Forced to move: Communities stand together across Benin

Water without fear: Special World Water Day reporting from South Sudan, where local Red Cross teams provide water that helps thousands stay safer and healthier in the midst of conflict and drought.

Under pressure: Special World Water Day reporting from camps in eastern Chad, where refugees are coping with extreme heat, water scarcity, and rising food prices.

'Now I've lost everything': Conflict in Sudan has forced millions to seek safety in neighbouring countries, where they face an uncertain future.

The volunteer heart: Why are so many so driven to help others? Part 1 in a special 'Year of the Volunteer' series.

With 2026 being designated as the ‘Year of the Volunteers’, Red Vest launches the first in a series of podcasts exploring the key questions and challenges at the heart of volunteering. In this episode, we visit a welcome centre for refugees in Geneva, Switzerland where we explore the question at the heart of volunteering: what is it that drives people to help others, even when there’s no expectation of reward or reciprocation. In future episodes, we examine the critical role local volunteers play in addressing the world’s biggest challenges, the dangers and risks volunteers often face, and how volunteering often opens doors to new challenges and experiences for those who take the initiative to help others.

New Red Vest podcast episode: The volunteer heart — Why are so many people driven to help others in need?

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

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

The Global Migration and Displacement Platform

Our IFRC Global Migration and Displacement Platform unites local and global action to ensure that people at risk of displacement, people on the move, and the communities that host them, live with dignity, safety and opportunity.

Statement: Attack on Ocean Viking deeply concerning, endangering humanitarian workers and survivors in the Mediterranean

Budapest/Geneva, 12 September 2025 –The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) strongly deplores the attack on the search and rescue ship Ocean Vikingon 24 August. At the time of the attack in the Central Mediterranean, 87 rescued people were on board, with five IFRC and nineteen SOS MEDITERRANEE staff.Although everyone disembarked safely, the attack left people severely distressed and caused significant damage to the ship’s bridge and critical rescue equipment. As a consequence, the ship will not be operational in the near future.“This underscores not only the growing risks for those undertaking life-saving rescues in the Mediterranean, but also the dangerous reality facing humanitarian workers worldwide,”said Birgitte Bischoff Ebbesen, IFRC Regional Director for Europe.“Threatening rescued people and those saving lives is unacceptable. Wecall on all concerned authorities to ensure accountability and do everything in their power to prevent such an incident from happening again.”Every year, thousands of people attempt to cross the Central Mediterranean, one of the world’s deadliest migration routes. Search and rescue operations remain a humanitarian necessity, ensuring that people in distress at sea are brought to safety. For these operations to be possible, humanitarian workers and civilians must never be targeted.The IFRC remains firmly committed to supporting people on the move through its humanitarian service points across the Mediterranean and beyond, ensuring that people forced to take dangerous journeys can access safety, care, and dignity wherever they are.Since 2021, the IFRC–SOS MEDITERRANEE partnership on board the Ocean Viking has had 156 rescue missions, with more than 8,600 people supported with immediate assistance including food, water, medical care, and psychosocial support. This lifesaving work is part of a wider, long-term commitment to protect and assist people on the move across one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.For more information, [email protected] Budapest:Corrie Butler +36 704306506Nora Peter+36 70 265 4020In Geneva:Tommaso Della Longa +41 79 708 43 67

Lost and found at sea: Saving lives, coping with loss, aboard the Ocean Viking rescue vessel

It’s one of the most demanding and unusual humanitarian missions happening in the world today, and it’s being carried out at sea, by the crew of the Ocean Viking rescue vessel. Chartered by SOS MEDITERRANEE in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the ship patrols the Mediterranean Sea to rescue people in deep distress at sea. Crew members spend months at sea, living in small births, constantly on the lookout for boats in distress — small dinghies, full of people, lost among the waves.It’s a dangerous assignment. Rescues often happen at night, during times of heavy winds and choppy seas. And it’s not only the forces of nature that make this mission perilous – only a week ago, after this podcast was recorded, the Ocean Viking was hit by multiple gunshots.So why do they do it? How did the people lost at sea find themselves in these perilous situations? And how does the Ocean Viking crew find them on the vast seascape of the Mediterranean? In this episode we take you on board the Ocean Viking with Sara Mancinelli, the IFRC operations manager aboard the Ocean Viking and Camille Coletta, IFRC’s protection coordinator aboard the ship. Please, join us for an immersive audio journey aboard the Ocean Viking, then please subscribe to this channel to hear more compelling audio storytelling as Season 5 of Red Vest podcast gets under way.

New podcast episode: Lost and found at sea — Saving lives, coping with loss aboard the Ocean Viking rescue vessel.

