa could be food-insecure in the long-term because of famine. The increased mass movement of people from areas affected by climate-induced natural disasters is also more likely. Internal and external migration will necessitate greater coordination among humanitarian organisations to adequately support receiving communities and countries to respond to the added burden introduced by new arrivals. The effects of food insecurity and mass movements are felt most by the vulnerable in our communities, such as the chronically ill and disabled, and women and children. They also place immense pressure on already strained health systems in many countries in the sub-region. With the necessary funds, the Red Cross Movement has the capability and is well placed to address some of the consequences. But urgent action is still needed on the climate change question. Climate change is certain and evident. Its effects are being felt more in less developed nations, especially in southern Africa. Efforts for adaptation are essential not only to decrease the negative consequences but also to increase opportunities for communities to be more resilient in the long-term. Countries in the sub-region are acting to decrease their response times to calamities and improve their communities’ readiness to mitigate impacts of natural disasters. Mozambique is the first country in Africa to have an Early Action Protocol approved; the protocol harnesses the power offorecast-based financingto ensure that humanitarian responses are more responsive and proactive. Malawi’s protocol is under review and Zambia’s is currently in development. The need for humanitarian assistance in Southern Africa in the latter part of 2019 and into 2020 will be greater with the imminent drought. Notwithstanding ongoing local efforts to improve countries’ and communities’ disaster risk management practices and increase their resilience, global stakeholders have a responsibility to definitively act to reduce the need for climate change-induced disaster mitigation efforts in the most affected developing countries. Originally published in the Southern Times Newspaper

New York, 19 September 2019 - A new report by the world’s largest humanitarian network warns that the number of people needing humanitarian assistance every year as a result of climate-related disasters could double by 2050. The Cost of Doing Nothing – published today by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) – estimates that the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of storms, droughts and floods could climb beyond 200 million annually – compared to an estimated 108 million today. It further suggests that this rising human toll would come with a huge financial price tag, with climate-related humanitarian costs ballooning to US$20 billion per year by 2030, in the most pessimistic scenario. Speaking in New York, in the run-up to the UN Climate Action Summit, IFRC President Francesco Rocca said: “These findings confirm the impact that climate change is having, and will continue to have, on some of the world’s most vulnerable people. It also demonstrates the strain that increasing climate-related disasters could place on aid agencies and donors.” “The report shows the clear and frightening cost of doing nothing. But it also shows there is a chance to do something. But now is the time to take urgent action. By investing in climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, including through efforts to improve early warning and anticipatory humanitarian action, the world can avoid a future marked by escalating suffering and ballooning humanitarian response costs,” said Mr Rocca. The Cost of Doing Nothing builds on the work and methodology of the World Bank’s Shock Waves report, and draws on data from the UN, the EM-DAT International Disaster Database as well as IFRC’s own disaster statistics. The report shows that we are facing a stark choice. No action and costs are likely to escalate. Take determined and ambitious action now that prioritizes inclusive, climate-smart development and the number of people in need of international humanitarian assistance annually could in fact fall to as low as 68 million by 2030, and even drop further to 10 million by 2050 – a decrease of 90 per cent compared to today. Julie Arrighi, an advisor at the Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Centre, and one of the main contributors to the report, said: “In this report, we present some of the potential consequences should the global community fail to step up ambition to address the rising risks in a changing climate. It also shows some of the potential positive outcomes if indeed the global community takes action now to build resilience, adapt and address the current climate crisis “We hope that this report helps build momentum during the upcoming Climate Action Summit and beyond to increase investment in inclusive, climate-smart development – including reduced emissions, but especially renewed efforts to adapt to the rising risks,” Ms Arrighi said. Click here todownload the full report. To download b-roll of climate-related disasters, including interviews with people affected by them, as well as Red Cross climate experts discussing the report, please visit: www.ifrcnewsroom.org

