IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund takes important stride as it marks 45th year helping people hit by crisis

Ever since it was established 45 years ago, the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF) has been a unique and essential tool that ensures communities hit by sudden crisis get the resources they need quickly and efficiently.Four and a half decades later, donors from around the world reaffirmed IFRC-DREF’s critical role in disaster response during a one-day pledging conference in Geneva, Switzerland on 8 November.By the end of the conference, donors had pledged approximately 74 million Swiss Francs. With the projected payout from IFRC-DREF Insurance before the end of the year, this total is likely to rise to 85 million Swiss Francs.IFRC-DREF is now on track, therefore, to fully meet its funding target for 2024 while increasing the total amount of raised income by 20 percent compared to 2023.These pledges move IFRC-DREF closer to its strategic ambition of growing its annual funding budget to CHF 100 million by 2025 and help ensure that people hit by small- and mid-sized disasters – which often don’t get international media attention – get the critical support they need.The fund also allocates money to help people get ahead of imminent threats such as storms, floods, heatwaves, drought and other crises.“Your pledges today ensure that before, during, or straight after the next storm hits, or the next crisis unfolds, help will be there — not as a distant promise but as a reality, and fast,” IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain told the donors who gathered for the conference.To back up his point, Chapagain recounted the story of Leonica Ibanez, who lives outside Manila, Philippines, and was hit by the full force of flooding caused by Cyclone Gaemi in June. Her family just barely survived by clinging to nearby trees.While Cyclone Gaemi only stayed in international headlines for a few days, it was devestating for Ibanez’s family. The storm completely destroyed their home.With funding from IFRC-DREF, however, the Philippines was able to help people like Leonica Ibanez find the resources to get by until they could rebuild.“An allocation from IFRC-DREF to the Philippines Red Cross was one of more than 188 allocations that, as of last week, we'd already made this year,” Chapagain continued. “So far, we've allocated over 72 million Swiss francs to help people – particularly women – respond to disasters or prepare for hazards before they hit.”IFRC-DREF also provides critical resources until more funds arrive as part of larger funding appeals. A recent case in point: IFRC-DREF allocated 2 million Swiss francs to enable the Lebanese Red Cross to scale up humanitarian services while a larger campaign for funds was being launched.When the Al-Hamshari hospital in Sidon was preparing for an influx of casualties, therefore, the hospital could remain stocked with critical medical supplies and trained staff, Chapagain noted.A new tool, already put to the testIn the months leading up to the conference, a new key tool – IFRC-DREF Insurance – was also put into action for the first time. This new modality for private financing was initiated in 2023 and was first put into practice in 2024 following the IFRC response to Typhoon Yagi, which impacted multiple countries in Southeast Asia.Under this novel private insurance model, an additional 15 million Swiss francs can be tapped for disaster response once a certain threshold – like a deductible – is met and an insurance payout can be triggered.The insurance payouts were triggered in part by the unprecedented number, scale and complexity of disasters requiring IFRC-DREF funding. Nena Stoiljkovic, IFRC’s Under Secretary General for Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization, thanked donors for their steady and growing support for IFRC-DREF and for new innovative ways of addressing today’s mounting challenges.“This year’s pledging conference demonstrated the commitment donors have to continue helping people in extremely vulnerable situations,”Stoiljkovic said. “And it shows their belief that IFRC-DREF is uniquely situated to respond quickly to humanitarian needs, particularly in the face of increasing demand, and increasingly complicated, climate-related disasters.“We look forward to even more collaboration and innovation – with all our partners and donors – in helping local communities find their way through difficult times.”Click the link below fora video recording of the full pledging conference live stream.IFRC-DREF milestonesEvery year, small and medium-sized disasters occur in silence. Without media attention or international visibility, they can struggle to attract funding. Despite this, IFRC-DREF has reached over 240 million people affected by disasters since it was launched in 1979.IFRC-DREF stands out for its commitments to channel support directly to local actors: 82 percent of allocations go directly to National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, enabling them to deliver fast and effective local humanitarian action. Globally, the average percentage of funding that goes to local actors stands at a mere 1.2 per cent.In 2023, the IFRC also reinforced the fund’s capacity to respond quickly, effectively and transparently. In partnership with Aon, Lloyd’s Disaster Risk Facility and the Centre for Disaster Protection, it launchedIFRC-DREF Insurance. By leveraging public aid budgets to mobilize private resources and make donor contributions go further, IFRC-DREF aims to assist six million more people.Please click here to read thePledge Statements Sum-Up documentfor all details. For more information about the IFRC-DREF:Visit this page on our website.For more information,you canalsocontact:Florent Del Pinto (Manager, Emergency Operations Centre)[email protected] Mrdja (Manager, National Society and Government Partners)[email protected]