Finding a new way of life in the camps of Cox’s Bazar

Sayedul was thirty-five-years-old when he and his wife Setara fled violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar and took shelter in the camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, carrying nothing but fear and a newborn in his arms.The journey was long and painful, walking through forests, surviving on nothing, and constantly worrying about what awaited them.When they finally found refuge in what is now known as Camp 13 in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, Sayedul thought the worst was over. But life in Camp 13 proved otherwise.The shelter was cramped, the surroundings were unhygienic. Common diseases like diarrhea and scabies spread fast. With his health deteriorating, Sayedul was unable to work. Moreover, there was no work to be had.With two little children to care for, the couple lived in fear, uncertainty and hopelessness.“I would just sit in front of our shelter and stare at nothing. I had no strength, no purpose. Everything felt like it was falling apart,” Sayedul recalls.But that despair has now been transformed. Over years of living in the camp — it’s now been eight years since the crisis began — Sayedul Amin is a respected figure, a source of inspiration and a role model for the community.Neighbours come to him with questions about health, hygiene or even family planning, and he loves using his time to talk to neighbours. His story inspires many others who are still struggling with life in the camp.“I tell them—look at me. I was once sick and hopeless. But someone believed in me, and I decided to change,” he says.Today, Setara and Sayedul’s home stands as a quiet example of healthy, dignified living. Their shelter is clean and organized, with a small homestead garden where fresh vegetables grow.Their two sons practice the habit of handwashing and cleanliness as their parents had regularly taught these practices to them.According to Sayedul and Setara, the turnaround was due in large part to the diligence of a volunteer from the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society named Marijan. Also a resident of the camp, Marijan came by regularly to talk about how to maintain good hygiene practices in a camp setting.As a result, Sayedul then began cleaning the surroundings of the family shelter regularly, ensuring his wife and children followed hygiene routines. The benefits have been apparent: during the last scabies outbreak in Camp 13, for example, Sayedul’s household remained incredibly unaffected.Setara herself found purpose as well—she started to work as a volunteer for a local non-governmental organization in the camp. Every day, she goes out to help others.“She puts on her volunteer vest with pride,” Sayedul stated proudly. “And while she’s away, I take care of the kids and make sure they don’t skip their school.”The family finally found a rhythm. Their two sons, now old enough to attend the learning center, are picking up reading, writing, and even basic life skills.‘What could a stranger do?’The new life of Sayedul and Setara did not come about overnight. It was a gradual journey. And, this happened because of the persistence and dedication of Marijan, who works on something called evidence-based Community-Based Health and First Aid.The flagship health initiative of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, this approach is designed to put communities — and the detailed information they share about their collective health — at the centre of health initiatives.When Marijan first visited Sayedul Amin’s shelter in the camps of Ukhiya, he was doubtful.“What could a stranger do for us?” he thought. But Marijan kept returning, encouraging and sharing small tips about health and hygiene.Gradually, her presence became familiar and comforting. She helped Sayedul understand how small changes could make a big difference. She taught Setara about handwashing with soap, safe drinking water, and how to keep their children clean and healthy. Marijan also introduced them to the idea of family planning—a concept that was entirely new to them.“It wasn’t easy to talk about such personal matters with someone outside the family,” Setara says with a smile. “But Marijan made us feel respected and comfortable.”The couple began to discuss their future openly for the first time in months. They decided together to use family planning methods and focus on raising their two sons in a healthier, more stable environment.A journey from despair to refound dignityHis journey from despair to dignity was not easy, Marijan’s regular visits, gentle counseling, and tireless support were a turning point in Sayedul’s life.In this way, organizations like the IFRC and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society are redefining what it means to support the displaced people in their population movement operation.By focusing on health, hygiene, family planning, and community mobilization, they are helping individuals take control of their lives, one visit, one conversation at a time.“We didn’t just survive; we learned to live again,” Sayedul says with quiet pride.There are many stories of hope like this in the camps of Coxs Bazar. But many also continue to face tremendous hardship and challenges as the crisis now enters its eighth year. With the support of the IFRC's Population Movement Operation, and an international appeal for support, the Bangladesh Red Crescent continues to work every day in the displaced camps, bringing a wide range of support and services.Through this operation, more than 650,000 people in the camps of Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar have been supported so far with shelter, health care, wash and hygiene, livelihoods, as well as other initiatives aimed at ensuring protection and inclusion of all people impacted by the crisis, as well as ongoing community, engagement and accountability.

World Refugee Day 2025: Bringing hope to people forced to flee world’s largest displacement crisis