By: Dr Michael Charles Today South Africa marks Women’s Day. Much like the women being commemorated for the march to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956, women in southern Africa today may well hold the same flint that lights a “new movement” – climate change. Southern Africa is one of the regions projected to experience the most serious consequences of global warming and the El Niño effect. In 2019, we experienced one of the worst disasters the region has ever seen - Cyclone Idai ravaged communities in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe and continue to rebuild their lives. Urgent action is needed to increase the region’s preparedness for natural disasters. It is only a matter of time until the next disaster strikes. Being female often automatically means that personal susceptibility to sexual and domestic violence, rape and assault in emergency situations is significantly heightened. Women experience additional difficulties because they are typically responsible for sourcing water and preparing food; caring for children, the injured, sick and elderly; and maintaining family and community cohesion. Tackling climate change is, undoubtedly, women’s business. They have a vested interest in avoiding and mitigating the impacts of climate change. It is time that humanitarian actors and policy and decision-makers mainstream gender in policy and practice. It is not a “nice to do”; it is crucial to making real and sustainable differences in the lives of affected people. In 1956, 200,000 South African women declared that enough was enough and acted to defend themselves and the unity and integrity of their families from restrictive laws that required them to carry a pass to reside and move freely in urban areas. Wathint'Abafazi Wathint'imbokodo! Now you have touched the women, you have struck a rock! was the rallying cry of that day, used to signify the women’s unshakeable and unbreakable resolve in the face of adversity as they marched to the Union Building in Pretoria, and sparked change in the course of South Africa’s history. As countries in southern Africa ramp up their disaster risk management and humanitarian organisations work to strengthen community recovery and resilience, women in southern Africa should not just be considered victims and survivors who need special protection and assistance. They are forces for change who can be relied on to represent themselves within their communities and at the highest decision-making levels. I am always inspired by the women I meet responding in disasters, most recently in Cyclone Idai. Women like, Sonia, a volunteer who was working long hours to support women in a shelter, displaced by Cyclone Idai or Flora, who was affected herself by flooding but was dedicated to helping her neighbours rebuild their homes and their lives. Happy Women’s Day, South Africa. May the flame that was lit in 1956 and the fire of women’s empowerment and participation that was built over the decades rage on.

Geneva, 22 July 2019 – Red Cross climate experts are available to discuss the potential humanitarian impact of this week’s European heatwave, as well as the simple and affordable steps that can be taken to protect lives. Temperatures are expected to climb to record levels over the coming days, placing huge pressure on health and social welfare systems across the continent, and potentially threatening the lives and well-being of vulnerable people. Red Cross experts can highlight some of the concrete measures that individuals and authorities can take to reduce the potential humanitarian impact of the heatwave. They can also discuss the clear links between climate change and heatwaves and share findings from the Red Cross’ recently released Heatwave Guide for Cities. Available experts include: In New York: Julie Arrighi, Red Cross climate expert and one of the authors of the Heatwave Guide for Cities. In Geneva: Tessa Kelly, Climate Change Coordinator, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