IFRC at COP29: Everyone deserves ample warning before disasters strike

Baku, Azerbaijan (13 November 2024) – With unprecedented flooding, storms and heatwaves taking an ever-greater toll on communities around the world, the IFRC has joined key UN climate agenciesin sounding the alarm about a critical, but too often overlooked, front-line defence against the climate crisis: early warning and early action.The call came during a high-level event at COP29 that aimed to take stock of the progress made so far byEarly Warnings for All(EW4All), an initiative spearheaded by the United Nations. The initiative aims to scale up early warning and early action in countries most impacted by climate-related emergencies.As the global lead for Pillar 4 of the initiative — “Preparedness to respond to warnings” — the IFRC is working with the UN and a wide range of other EW4All partners to ensure that everyone on earth is protected by early warning systems by 2027.The high-level meeting convened the four pillar co-leads, including theWorld Meteorological Organization (WMO), theUN Office on Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), theInternational Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the IFRC, as well as government representatives, humanitarian and environmental organizations, private-financing groups, and other key partners and supporters.Addressing the gathering, IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain said the world must not only increase funding for early warning, but also ensure investment reaches the local level, ensuring that communities most effected by the climate crises get the support they need."From satellites to sandbags, we’re building a seamless line of defence against climate risks,” Chapagain told the gathering. “Technology brings us early warnings from above, but it's the communities on the ground — filling sandbags and building resilience — who truly make these systems work.”The organizations represented at the meeting noted that the campaign is making progress, but they agreed that governments and finance organizations gathered at COP29 must deliver new climate finance goals to ensure the countries and communities most vulnerable to climate are adequately supported.UN Secretary General, António Guterres,who convened the event, noted that while the climate crisis impacts everyone, many countries suffer disproportionate consequences. One example is the increasing intensity of heatwaves.“This is on track to be the hottest year in the history books,” Guterres noted. “It has scorched countries and communities with temperatures that push the limits of human endurance. And around the world, we’ve seen record rains and hurricanes, historic fires, and deadly droughts.”“In this era of climate catastrophe, early warning systems and protection from extreme heat are not luxuries. They are necessities.”Beyond that, he noted, they are a sound investment, providing an almost ten-fold return, with standard occupational safety measures responding to extreme heat saving a potential US$360 billion a year. This sentiment was echoed by COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev, who cited estimates that investment in early warnings could avert losses of up to US $16 billion per year.Global Status of Multi-Hazard Early Warning SystemsThe good news is that, according to this year’s report on theGlobal Status of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS), the world is at its highest levels of reported early warning coverage since 2015.Conversely, there continues to be a disproportionate impact of disasters on different countries. The report shows that countries with less comprehensive MHEWS have a disaster-related mortality ratio that is nearly six times higher than that of countries with ‘substantial’ to ‘comprehensive’ coverage, and nearly four times more disaster-affected people.“Progress remains uneven. Half of the countries in Africa and only 40 per cent of countries in the Americas and the Caribbean have reported the existence of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems,” the report found. “But even among countries with such systems, many still have gaps in one or more of the four pillars: risk knowledge, forecasting and detection, warning dissemination, and early action.”Thirty countries were initially prioritized for fast-track action by the EW4ALL, but this has now been expanded. At the same time, new partners, including the private sector, are being brought on board to ensure broader reach and impact.The need is urgent. Modelled estimates show that between 2000 and 2019, approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths occurred each year, with 45 per cent of these in Asia and 36 per cent in Europe. Worldwide, the official diagnosis and reporting of heat-related illness, injuries and deaths are recognized to be under-reported.The WHO and WMO estimate that the global scale-up of heat health-warning systems for 57 countries alone has the potential to save an estimated 98,314 lives per year.IFRC: invest in communities most impactedWhat does that investment in prevention look like on the ground? For the IFRC, which is leading on the preparedness pillar of the initiative, the key to success lies in matching investments in early warning with the capacity of local organizations to act on those warnings. This means making investments in building up local systems, capacities and community preparedness to expand coverage of early and anticipatory action.Addressing this need for investment, Chapagain also gave an overview of IFRC’s 5-year ambition for extreme heat through theGlobal Climate Resilience Platform, aiming to reach 100 million people in 100 cities, mobilizing 500 million CHF.The IFRC is also calling for greater investment in multi-sector local action for cities and communities to reduce heat risk. This includes heat action plans, shock-responsive social protection systems and nature-based solutions that help communities better adapt and reduce risks. All relevant partners also need to work together to define triggers, update regulations, and raise awareness.The IFRC and its network of 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are well placed to play a key role in the EW4ALL.“Our mission with Early Warnings for All is to connect global resources with local action,” Chapagain concluded, “so that every community, no matter how remote, is prepared for what lies ahead."