For more than two years, the Egyptian Red Crescent has stood as a vital lifeline for tens of thousands of people forced to flee the devastating conflict in Sudan.Since the crisis began in April 2023, Red Crescent volunteers and staff have mobilized quickly —responding within just two days by setting up humanitarian service points at the Qustul and Arqeen border crossings in southern Egypt.These points have offered emergency first aid, medical screenings, psychosocial support, food, water, and hygiene supplies for thousands of Sudanese families arriving in Egypt with little more than the clothes on their backs.“We acted immediately,” said Dr. Amal Emam, executive director of the Egyptian Red Crescent. “Within 48 hours, we had humanitarian service points up and running at the main border crossings—offering not just relief but also dignity and hope.”The efforts have not wavered over the past 2 years,as fighting and displacement in Sudan forced more than12.3 million people from their homes. Most were displaced within Sudan, butnearly one third – 4 million people –have become refugees in neighbouring countries such as Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan.To help meet the dire needs of desperate people seeking safety within Egypt, the Egyptian Red Crescent has:Provided medical care to over 139,000 peopleDelivered cash assistance to 5,000 familiesOffered psychosocial support to over 10,000 individuals, including childrenFacilitated 12,940 local and international phone and internet connections to help people restore contact with their loved onesDistributed more than 210,000 hygiene kits, 1.3 million bottles of water, and 1 million ready-to-eat mealsTo strengthen its efforts, the Red Crescent activated its Aswan branch and trained response teams across border regions—ensuring services were available not only at crossing points but also in Aswan city, Abu Simbel, and key transit hubs like the Aswan railway station.Special attention has also been paid to people with disabilities, older adults, and children—ensuring inclusive access to aid and the creation of child-friendly spaces for psychological support.International solidarity, swift and ongoing actionBeyond Egypt’s borders, the Egyptian Red Crescent extended solidarity to those still inside Sudan. In collaboration with the Egyptian government, it dispatched three ships carrying over 1,000 tonnes of life-saving relief supplies to Sudanese communities still struggling within the country.These efforts would not be possible without the hundreds of Egyptian Red Crescent volunteers, who have contributed more than 340,000 hours of service since the onset of the crisis—offering compassion, courage, and consistency in the face of one of the region’s most complex humanitarian emergencies.The Egyptian Red Crescent’s response to the large-scale population movement from Sudan was has also been supported by the IFRC through its Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF), which allocated 305,832 Swiss francs to the response. This funding enabled the ERCS to provide immediate, life-saving assistance.To scale up the response and address growing humanitarian needs at the Sudanese-Egyptian border, the IFRC also launched an Emergency Appeal, which is also mobilizing additional resources to support the ERCS in expanding its operations.Learn more about how you can join us in solidarity with refugees around the worldHelp support refugees and others displaced by fighting in SudanIFRC’s approach to migration and displacementGlobal Route-Based Migration ProgrammeHumanitarian Service PointsWorld Refugee Day: Syrian refugees in Jordan stitch a new life through skills training and education

IFRC’s World Refugee Day message: ‘We are with you’