New York, 16 July 2019 – A new resource launched today in New York will help cities prepare for heatwaves – extreme weather events that are among the world’s deadliest types of natural hazard. Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Francesco Rocca, said: “Heatwaves are one of the deadliest natural hazards facing humanity, and the threat they pose will only become more serious and more widespread as the climate crisis continues. “However, the good news is that heatwaves are also predictable and preventable. The actions that authorities can take to save lives and significantly reduce suffering are simple and affordable.” The new Heatwave Guide for Cities from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre offers urban planners and city authorities an authoritative summary of the actions they can take to reduce the danger of heatwaves, which are defined as a period of time when temperatures, or temperature in combination with other factors, are unusually high and hazardous to human health and well-being. Seventeen of the 18 warmest years in the global temperature record have occurred since 2001. Several serious heatwaves have killed tens of thousands of people worldwide during this period, including the 2015 heatwave in India that killed around 2,500 people, and the 2003 heatwave across Europe that lead to more than 70,000 deaths. The people at greatest risk of heatwaves tend to be those with pre-existing vulnerabilities, including elderly people, very young children, pregnant women, those with medical conditions, and people who are socially isolated. “Heatwaves are silent killers because they take the lives of people who are already vulnerable,” said Rocca. “It’s vital that everyone knows how to prepare for them and limit their impact.” Around 5 billion people live in regions where extreme heat can be predicted days or weeks in advance. Examples of the actions that cities can take include establishing systems to warn people ahead of anticipated periods of extreme heat; strengthening health systems to reduce the risk of them being overwhelmed during a heat crisis; conducting community awareness campaigns; establishing cooling centres/telephone helplines for vulnerable people in need of help, treatment and support; and “greening” cities and urban centres, for example by planting trees, protecting open green spaces, and introducing car-free zones. The influence of climate change on heat extremes was evident again in Europe in June when cities across the west of the continent recorded record temperatures – an event that scientists believe was made at least five times more likely by climate change. Note to editors The Heatwave Guide for Cities has been produced by the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre in collaboration with more than 25 partner institutions including ICLEI, Arizona State University, Met Office, John Hopkins University, USAID, International Research Institute for Climate and Society, the World Meteorological Organization and World Health Organization Joint Office for Climate and Health, Thomson Reuters Foundation and the cities of Cape Town, Kampala, Entebbe, Ekurhuleni and Phoenix. It can be downloaded here.

New York/Geneva, 11 July 2019 – Francesco Rocca, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), will give a press conference at 12:30 Tuesday 16 July in the Press Briefing Room of the United Nations in New York. He will present new Red Cross guidelines to help cities prepare for heatwaves - extreme weather events that are now one of the world’s deadliest natural hazards. He will also discuss the humanitarian consequences of climate change and the first-hand experience of Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers who are responding to the increasing frequency and severity of heatwaves and other extreme weather events.

Geneva, 28 June 2019--The Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will press for a greater focus on protecting the world’s vulnerable from the impacts of climate change during the Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting (30 June-1 July 2019). Mr Elhadj As Sy will speak on the experience of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers around the world who, every day, see the creeping and destructive reality of climate change, especially in already vulnerable communities. Mr Sy is a Commissioner on the Global Commission on Adaptation, where he is leading an initiative on preventing extreme weather events from becoming disasters. He can also speak on: The need for governments to dramatically and urgently increase investment in adaptation measures designed to protect and support the most vulnerable. The first impacts of climate change are already being experienced by the world’s poorest and most at-risk communities: this is where a lot of money and political will needs to be targeted. The emergence of heatwaves as a deadly threat for developed AND developing countries. This week’s heatwave in Europe is an example of the world we can expect, and cities the world over need to take steps now to ensure that the most vulnerable, including older people, the sick, the very young and people who are socially isolated are protected and supported.

Geneva/Solferino, 21 June 2019 – Fifteen thousand Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and more than 250 young Red Cross and Red Crescent leaders are have gathered this week in the historic Italian town of Solferino to debate pressing humanitarian concerns, and to celebrate the centenary of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The week-long “4th International Solferino Youth Meeting” has featured a series of workshops exploring issues as varied as climate change and violence, digitalization and the opportunities and threats posed by new technologies, protracted crises and the role that young people can play in shaping a safer and more humane world. Francesco Rocca, President of IFRC, said: “Young people are the present and the future of our organizations. We need their strength, passion, vision and commitment to reach more people in need, to scale up our activities and to identify and effectively respond to new humanitarian priorities,” said Mr Rocca. “The remarkable young people who have gathered here this week are a powerful antidote to the often-cynical representation given to millennials around the world. They are inspiring and give me hope that our network will remain as relevant and effective for another hundred years.” Khadijah Ahmed Alwardi, a young Red Crescent volunteer from Bahrain, said: “Meeting my peers from all over the world helped me realize that young people and the communities we live in often face very similar challenges. It was empowering to express my thoughts and the challenges that I face as young woman. I am leaving Italy with enthusiasm and I am committed to advocate fiercely for collaboration, mutual understanding, and for the role of young people in humanitarian action,” said Ms Alwardi. The week-long event is taking place in Solferino where, in 1859 Swiss businessman, Henry Dunant, witnessed a bloody battle between French and Sardinian armies. Dunant organized local people to treat the soldiers' wounds and to feed and comfort them. These actions led to the creation of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Tomorrow (Saturday 22 June) 15,000 Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers from all around the world will participate to the traditional annual “Fiaccolata” – a candle-lit march between Solferino and Castiglione delle Stiviere.