IFRC at COP29: Invest when and where it matters most – early on, in the health of people hardest hit

Extreme heat and prolonged heatwaves.Unprecedented floods and storms in every corner of the globe.Dry spells and storms that defy precedent.These are some of the ways climate change is having profound and sometimes devastating impacts on the health of people and communities around the world. As world leaders met at the COP29 climate summit being in Baku, Azerbaijan (11-22 November), IFRC is once again spotlighting what it sees every day through its emergency responses to sudden floods, extreme heatwaves, prolonged drought, economic crisis and hunger.Not only are people dying, losing homes and livelihoods, the climate crisis is having long-lasting impacts on people’s health and well-being. Extreme heatwaves, floods and storms are putting more and more people at risk of infectious diseases and malnutrition while reducing their access to care.“The impacts of the climate crisis are having a massive effect on people’s health,”IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagainsaid during the first day of the COP29 Conference. “So we must address the health impacts in a very comprehensive way.”Equally important is how and when those issues are addressed, he adds. Financing and investment on community health and preparedness must not only be increased, they must be directed to local communities where it is needed most.“The investment has to be at the right level and they must reach the right place,”Chapagain said. “At the moment, there is not enough investment and that investment is not reaching the community level. Less than ten percent of climate financing reaches the community level.“We need to be supporting community action on the ground, where people are living and facing the consequences every day.”That investment cannot wait until after disaster strikes. “How and when do you make that investment is also important,”he added. “If you make the investment early – with early warning systems oranticaptory actions -- it saves lives, livelihoods and dollars.”A burning issueCase in point is the growing threat of extreme heat. In recent years, global temperature records are being broken month after month, as climate change makes heatwaves – an already silent and deadly killer – more extreme. Every year, heat kills almost half a million people worldwide.Yet only 0.5 percent of multilateral climate adaptation finance goes to health measures that could drastically reduce that number. Such health measures could also improve people’s well-being and save money in the long run. By 2030, experts predict between USD two to four billion in additional health costs will be incurred if adaptation action is not taken now.Solutions involve a range of actions, from buildingclimate-resilient cities and health systems, to developing national heat-action plans andearly-warning early-action protocols. Other actions would ensure that social protection and health systems are responsive to climate-related shocks, while nature-based solutions could harness the natural protective power of ecosystems to shield communities from extreme heat or storm surges.“As climate impacts intensify, health systems must adapt to protect the most vulnerable,” said Petra Khoury, Director of IFRC’s Health and Care Department, speaking at a special COP29 event organized by the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH), a programme hosted by WHO.“The IFRC network is on the frontlines, building climate-resilient health systems through community mobilization,” she said. "Solutions addressing the triple nexus of health, climate and migration should be community centered.“Bringing both host and displaced communities in the decision-making process and solutions is key to mitigating the impact of this nexus.”Among other things, the IFRC is working to scale up community level surveillance of climate–related diseases, deepen its existing community engagement efforts and broaden the scope of its work though a 'one health' approach.The ‘one health’ approach is a moreholistic way of improving human health by looking at the health of the environment in which people are living. For example, if livestock are rendered vulnerable to illness by heat, lack of food or water, that has a knock-on effect on human health. Up to 75 per cent of emerging infectious diseases that affect human beings start in animals.The IFRC is also heavily involved in street-by-street, house-by-house surveillance around diseases such as dengue, malaria and cholera, and many others, but climate change demands greater efforts in community engagement around disease tracking, prevention and response.To do all this, investments must be made at all levels – from national government budgets but also from multilateral development banks, multilateral climate funds, health financing institutions, bilateral development agencies, and private-sector actors.Putting this into action also means integrating health and heat action as part of a holistic approach to adaptation action in national climate plans, as well as enhancing coordination across government with local authorities, actors and communities.There have already been signs of progress. At COP28, the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience strengthened adaptation action while 151 countries signed the first-ever COP Climate and Health Declaration. And there is mounting awareness about the urgency of addressing the health impacts of heatwaves. IFRC continued to sound the alarm hosting the first Global Summit on Extreme Heat with our annual Heat Action Day on 2 June.Recent severe hurricanes – sometimes referred to as ‘monster storms’ – along with a spate of severe flooding in large parts ofEurope,Western and Central Africa, theAmericas andSoutheast Asia and Oceana are also showcasing the urgent need for this kind of local investment.These floods are displacing millions of people, leaving them without access to safe water and sanitation. Often the communities hit hardest also already are coping with limited access to safe water, sanitation, nutrition, healthcare and education.Whether COP29 is ultimately judged a success will depend on whether commitments are made toward reversing these realities with real investments in health, preparedness and early warning that reach the local level. “These are the three key areas – health, investment and timing – if we can make progress on these areas at COP29, I would see this as a success,” Chapagain concluded.More information:IFRC’s approach to health and careIFRC’s approach to the climate crisisWorld Meteorological Organization Early Warnings for All InitiativeIFRC Early Warnings for All page