Imagine you are 24 years old and a mother of two. Suddenly, armed conflict within your country sweeps through your town and you have to escape to save your life. You leave on foot, with your children and anything you can carry.This is the fate that befell 24-year-old Munana, who had to flee her home in Sudan’s Darfur region with her children in 2024. Arriving in Adré, Chad, close to the border with Sudan, her family immediately receivedsupport from the Red Cross of Chad.“The journey between Sudan and here was very difficult,”she says. “When we arrived here the Red Cross welcomed us. They have given us a tent, lights, toiletries and water.”This is just one story among thousands of people around the world who areforced to flee simply to find safety for themselves and their family. And it’s another example of Red Cross and Red Crescent actions that say to people like Munana that they are not alone – we stand with you.As we markWorld Refugee Day 2025 on 20 June, this year under the theme of “solidarity”, the IFRC asks people around the world to express their solidarity through action, by helping us to build empathy and understanding for the plight of refugees and to support our life-changing work in places where refugees need us most.We ask youto stand in solidarity with people like Abdel, who supervises the volunteers who welcomed Munana at the Chad Red Cross’s humanitarian service point (HSP) in Adré, which in this case is funded by theBritish Red Cross.At humanitarian service points like this one, the Red Cross supports refugees where they are – along routes, in camps, in host communities – by providingfood, psychosocial assistance, protection services for the most vulnerable, shelters, and relocation support.In some areas, the Red Cross also providescash assistance, so people can choose what they and their families need most while retaining some control and dignity. Surrounded by so much suffering, Abdel sees this work as a source of comfort and happiness. “Often people ask, what is happiness? For me, happiness is helping people,”he says.A global crisisSolidarity with refugees is more critical than ever, given the scope of displacement due to violence around the world. Even some of the world’s largest crises do not always get the attention they deserve.Sudan, for example, is experiencing the world's largest displacement crisis, with over 12.3 million people forced from their homes due to ongoing civil conflict. Most were displaced within Sudan, but nearly one third – 4 million people –have become refugees in neighbouring countries such as Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan. Yet this massive crisis receives relatively little international media attention.Sadly, this is not the only conflict causing people to leave their homes to find safety elsewhere. The UN Refugee Agency estimates that more than 123 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced.Among them, 36.8 million are refugees (meaning they sought safety in a country other than their own) and another 8.4 million are asylum seekers (people who have sought international protection and recognition as refugees outside their home country).A global responseThe scale of population movement around the world is one reason more than 165 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world are working to support people on the move, including migrants and refugees, wherever they need assistance.A total of 115 of those Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are supporting refugees and asylum seekers through both emergency response efforts and longer-term programmes. This support spans emergency and crisis settings, including countries such as Bangladesh, Sudan’s neighbouring countries, and Ukraine’s neighbouring countries. National Societies also assist and protect migrants and refugees traveling along dangerous migration routes in all corners of the globe.This includes the 63 National Societies participating in the IFRC’s GlobalRoute-Based Migration Programme, which aims to save lives and improve the safety and dignity of 4.7 million people on the move each year, including migrants, refugees, displaced people, and host communities.Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are in call centres, connecting people to lost family members. They are at airports, bus stops and train stations, providing people with a safe space to rest.The support given is as individual as the story and experiences of each person on the move, and can include healthcare, Restoring Family Links, mental health and psychosocial support, protection, information, food and other essential supplies. There is even a humanitarian service point at sea. TheOcean Viking rescue vessel regularly rescues migrant vessels in distress in the Central Mediterranean Sea.An ongoing journeySolidary with refugees continues even after people arrive in a new community or country. That’s because, very often, a new journey, full of challenges has just begun.While some refugees successfully establish themselves in new communities, many others face dire challenges. They risk losing connections with their families and they often lack access to essential health and social services. They also may come face to face with discrimination, human trafficking, exploitation, legal and cultural hurdles and even violence.And even when things go relatively smoothly, it is not always easy to feel at home in a new country and a new culture. Often, it takes a while to start feeling at home.This is one reason why National Societies such astheRed Crescent Society of Tajikistan work tohelp people settle and feel at home.With the support of theProgrammatic Partnership, funded by ECHO PP, for example, the IFRC supports theRed Crescent Society of Tajikistan inproviding cash, food parcels, housing supplies and hygiene kits, among other things, to refugees in Tajikistan. The support has also helped the Red Crescent to organize vocational courses, including culinary, driving, beauty courses, and English classes for Afghan kids.Changing attitudesThere are numerous examples of this kind of Red Cross and Red Crescent solidarity work around the world. Numerous National Societies in Europe, for example, offermental health and psychosocial support as well aslanguage classes to refugees from Ukraine.Others work to promote better understanding of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. As part of its longstanding commitment to anti-racism, for example, the Finnish Red Cross developed the Identify and Act Navigator – a digital tool designed to help people recognize their own biases and understand when and how to intervene in racist situations.In three months the Navigator app was viewed by approximately 20, 000 people; roughly 8 000 people completed all the various stages and scenarios presented in the programme.Learn more about how you can join us in solidarity with refugees around the worldIFRC’s approach to migration and displacementGlobal Route-Based Migration ProgrammeHumanitarian Service PointsCase study: Red Cross of Boznia Herzegovina mobile teamCase study: Red Cross of Cyprus mobile migration teamCase study: Local branch of Palilula, Serbian Red CrossCase study: Slovenian Red Cross humanitarian service pointCase study: Red Cross of Montenegro reception centreWorld Refugee Day: Bringing hope to people forced to flee world’s largest displacement crisisWorld Refugee Day: Syrian refugees in Jordan stitch a new life through skills training and education

Overcoming barriers: Red Cross language classes help displaced Ukrainians open doors to a new life