Geneva/Rome, 6 June 2019 – More than 10,000 young Red Cross and Red Crescent leaders and volunteers from 140 countries will gather in northern Italy from 17-23 June to celebrate the centenary of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The weeklong “4th International Solferino Youth Meeting” will include a series of workshops for hundreds of young Red Cross and Red Crescent leaders, focusing on major humanitarian challenges such as climate change, as well as some of the world’s most pressing and protracted crises. They will also contribute to the development of IFRC’s new Strategy 2030 that will guide the organization’s work for the coming decade. The week will culminate on 22 June with the annual Fiaccolata – a candle-lit march involving thousands of volunteers between Solferino and Castiglione delle Stiviere. Solferino is the town where in 1859, Swiss businessman, Henry Dunant, witnessed a bloody battle between French and Sardinian armies. Dunant organized local people to treat the soldiers' wounds and to feed and comfort them. These actions led to the creation of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Media opportunities The International Youth Meeting offers numerous, compelling media opportunities, including the chance to speak with and profile young volunteers from around the world. These passionate humanitarians are committed to solving the problems they see. They are a powerful antidote to the sometimes-cynical representation given to millennials around the world. Below are some suggestions of how journalists and media outlets can capitalize on the event. Italian Red Cross and IFRC communications staff will be available in the lead up to and during the event to support. The event is highly visual, involving thousands of young people from around the world living in a Red Cross humanitarian base camp. The Fiaccolata march sets off from the medieval centre of Solferino at sunset, with participants carrying candles as they wind their way towards Castiglione delle Stiviere. Interviews/profiles of youth representatives from your country More than 10,000 volunteers, including more than 400 young Red Cross and Red Crescent leaders representing 140 countries are attending the event. These young and passionate leaders will be taking part in a series of events during their time in Solferino focused on identifying solutions to the world’s most pressing humanitarian problems both now and in the future. Interviews/profiles/discussions with young people on the front lines of today’s major humanitarian crises Among the participants are Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers responding to some of the world’s most pressing humanitarian emergencies. These are young women and men who choose to dedicate their time and even risk their lives to help people affected by conflicts and violence, stigma and discrimination, and disasters and health emergencies. The “Fiaccolata” (Saturday 22 June) - a highly visual and emotional march More than 10,000 volunteers will follow the path of Henry Dunant, walking from Solferino to Castiglione delle Stiviere. Setting off at sunset, this candlelit march is highly visual. Senior Red Cross and Red Crescent officials In addition to youth representatives, a number of senior Red Cross and Red Crescent officials will participate. The IFRC President, Francesco Rocca, will be present during the Solferino events, together with more than 60 Red Cross Red Crescent leaders. Media facilities Journalists are invited to attend the event on 21-22 June. Requests to attend on other dates will be considered. Some logistical support is available for journalists interested in attending the event. Please contact the media contacts below. A media centre is available on site with dedicated internet. Photos and video will be made available to media throughout the event via IFRC’s multimedia newsroom: www.ifrcnewsroom.org.