National Society Investment Alliance (NSIA) announces 2024 funding

Following a rigorous review, the National Society Investment Alliance (NSIA)has announced this year’s funding decisions, which will provide approximately 3.6 million Swiss francs to support the continued organizational development of 13 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (National Societies) around the world.The NSIA is a joint, pooled fund of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). It provides flexible, multi-year funding to support the sustainable development of National Societies operating in complex emergencies, protracted crises and fragile contexts.The NSIA can award up to one million Swiss francs of accelerator funding to National Societies over a maximum of five years.In addition, bridge grants of up to 50,000 Swiss francs over 12 months can help National Societies lay the groundwork for future investment from the NSIA or from other National Society development initiatives. Click here for more information about accelerator and bridge grants.In 2024, the NSIA Office received 27 eligible proposals: 13 for accelerator funding and 14 for bridge grants. Following a rigorous review process and decision by the Steering Committee, the NSIA Office announced the five National Societies selected in 2024 for accelerator funding:Burkinabe Red Cross SocietyMali Red CrossRed Cross Society of the Democratic Republic of the CongoRwandan Red CrossUkrainian Red Cross SocietyThese National Societies will receive substantial funding to support their journey toward long-term financial sustainability and impact. All five have previously received NSIA grants, reinforcing the effectiveness of NSIA’s phased funding approach.The Rwandan Red Cross Society aims to improve its financial independence by expanding its hospitality services, constructing a 40-room hostel to generate revenue for core activities and future investments.The Ukrainian Red Cross Society will establish in-house, face-to-face fundraising teams and digital systems to build a reliable income stream from regular donors, reducing reliance on external funds.The Mali Red Crosswill strengthen its commercial first aid services through team expansion and product diversification, supporting financial stability.The Red Cross Society of the Democratic Republic of the Congo will expand its Model Branch programme, building capacity through volunteer network growth and improved management.Finally, the Burkinabe Red Cross Society will focus on income-generating initiatives, governance improvements, and volunteer engagement across provincial committees, building a robust base for sustainable humanitarian action.In addition to the accelerator grants, the NSIA has awarded bridge grants to eight National Societies: the Afghan Red Crescent Society, Cameroon Red Cross Society, Ethiopian Red Cross Society, Ghana Red Cross Society, Iraqi Red Crescent Society, Mozambique Red Cross Society, Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Red Cross of Chad.Most of these bridge grants aim at enhancing financial sustainability and resource mobilization through targeted business plans, infrastructure development, and capacity-building initiatives. Over half of these initiatives aim to improve organizational resilience by drafting plans for income-generating facilities, such as manufacturing first aid kits in Ethiopia, producing textiles for disaster preparedness in Iran, and opening a multidisciplinary training centre in Chad.Additional efforts focus on building strategic partnerships and improving local fundraising, like in Mozambique, while some projects prioritize volunteer, youth and branch development, as seen in Cameroon and Iraq.The NSIA Office extends its appreciation to the governments of Switzerland and Norway, and to the Norwegian and Netherlands Red Cross Societies, as well as the IFRC and ICRC, for their sustained partnership.NSIA remains a key instrument for empowering National Societies to achieve sustainable development and lead locally driven humanitarian action. This commitment was underscored at the recent side event to the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, “Do More with Less in Fragile/Protracted Crisis Countries: Investing in National Society Development.”The event convened a diverse audience of state representatives, National Societies, and partners, emphasizing the importance of supporting local action. As highlighted by the Uganda Red Cross Society, NSIA support has helped them navigate challenging conditions and achieve greater sustainability, demonstrating the impact of strategic, long-term investment.For more information, please visit the NSIA webpage.

Humanitarian-sector first as worldwide insurance policy pays climate disaster costs