Financial insecurity, unemployment, limited access to healthcare, and language barriers are everyday challenges for millions of people who fled Ukraine after the escalation of the conflict.While finding safety is a critical first step, the harder journey often begins after — rebuilding a life in a new country, surrounded by an unfamiliar language and culture.To support this journey, Red Cross National Societies in Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, and Romania have launched language programs that go far beyond grammar and vocabulary.These classes are helping displaced people from Ukraine find their voices — giving them the tools they need to access work, education, healthcare, and, perhaps most importantly, a sense of belonging.The projecthas been made possible by the Swiss Contribution to the European Union under the Rapid Response Fund. This initiative aims to reduce social and economic disparities within the European Union.‘At 57, I’m starting over’One of those taking part in the classes is Iryna, who never imagined she’d be learning a new language at 57 — or starting over in a new country. Now living in Latvia with her daughter-in-law and grandson, she attends Latvian courses run by the Latvian Red Cross.“I lack speaking practice, so I eagerly signed up,”she says. “We have a great teacher.”Iryna’s family fled Kharkiv when the conflict escalated, spending days sheltering in a village basement with other families before finally boarding crowded evacuation trains. Eventually, they made it to Latvia.Life in a new country hasn’t been easy. Back home, Iryna worked as a chief accountant. Now, she works as a cleaner in a theater — a job she is grateful for, even if it is far from her field. “To return to my profession, I need to know the language,” she explains.But she finds joy in small moments. “At the theater, I get to watch pre-premiere shows and chat with the actors,” she adds with a smile.‘I never thought I’d need another language'Vadym, 55, from Mykolaiv, fled Ukraine with his family after the conflict escalated. Their journey to Romania took three days. “It was difficult,” he recalls. “We had never been abroad before, so I never thought I’d need to learn another language.”Before the escalation of the conflict, Vadym worked at the port — a skilled job that remains in demand. But in Romania, the language barrier stands in the way of continuing in his profession.Now, he attends Romanian language classes organized by the Romanian Red Cross. “It is helpful. We talk about different topics in class, and now I can go to the store and explain myself at a basic level,” he says.‘I was afraid — how would I explain if my child got sick?’For nearly three years, Mila and her son have been living in Hungary after fleeing Ukraine. She still remembers the fear and the long queues at the border. Everything felt uncertain — and without speaking the language, even the simplest tasks felt overwhelming.“I was afraid — what if my child got sick? How would I explain things to a doctor?” she recalls.When Mila learned the Hungarian Red Cross offered free language classes, she joined right away.“I came to the course and really liked it,” she says. “I met other Ukrainians, learned a lot of useful things from them, and we started talking more.”Being able to practice Hungarian in a supportive space has made a big difference. “Now I can go to the store, the pharmacy, or any office on my own — and get things done,” she says.Mila’s confidence is growing with every lesson. “When I reach a better language level, I plan to find a job here,” she says, full of hope for a more stable future.‘To find a well-paid job without knowing the language is impossible’When the conflict escalated, Yuliia left Zaporizhzhia with her two children, hoping to give them a safer life.“I wanted my children to grow up in peace, in a country without fear,” she says.Later, her mother joined them in Lithuania. Both women found work as cleaners — honest, important work that helped them start over. But Yuliia knows that speaking the language is key to opening more doors.“To find a well-paid job without knowing the language is impossible,” she says.That is why she and her mother now attend Lithuanian language classes run by the Lithuanian Red Cross.“I can already talk to people who do not speak Russian,” Yuliia shares. “It is still hard to speak freely, but I understand.”For Yuliia, Iryna, Vadym and Mila — and for many others taking part in these classes learning the local language is not just about communication. It is about regaining control, rebuilding dignity — and taking the first steps toward a future they can shape themselves.

Mauritania: More support needed to meet the growing needs of Malian refugees

By Fatima Lô, Mauritanian Red Crescent, and Moustapha Diallo, IFRCThe village of Aghor, located in Bassikounou in the Hodh El Chargui region, south-east Mauritania, is a place where thousands of people who have fled the conflict in neighboring Mali have found refuge for over eleven months.The makeshift camp is home to women, children, the elderly and entire families who are trying to rebuild their lives despite the difficulties and uncertainties they face daily, far from their places of origin. Living conditions are deplorable and access to basic services is very limited, exposing refugees to food insecurity and health risks.In the midst of this community in search of stability and security, the Mauritanian Red Crescent was one of the first humanitarian organizations to intervene, by distributing cash and essential household items.The poignant story of a refugee womenIt was in this camp that we met Marieme Mint Hamdinou, a 40-year-old mother of four, who shared her experiences as she gazed out at the horizon.“We arrived here in November 2023. We left our village (Timbuktu in Mali) taking only what we could carry’, she says.For Marieme and her family, the road to Mauritania was long and perilous, but faced with intensifying insecurity and armed clashes, they had no choice but to leave.“When we arrived at Fassala, one of the entry points to Mauritania, we were exhausted, hungry and terrified”, Marieme points out.With no money and no host family, Marieme and her children owed their salvation only to the generosity of humanitarian workers and the Mauritanian authorities, who took them in before settling them in Aghor. By then, the Mbera camp set up in 2012 to receive Malian refugees had reached saturation point.“The first few weeks in the camp were particularly difficult. I felt powerless to meet some of my family's basic needs, such as eating, drinking, washing, proper accommodation, etc.’ explains Marieme. To survive, she had to beg and get into debt.Mauritanian Red Crescent support and ever-growing needsThe story of Marieme and her children is similar to that of many refugee women and families in Aghor. Thanks to a cash distribution operation by the Mauritanian Red Crescent, funded by the IFRC, many of them have been able to get back on their feet, even if only temporarily.“With the money I received, I was able to pay off some of my debts and buy some food to feed my family, but there are so many unmet needs, and many families still haven't received any aid, not counting those who are still arriving,” says Marieme.Since last year, Mauritania has witnessed a massive influx of Malian refugees fleeing the intensification of conflict and armed clashes in their country. On 30 September 2024, there were some 260,000 Malian refugees and over 12,000 returnees.The Hodh El Chargui region, which has very limited resources, hosts most of them. Some 152,000 refugees are living outside the official camps, without adequate shelter and access to other basic services such as water, sanitation and healthcare, as in the makeshift camp of Aghor.Since May, the Mauritanian Red Crescent's response has provided cash to around 1,000 people and distributed shelter kits, mats and mosquito nets to the most vulnerable displaced households. But this is far from enough as the humanitarian needs are still mounting.In response to the continuing influx of refugees and their growing needs, the IFRC has launched an emergency appeal for 4 million Swiss francs to help the Mauritanian Red Crescent Society scale up its response.The funds raised will be used to support 61,750 people through a holistic response, including the distribution of emergency shelter and essential household items, the provision of cash, water and health services and the implementation of protection strategies.The funds will also enable the creation of humanitarian service points (HSPs) where people can access a wide range of services, such as safe water, nutrition support, emergency health and first aid, psychological support services (PSS) communication and referrals, regardless of their status.The IFRC has also launched a separate emergency appeal to support the Malian Red Cross in its efforts to assist people displaced by violence as well as severe flooding.