Buenos Aires/Panama/Geneva, 17 May 2018 – Red Cross leaders from across the Americas and around the world are gathering in Buenos Aires from 21-23 May for the 21st Inter-American Conference of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).The conference will involve leaders and representatives from the 35 Red Cross societies of the Americas, as well as global IFRC figures. Participants will explore a range of issues, including: the rising needs of vulnerable migrants across the region, the increasing impacts of climate change, the Red Cross response to humanitarian crises, the centenary of the founding of IFRC – the world’s largest humanitarian network.Media opportunitiesRed Cross spokespeople are available to speak on all topics related to the conference, as well as on issues of humanitarian concern. Spokespeople include: Francesco Rocca, President of IFRC (Languages: Spanish/English/Italian Diego Tipping: President of the Argentine Red Cross (Languages: Spanish). Miguel Villaroel: IFRC Vice-president for the Americas (Languages: English/Spanish).Other Red Cross experts and leaders are also available on request.

Beijing/Kuala Lumpur/Geneva, 13 May 2019 – Early seasonal drought in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) could exacerbate hunger, malnutrition and health problems for thousands of children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, older people and the chronically ill. The drought, which started in early spring after months of unusually erratic weather, is harming crops that should be harvested in June and September. The drought follows a lean 2018 where food production was 12 per cent below the previous year and the lowest in a decade. In all, an estimated 10.1 million people (40 per cent of the population) are in need of urgent food assistance – a situation that this drought could only worsen. Head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) country office in DPRK, Mohamed Babiker, said: “We are particularly concerned about the impact that this early drought will have on children and adults who are already struggling to survive. Even before this drought, one in five children under five years old was stunted because of poor nutrition. We are concerned that these children will not be able to cope with further stress on their bodies.” The worst affects of the drought will only be seen in the coming months. However, the IFRC and the DPRK Red Cross are already expanding programmes to help at-risk and highly vulnerable communities to mitigate any food shortages. The IFRC has released about 77,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to bolster national Red Cross efforts to help 22,000 people. The DPRK Red Cross will use this money to deploy water pumps so drought-affected communities can irrigate their crops. This approach was first successfully trialled during a heatwave in 2018. In addition, the Red Cross is running about 100 community greenhouses to grow vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, chilis and mushrooms all year round. Volunteers are also looking to pilot household greenhouses to ensure families can eat green vegetables all year round. Speaking about the causes of the current drought and the broader prevailing food crisis, IFRC’s disaster risk management delegate, Daniel Wallinder, said: “It seems clear, looking back at data collected over the past 50 years, that the current climate issues in DPRK are strongly related to climate change. What we see now is lack of snow during the winter leaving crops exposed to freezing temperatures as well as prolonged dry spells due to rainfall that is lower and less predictable. For people who are living on the margins, these changes can be devastating.”