Coinciding with COP29, the IFRC’s ‘world-first’ indemnity insurance policy demonstrates an innovative approach to financing costs of climate risk.Insurance policy – developed by Aon - was triggered in mid-September. From then, and until the end of the year, allocations from IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (‘IFRC-DREF’) are being met by the financial sector - not draining IFRC or National Red Cross/Red Crescent resourcesA ‘pledging conference’ on 8 November asked donors to contribute to the policy premium as well as to the fund directly, knowing that any premium financing help could be multiplied by the insurance when it’s needed most. Geneva – 12November 2024A commercial insurance payout has paid the bill for more than CHF 7M worth of climate disaster response costs since an innovative insurance policy triggered in September. By the end of the year, as disasters continue, it could pay as much as CHF15M towards the recovery efforts of some of the poorest communities on Earth.The IFRC-DREF is a vital fund that provides immediate support for National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies when disasters strike, especially for smaller-scale emergencies that may not attract global attention. Up to the end of 2022, the fund always ran the risk of running dry before a year’s end. That prompted the IFRC, in 2023, to secure a groundbreaking indemnity insurance policy developed by Aon – the first ever created for the humanitarian sector.For an annual premium of around CHF3M, the IFRC-DREF ‘pot’ has been insured on an indemnity basis. A potential payout of almost CHF15M is available if, or when, demands on the IFRC-DREF fund because of natural hazard-associated disasters hit a certain threshold – a ‘deductible’ set at CHF33M in one calendar year. For the rest of the calendar year, further demands on the IFRC-DREF for natural hazard disasters in ODA (‘official development assistance’) countries are covered by the insurance payout, up to that total maximum of CHF15M.In 2023, the threshold was not reached so the policy did not pay out. But in 2024 it was. It was an allocation to respond to Super Typhoon Yagi in Asia in September that tipped IFRC-DREF spend over the insurance trigger threshold.Since then, the insurance policy has paid towards disaster recovery efforts in:Vietnam - for Typhoon Yagi (17 September 2024)Nigeria – for floods (18 September 2024)South Sudan – for floods (18 September 2024)Niger - for floods (18 September 2024)Algeria – for floods (19 September 2024)Bolivia – for wildfires (21 September 2024)Mali – for floods (30 September 2024)Sierra Leone – for floods (10 March 2024)Nepal – for floods and landslides (2 October 2024)Lao PDR – for floods (16 October 2024)Sri Lanka – for floods (24 October 2024)Cuba – for Hurricane Oscar (28 October 2028)The effectiveness of IFRC-DREF insurance is a potential game-changer for the humanitarian sector.IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain said:“Innovative insurance for our Disaster Response Emergency Fund gives us financial security to help communities made