Mali: Complex Emergency

Mali faces a severe humanitarian crisis as unprecedented flooding and ongoing armed conflict displace thousands, destroy homes, and devastate the agricultural economy. As the country grapples with this complex emergency, millions are left without basic necessities such as food and safe drinking water. Your donation helps us in making a meaningful difference for the 200,000 people supported by the Mali Red Cross in this response.

Mauritania: Population Movement

The internal conflict in Mali intensified throughout 2024, increasing displacement of civilians to Mauritania. As of 30 September this year, 262,000 refugees crossed the border to Mauritania, and approximately 12,400 Mauritanian civilians returned from Mali. Services in camps are already limited due to overcrowding and lack of humanitarian services, and those living outside camps have extremely limited access to basic services, such as shelter, water, sanitation, food, healthcare, protection and education. Your donation will help the IFRC make a meaningful difference for the 61,760 people supported by the Mauritanian Red Crescent in this response.

Providing cash is one of the best ways to help people get back on their feet after crisis. Romania offers a recent case in point.

After the international armed conflict in Ukraine escalated in February 2022, one of the many people displaced was Tetiana, a Ukrainian woman who came to Romania with her two young children."We decided to leave because of the constant shelling," Tetiana recalls, who was living in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv Oblast before the escalation. “We were worried about safety, not so much for ourselves, but for our children.”When they arrived in Romania, one of the biggest challenges was the language barrier. However, with cash assistance from the IFRC and the Romanian Red Cross, Tetiana was able to cover basic expenses such as food, rent and clothing for her family.Despite the challenges, Tetiana found a way to give back to her community. She began teaching Ukrainian children who had also come to Romania.Tetiana is not alone. More than 6.9 million people from Ukraine have crossed the border into Romania, with over 177,000 of them receiving temporary protection.In response, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), together with the Romanian Red Cross, quickly mobilized to provide critical assistance: food, hygiene items, and vital information at key transit points across the country.During this crisis, the IFRC decided to use cash and voucher assistance (CVA) as a key component of its response. Since then, nearly 90,000 displaced people from Ukraine in Romania have received more than CHF 27 million in financial assistance from the IFRC and Romanian Red Cross."Through cash programs, we have been able to empower people who have left their homes in search of safety by giving them choices and allowing them to prioritize their most urgent needs," said Emilie Goller, Head of the IFRC Country Office in Romania.Partnership and lessons learnedAmong humanitarian organizations, CVA has become an integral part of many emergency response operations. Often used along with other forms of traditional, in-kind assistance, cash is a powerful way to get help to people in a dignified manner, while also supporting local suppliers and reducing shipping and logistics costs.Over time, humanitarian organizations have continued to learn better, more efficient ways to work together and improve CVA delivery and accountability. In Romania, several humanitarian organizations recently did just that, putting their heads together and sharing experiences deliveringСVA to Ukrainian refugees like Tetiana.In early September, for example, the IFRC, the Romanian Red Cross and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) organized a lessons-learned workshop on cash and voucher assistance in Bucharest, the country’s capital. More than 10 humanitarian organizations and agencies participated in the event."This workshop is an important opportunity for all of us to share the lessons we have learned, discuss the challenges we have faced, and explore ways to improve and expand our efforts in direct financial assistance," added Adrian Halpert, Secretary General of the Romanian Red Cross.Collectively, the organizations involved in the workshop have provided nearly CHF 48.5 million in assistance to people displaced from Ukraine to Romania over the past two years."Our progress in Romania is a testament to the power of working together,”says the IFRC’s Goller. “Through strong partnerships across sectors, organizations and governments, we have been able to make a real, tangible impact in addressing the crisis that unexpectedly erupted in the heart of Europe."Here are some of the key learnings:Collaboration is key: Effective partnerships are essential to ensure fairness and coherent eligibility criteria, to help organizations define and support the most vulnerable and support them and to minimize redundancies.Local capacity is important: Cash assistance requires different delivery mechanisms, security measures, and eligibility criteria than traditional forms of aid delivery. The more local organizations are ready to provide cash assistance, the easier and more sustainable it will become.Community engagement is crucial: Listening to the specific needs and realities in the communities being served is critical.For example, can local markets provide the needed goods? What amount is sufficient in the local markets?Understandings these factors, among many others, helps build trust and the local partnerships needed for effective humanitarian work.Risk identification and prevention: Proactively addressing potential risks ensures more effective interventions.Long-term planning and sustainability: Integrating cash assistance programs with national social protection systems helps ensure long-term support. Ukrainian Crisis Cash InterventionsTo date, the IFRC network has distributed over CHF 200 million, benefiting 2.8 million people with conditional and/or unconditional cash and voucher assistance in Ukraine and affected countries.For more information about how cash is used to make humanitarian interventions more effective and efficient please see these sources:Cash and voucher assistance at the IFRC