The major global conference on climate and health organized by the French Red Cross in the Mediterranean city of Cannes ended yesterday. Described as “the first humanitarian COP” by Jean-Jacques Eledjam, President of the French Red Cross, in an opening address, the two-day World Conference on Health and Climate Change was aimed at linking global ambitions to the experience of the Red Cross and Red Crescent network and its partners. Some 400 officials, academics, humanitarians and other concerned people from the all over the world took part in 15 debates, including Laurent Fabius, President of France’s Constitutional Council who was also president of the COP21 climate talks that secured the 2015 Paris Agreement. The Cannes conference was timed to commemorate the centenary of the IFRC, created as the League of Red Cross Societies by the American, British, French, Italian and Japanese Red Cross in 1919, shortly after they had also met in Cannes’s historic Théâtre Croisette to coordinate their work. On Tuesday IFRC Secretary General Elhadj As Sy said he hoped the conference would “start planting the seeds for the next visionary 100 years”. In a keynote address he began by commiserating with the French people over the fire at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Mr Sy said it was no longer possible to deny the impact of climate change on the “triptych of people’s lives, livestock and livelihoods”. It was also going to be “the source of the conflicts of tomorrow [which will] no longer be around mineral resources but a commodity as simple and easy as water”. Mr Sy told the Cannes audience: “Today the scale and magnitude of the issues of yesterday are in no way comparable. The numbers are not the same; the frequencies are not the same; the severities are not the same. “We are more equipped today than ever before, but I’m not sure that we have the same sort of inspiration, the same resolve, or the same leadership.” Now, he argued, it was time to “communicate a sense or urgency that people need these things”. For the Red Cross and Red Crescent, he added, “where it matters most, we have to be there all the time, and all the time beside people in need – before the shocks, before the outbreaks, and also during, and most importantly after”. Mr Sy also argued that “we cannot always blame climate change” for the “doom and gloom” abroad in the world. “Maybe we should start where it matters most, with each of our individual behaviours,” looking at consumption patterns, how we care for each other, or not, and how we plan our communities and cities. ‘Images and stories’ In other IFRC engagement in Cannes, International Federation President Francesco Rocca, in his opening address on Monday, said global action on climate is growing “and this is a very good sign. But the fact is that interest is not keeping up with the rising risk. “We in the Red Cross and Red Crescent have the responsibility to raise the profile of the issue of climate change, take action to address the rising risks, and prepare for the important [global] discussions” later this year. IFRC Director of Health and Care Emanuele Capobianco outlined its four-point policy on plugging gaps to achieve universal health care: expanding human resources and the volunteer base, going the “last mile” to reach the most vulnerable communities, fighting epidemics – some of them now climate-related, and instituting financial protections. He earlier tweeted that he had travelled to Cannes from Beira, Mozambique with “images and stories that are a stark reminder of why this conference is important.” Detailing some anticipatory financing mechanisms already in use in the humanitarian sector, such as German-supported forecast-based financing, Under Secretary General for Partnerships,JemilahMahmood said it was vital to leverage finance for “the ‘perfect storm’ of climate change and poverty and their health consequences”. Moving from reactive to anticipatory finance, she argued, was key. Monday’s opening session heard an impassioned plea for greater ambition on climate from Alex Pinano, President of the Marshall Islands Red Cross, the global Movement’s newest National Society: “We don’t want two degrees. We want 1.5 or we will become the nomads of the Pacific. Our home, our paradise, will disappear. Huge gap Climate Centre Director Maarten van Aalst facilitated a specialist workshop on adapting to heat waves in urban areas where participants expressed their strong commitment to raise ambition to address what was described as “among the biggest killers” among natural disasters. Karine Laaidi of Public Health France said heatwave plans including national early warning had reduced mortality dramatically since 2003, although it was still in the hundreds and even thousands annually. She said that key interventions included the need to further raise awareness of risk, including among vulnerable elderly, and ensure people look after each other – both areas where organizations like the Red Cross Red Crescent can play a key role. Discussions also highlighted that there is a huge gap in awareness and even basic data in many developing countries, though mortality and economic impacts are equally significant. On Monday, Nick Watts of the Lancet Countdown research collaboration told the conference that 157 million more “heatwave exposure events” happened to people globally in 2017 – an increase of 18m over the previous year, with 153 billion hours of labour lost – an increase of 62m. Report: Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre

Cannes/Geneva, 11 April 2019— An event billed as “the first ever humanitarian COP” will take place in Cannes, France next week to mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).Organized by the French Red Cross Society, the two-day “World Conference on Health and Climate Change”, will bring together 400 international and field experts to take stock of latest scientific research, and to explore innovative solutions designed to meet rising public health challenges resulting from climate change.Changes to the climate have already started impacting human health, and the projections are alarming. Even if the COP21 Paris Agreement’s ambitions for climate change are met and the planet warms by no more than 2°C, there will still be consequences – some of them severe – for human health. Every country in the world, from north to south, is affected by this issue and must adapt, not least to protect their most vulnerable citizens.A full programme and list of speakers available at: worldconference.croix-rouge.fr1919-2019: 100 years of humanitarian actionThe World Conference is being held to mark the 100th anniversary of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world’s largest humanitarian network. The IFRC, known then as the League of Red Cross Societies, was created on 5 May 1919 by the American, British, Italian, Japanese and French Red Cross societies.A month before, from 1 April to 11 April 1919, the same Red Cross societies gathered at a medical conference in Cannes to decide on how they could coordinate their public health actions and pool the resources of national Red Cross ‘Committees’ more effectively in time of peace.Useful information:Dates: Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 April 2019Location: Théâtre Croisette in Cannes, historic location of the 1919 Medical ConferenceTranslations: French and English