vulnerable by climate change when they need that help most. It gives our donors the confidence to support us knowing their contributions to the insurance premium could be multiplied many times over if needs demand it. And it sets a welcome precedent for the whole humanitarian sector in terms of how innovative finance can boost our collective responses.”Eric Andersen, President of Aon said:“Floods in Algeria, typhoons in Vietnam and wildfires in Bolivia left 43 million people impacted by disaster in September alone. At Aon, we believe funding should not, and cannot, stop emergency aid. The IFRC-DREF insurance policy expands the impact and scale of emergency aid by the IFRC and is proof that the private sector can do more to support humanitarian organizations and our world's most vulnerable populations."On 8 November, the IFRC hosted its annual ‘pledging conference’ in Geneva when donors wereencouraged to help with the insurance premium for IFRC-DREF insurance in the knowledge that, in a year that needs it, their donation could potentially be multiplied many times over.Overall, donors committed more than CHF 73M to the DREF, including an amount to cover thh insurance premium. Overall, that means the fund is worth over CHF 85M in emergency funding should that amount be needed.At the COP29 climate conference in Baku, much discussion is focused on how to secure reliable finance to tackle increasingly severe and frequent climate-caused hazards. The IFRC’s DREF insurance is an example of the sort of innovation needed and will be at the heart of the talks Notes to journalists More data is available by searching ‘DREF’ under ‘Appeal Type’ at the ‘IFRC’s Go Platform’. More information is here: IFRC-DREF InsuranceIFRC-DREF insurance is co-funded by InsuResilience Solutions Fund (ISF) to support project preparatory work, development and refinement of the insurance product as well as premium funding.IFRC-DREF insurance is also made possible by generous support in paying the premium, particularly from the British Red Cross, the Danish Red Cross and the British government (FCDO).IFRC-DREF has provided rapid and efficient funding to local Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before and after disasters strike since 1979. However, with the increasing frequency and intensity of disasters, particularly due to climate change, the demand for humanitarian assistance continues to grow.The IFRC has plans to grow its IFRC-DREF insurance, to widen coverage beyond disasters caused by natural hazards - to epidemics and anticipatory action, for example. It hopes grant donors will see the added value of contributing to the IFRC-DREF fund if their humanitarian contributions could potentially be multiplied in particularly calamitous years.For more information, for interviews, for video of IFRC and Red Cross Red Crescent responses to disasters contact [email protected] Geneva:Andrew Thomas: +41 76 367 6587Hannah Copeland: +41 76 236 9109

IFRC-ICRC Joint Statement: Concrete actions urgently needed following commitments at the Red Cross and Red Crescent International Conference