World Refugee Day: Syrian refugees in Jordan stitch a new life through skills training and education

Words by Joe Baaklini, IFRC Communications OfficerWhen Faten fled war-torn Syria in 2012, she found herself a refugee in a makeshift camp in the town of Al-Lubban, Jordan. She lived in a tent with her husband - the sole provider for the family - and her children.The family’s situation went from bad to worse when Faten’s husband got sick and could no longer provide for the family. That is when Faten realized she had to act fast to support her spouse and children. Thanks to her friends, Faten learned about a series of vocational trainings that were being organized by the Jordan Red Crescent (JNRCS). She saw a career opportunity in those trainings, and she took it.“I had never worked before, so I had to learn new skills,” says Faten, who has been taking these workshops, and working, since 2013.“I participated in sewing and crochet workshops, and they were extremely beneficial. Thanks to these trainings, I am now earning enough money to support my husband and children. However, it’s not just about the money, but the feeling of being capable and empowered.”A lifeline to livelihoods and dignityThe Jordan Red Crescent’s workshops offer a lifeline to refugees in Al-Lubban camp, equipping them with valuable skills in cooking, baking, soap-making, sewing, and crochet.By learning new crafts or rediscovering forgotten talents, refugees gain the confidence and ability to generate income. This not only provides for their basic needs but also restores a sense of dignity and purpose.“Most of the refugees who take these trainings want to improve their lives,” says Nawal Sadeq, a vocational trainer for the Jordan Red Crescent, who took similar workshops years ago and eventually started her own business.“They want a source of income, and they want a better future. Thanks to our trainings, these women are starting their own businesses and/or finding job opportunities that allow them to sustain.”The Jordan Red Crescent’s program goes beyond just workshops, however. “I took a baking course and it was a massive success for me, but the Red Crescent’s support didn’t end there, as they offered me an oven, thus helping me start my own cooking business,” says Fatima,also a Syrian refugee in Al-Lubban. “I am so grateful and I’m so proud of myself. I pay rent and provide for my two daughters now.”A healthy new startThe Jordan Red Crescent also includes health interventions are also part of its support program. The National Society organizes periodic health visits all year round, therefore ensuring the refugees’ physical and mental well-being.“As part of our efforts to protect vulnerable populations and their dignity, we organize health visits to makeshift camps, such as the Al-Lubban camp, where we regularly set up mobile health clinics that provide treatment and medication to the refugees,” says Mahmoud Al-Eswid, Relief Distribution Officer at the Jordan Red Crescent.According to Mahmoud, what’s as important as regular health check-ups is education and learning opportunities. He adds:"Education is the most important of all and that’s what we’re trying to focus on with the refugees here in Al-Lubban camp; teaching them to read and write, training them in new skills, it’s all very crucial for their integration in their new community. It empowers them to build a brighter future, both for themselves and the community.”Learn more about ways in which the Red Cross and Red Crescent Network ensures that Migrants are #NotAlone.

Mohammed Alburai: Born in a refugee camp in Gaza, he became a double refugee when he sought safety for his family in Slovenia. Now he helps other refugees for the Slovenian Red Cross.

Born in the Deir El-Balah refugee camp in Gaza, Mohammed Alburai worked as a volunteer ambulance driver for the Palestine Red Crescent before leaving for Slovenia in 2019. Now a cultural mediator and translator for the Slovenian Red Cross, Mohammed helps migrants and refugees cope with their new life in Slovenia. He helps migrants connect with lost family members, organizes sports and social events, and talks with them about their needs and concerns. “That’s the best part in my job,” he says. “I meet people from different cultures every day — from Cuba, Bangladesh, Mongolia, all over Africa and the Middle East. They know I feel what they are going through and they trust me.” Mohammed also talks about his friends and former colleagues at the Palestinian Red Crescent who have died in the line of duty and he pays tribute to all Red Cross and Red Crescent staff who have been killed while working to save others.

Dr. Fatma Meriç Yilmaz: ‘Regardless of culture, country, creed, language or religion,’ ensuring everyone has a seat at the table

As the first female president of the Turkish Red Crescent, Dr. Fatma Meriç Yilmaz talks about her National Society’s role in supporting one of the world’s largest refugee populations and in running the world’s most ambitious humanitarian cash assistance programmes. She also discusses the continuing impacts from the earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria in Feb 2023. As a champion of women in humanitarian leadership in Türkiye and globally, shetalks about the significant gains made in recent years and what still needs to be done to ensure everyone’s voice is heard.