Beira/Geneva, 3 April 2019 – More than 2,300 people isolated since Cycone Idai struck Mozambique received a major delivery of Red Cross emergency supplies late yesterday. The community of Buzi, which lies to the south of the city of Beira, had been almost entirely cut off from large-scale assistance as a result of the flooding and damage caused by the unprecedented storm more than two weeks ago. The distribution was the first of many that will target 20,000 people in Buzi. Jamie LeSueur, team lead for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said: “The distribution efforts that began yesterday in Buzi are a significant milestone in this disaster response due to the inaccessibility of communities. All relief supplies brought in for this distribution were delivered by boat and air, as all road access has been completely impossible.” The Red Cross delivery included basic but essential relief items such as shelter kits, jerry cans, kitchen sets, tarpaulins, buckets and tools. Supplies that will help stave off the growing threat of disease that many communities are facing, including clean water and mosquito nets, were also provided. The Mozambique Red Cross has been on the ground even before Cyclone Idai hit nearly two weeks ago and continues to support more than 200,000 people across the disaster zone. Cyclone Idai is the worst humanitarian crisis in Mozambique’s recent history. “We know there are many hard-hit areas like Buzi where people desperately need help. We are doing all we can to reach these people as quickly as possible,” said LeSueur. “The families that we met yesterday have been through so much. But there was real joy today, and it was amazing to see the resilience of these people as they begin down a path to rebuild their lives.”

Geneva, 8 October 2018 –Climate change is already making emergency response efforts around the world more difficult, more unpredictable and more complex, according to the world’s largest humanitarian network. This warning from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) coincides with the launch of a UN Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) report that sets out the predicted impacts of both a 1.5°C and a 2.0°C rise in the global average temperature by 2099. IFRC President Francesco Rocca said: “More than half of our operations are now in direct response to weather-related events, and many others are compounded by climate shocks and stresses. If this is the situation now, then it is difficult to comprehend the scale of crises confronting vulnerable communities in a world that is 1.5°C or 2.0°C hotter.” In 2017, IFRC and the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network responded to over 110 emergencies, reaching more than 8 million people. More than half of these were in response to weather-related events. National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are also bearing witness to rising climate displacement. Weather-related events displaced 23.5 million people in 2016, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Mr Rocca said: “In a 1.5°C-warmer world, more extreme-weather events will affect everyone. But it will be especially cruel for communities that are already struggling to survive because of conflict, insecurity or poverty. “We are already working with some of these communities to help them anticipate and adapt to what might be to come. These efforts need to increase significantly. A higher proportion of global climate finance needs to be dedicated to helping these communities adapt to changing risks. Currently, not event 10 per cent of funding does this.” Dr Maarten van Aalst, a climate scientist and director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre based in The Hague, added: “Climate remains at the centre of the international agenda. In 2018, we have seen lethal heatwaves and wildfires across the Northern Hemisphere, including in unexpected places like eastern Canada, Japan and Sweden. A rapid analysis in July by an international group of climate scientists showed that in some European locations climate change made the heatwave at least twice as likely.” Today’s IPCC report sets the scene for COP 24 which opens in Katowice, Poland on 3 December. Mr Rocca said: “COP 24 must deliver a rigorous rule book for how to implement the Paris Agreement. No one can afford half measures; our future existence depends upon it. “IFRC welcomes this IPCC report. We hope this leads to action. Millions of lives – and billions of dollars of disaster response – are at stake.”