Geneva, 31 October (ICRC/IFRC) - The Red Cross and Red Crescent International Conference has concluded today with the endorsement of five key resolutions, aimed at advancing humanitarian solutions to global challenges.Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said: "Across today’s conflicts, we see devastating human suffering from the lack of respect for international humanitarian law (IHL). The conference reaffirmed the collective responsibility to uphold these essential rules. In today ́s highly polarized context, this is a critical achievement, and we will build on it to continue promoting a culture of compliance with IHL, and to translate these resolutions into impactful actions for those affected by conflict."Kate Forbes, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said: “This week’s conference underscores that locally led solutions with global support are paramount to our work. They enable the people we serve to best meet the challenges of the future. I’m grateful for the spirit of solidarity from our National Societies, Movement colleagues and authorities who have made this important work possible. As we look to the future, it is incumbent upon us to carry these resolutions forward with renewed commitment and purpose.”The conference brought together 191 signatory governments of the Geneva Conventions, along with 186 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).This apolitical forum, held every four years, has historically driven significant humanitarian progress, including the shaping of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the global campaign to ban landmines, and initiatives for pandemic preparedness.The endorsed resolutions are:1. Building a culture of compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL): This renews the commitment of States to uphold IHL, aiming to reduce human suffering by reinforcing its application. The Resolution insists that States act to promote compliance with IHL, including by convincing warring parties to put an end to violations, seeking the commitment of States at the highest levels of leadership to comply with IHL and complying with their obligations on arms transfers. It also includes concrete actions such as updating national laws, training armed forces, ratifying treaties, and strengthening national IHL bodies to ensure these essential protections remain effective amid today’s complex conflicts.2. Protecting civilians and other vulnerable groups from the human cost of information and communications technologies (ICT) during armed conflict: This newly adopted resolution sends a powerful message that all States and national societies are committed to safeguarding civilian populations from malicious ICT activities. This broad support for protecting civilians and the consensus that these operations must comply with IHL is encouraging. Building on this momentum, the ICRC will prioritise efforts to ensure effective implementation of the resolution, guided by our commitment to fostering a universal culture of compliance with IHL.3. Strengthening disaster risk governance through comprehensive legal and regulatory frameworks: This will ensure the ongoing global strengthening of disaster laws and policies in the context of an increasingly hazardous world, with a particular focus on low to middle income countries, and the IFRC’s new Disaster Risk Governance Guidelines playing a key role.4. Enabling local leadership, capacity and delivery in principled humanitarian action and strengthening resilience: This resolution will focus on localisation within the Movement, aiming to enhance support for our National Societies and local actors around the globe in delivering effective, community-driven humanitarian responses across disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, pandemic preparedness, and crisis recovery.5. Protecting people from the humanitarian impacts of extreme climate and weather events: In light of escalating climate-related disasters and their compounding effects on humanitarian challenges, this resolution provides the framework for collaboration between State Parties and the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement to expand anticipatory action, ensuring better disaster preparation and humanitarian response.For information on all the resolutions, see here.For media:For further information or for interviews, including with representatives of the IFRC, ICRC and National Societies delegates – many still in Geneva for the International Conference – contact:IFRC: [email protected]: [email protected]

New IFRC Youth Commission leader: Young volunteers want real influence, not ‘box-checking’ exercises

Young people do not fit into “cookie-cutter” stereotypes, says Michelle Chew, IFRC’s newly elected Youth Commission Chair. “Young people are very diverse and only by valuing and accepting all forms of young people can we engage communities properly.” While young people are gaining influence, she says efforts to engage with youth can seem like “box-checking exercises” that end up turning young people away. As someone with experience as a front-line volunteer with Malaysian Red Crescent ambulance crews, she says she’ll do her best to ensure the voices of young, community-based first responders are represented in the strategies, plans and decisions made by IFRC’s Governing Board.