Birgitte Bischoff Ebbesen: Two years since Ukraine conflict escalation, ‘we have helped 18 million people’ but the needs are still immense

IFRC’sregional director for Europetalks about the conflict that has impacted not just the European continent, but the entire world.Birgitte Bischoff Ebbesenexplains how the principle of neutrality — along with an inspiring level of humanitarian solidarity— has helped the IFRC assist some 18 million people impacted by the crisis. She explains why mental health services are now at the forefront of our response and she takes on several other hot humanitarian topics, from climate change to migration and the inclusion of women in humanitarian leadership.

Nataliia Korniienko: Helping her fellow refugees cope with the stresses of conflict, migration and starting over

Nataliia Korniienko knows firsthand the psychological and emotional stresses of conflict, migration and living as a refugee. In 2022, she was a mental health and psychosocial field officer for the ICRC when conflict finally forced her and her daughter to leave for Poland. Now her experience as a psychologist, former Ukrainian Red Cross technical adviser and refugee is helping her provide services to other Ukrainian refugees throughout Europe as a mental health and psychsocial specialist for the IFRC.

‘If someone told me this story, I wouldn’t believe it’

It’s one of those stories that even those involved find hard to swallow. “I think if someone told me this story, I wouldn’t believe it…but it happened to me,” says Hassan Al Kontar, a 38-year-oldSyrian refugee currently living in British Columbia, Canada For several months in 2018, Al Kontar was known as “the man at the airport” in the news, after he wasstranded at the Kuala Lumpur airport for 7 months. His story began in 2011 when conflict broke out in Syria while he was living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Not wanting to go back to Syria — to face civil war and likely conscription into the army — he stayed in UAE until his visa expired. Ultimately deported to Malaysia, he sought asylum in numerous countries, including Canada. In the meantime, he waited in the airport. And waited. He slept in airport chairs and in a small enclave under an escalator. He made friends with the cleaning staff who brought him food and coffee (the coffee shops were in a part of the airport he couldn’t access). Boredom and incessant boarding announcements were constant companions as the days ticked slowly by.He missed important family events, like his brother’s wedding, which he watched via Skype. Desperate and frustrated, he turned to social media, quickly becoming an internet and media phenomenon. News reports referred to him as a real-life version of Tom Hanks’s character in the film, The Terminal. “It’s the small things — taking a shower, washing your clothes, getting medicine — things you do all the time that suddenly become impossible”, explained Hassan. “I remember day 122. I felt something strange. I could not tell what it was until I discovered that someone had opened a door to the outside. It was the first time in 120 days that I smelled fresh air.” Finally, in November 2018, a private group of Canadians succeeded in sponsoring Hassan’s request for residency and he boarded a plane to British Columbia. Canada was the first country in the world to introduce a private sponsorship programme, which allows five individual Canadians or permanent residents to collectively sponsor a refugee. “Ordinary individuals are directly involved in saving lives,” says Hassan. “If that’s not being a hero, what is?” From limbo to inclusion Hassan’s airport experience was just one example of thelegal limboin which refugees often find themselves: stuck at borders, unable to move forward or back, as they try to make asylum claims and wait for some sign of hope. Today, Hassan’s story is an example of what can happenwhen refugees are given the chanceto make a life for themselves and give back to their new communities. In Hassan’s case, part of giving back means putting on the well-known red vest worn by volunteers and staff of the Canadian Red Cross. Inspired by the work of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in Syria and in many other conflict and emergency zones around the world,Hassan decided to help othersas his adopted country coped with a worsening COVID-19 pandemic. “Working with the Red Cross is a dream come true,” he says. “It’s my way of giving back to the community that accepted me and gave me a chance. It’s my way of showing the Canadian people that they were not wrong in giving me a chance.” Afraid of forgetting Still, life is not always easy for a refugee half-way around the world from his family. “It’s my destiny and the destiny of every refugee to live between two worlds,” he says. It’s the little things — the aroma of coffee or fresh rain on a hot street — thatbring back memories of his home in Syria, where his family has a small farm. “I am afraid of forgetting,” says Hassan, as he prepares a Syrian style coffee in his flat in Vancouver. “I have not seen my mother, my siblings, for 12 years. I do not want to lose the connection.” What does it mean to be Syrian? Now Hassan’s mission is tohelp his family and other refugeesfind a similar sense of safety. He works with a group that helps sponsor other refugees and he continues posting on social media to raise awareness about the plight of refugees.He even wrote a bookcalledMan @ The Airport. “I want the western world to understand [Syrian refugees] more,” he says. “To bring the gap closer between our two cultures. What does it mean to be Syrian? To be powerless? To be voiceless?” But Hassan is hopeful. Ironically, he says the restrictions imposed due tothe COVID-19 pandemic has helped many people better understand the plight of refugees. “During the pandemic, when all the borders were closed, people could begin to understand how it has always been for refugees. When all airports were forbidden areas, when all our passports, regardless of the color, were equally useless. This is still is the situation for most refugees in the world today.” -- This story was produced and originally published by the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine. To learn about the Magazine, and to read more stories like this,click here.