Inspiring people: By the time you finish this article, you’ll be ready to change the world

They come from all over. They are old, they are young, and they share one thing in common: they are all changing the lives of people around them. A volunteer in Ghana with an entrepreneurial spirit. A teacher helping disabled children break the barriers that hold them back. A medical doctor giving the gift of sight to people without access to health care. A woman who brings live saving medical care to migrants in the Sonoran Desert, and a man who has dedicated his life to expanding humanitarian services in Niger. All these people also share one other common bond: They are all winners of IFRC’s most prestigious prize, the Henry Davison Award, named after the organization’s founder. Here are their stories.Warning: This article may motivate you to start a project, get involved in a local organisation, or volunteer at your local Red Cross or Red Crescent branch. Dr Uraiwan Tinnungwattana: A woman with a visionFor many around the world, basic eye care is something that can be taken for granted. But for many others, even the most basic eye care is completely out of reach. They cannot afford an eye exam, or a pair of glasses, let alone more elaborate treatments.Enter Dr Uraiwan Tinnungwattana, anophthalmologist with the Thai Red Cross Medical Services Unit with a vision: to bring eye care to thousands of people living in marginalised communities around Thailand and neighbouring countries.Dr Tinnungwattana has been at the forefront of Thai Red Cross efforts to increase accessibility to eye care at the community level with tools such as the mobile, eye-surgical unit, which travels to remote areasd to bring better vision services to children and others.During the last 29 years, she has performed no-cost eye surgeries to over 285,000 people in Thailand who would otherwise not have been able to afford or access that care. She has restored sight to more than 75,000 vulnerable patients.“I’m so glad that I can see again,” said one woman as she recovered from a recent eye surgery at a mobile Thai eye-care clinic. “I feel like I have been reborn.”Dr Tinnungwattana also helped oversee the transformation of a donated trailer into a mobile eye surgery clinic, as well as the acquisition of a fully-equipped optical trailer that can manufacture eyeglasses on-site and has helped the Thai Red Cross distribute over 96,500 free pairs or eyeglasses to students. Meanwhile, the “better vision services for school children” initiative has now screened over 7.86 million children since 1997.Abudi Razak: Inspiring youth with an entrepreneurial spiritClimate change is impacting everyone in Ghana, says Abuki Razak, but it’s having very particular effect on young Ghanians. “The northern part of Ghana is facing drought, the southern part of Ghana is facing floods,” says Razak, a volunteer and national youth president for the Ghana Red Cross. “These unpredictable weather conditions have prevented farmers from having adequate crop yields.”Many young people who rely on agriculture, or related businesses, are unemployed. “Climate change is disrupting their means of getting income,” he adds. “And meanwhile, there is a high cost of living in West Africa.”In response, Razak’s has been motivating young people to take matters into their own hands, getting them involved in project that he describes as “climate-preneurship”. In one recent initiative, be brought other young people together tobuild a solar powered harvesting machine that uses solar power to roll across fields, pick ground nuts and sort them.“We are doing this specifically for women farmers because they are the people that are facing a lot of the negative impact of this climate crisis,” he says.In a world where opportunity does not always come through institutional challenges, young people are using new technology, their own creativity and inventiveness to find solutions.“I try as much as I can to get people into the spirit that something can be done,” says Razak, who also serves as president of West Coast Red Cross youth (includes Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Liberia). As part of that role, he has trained more than 200 young leaders around issues of gender and minority issues and he has worked to encourage women into active leadership in his National Society. His latest initiative enlists young peoplein West Coast countries to raise awareness about non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure (a big killer in western Africa).Standing tall: A teacher breaking down barriers“My disability is my short stature,”says Gülhan Ince, teacher and leader within the Turkish Red Crescent’s Without Barriers initiative. “Like all disabled individuals, I have faced many challenges. Going through my adolescence was very difficult. However, I succeeded in fighting against these challenges.”Now, as aa president and regional representative for Without Barriers, shefacilitates engagement of volunteers with disabilities in projects that improves lives and alleviates suffering within their communities.“Having experienced many difficulties as a disabled person I try to help my disabled siblings as much as I can,” she adds. “When a disability unit was established at the Turkish Red Crescent, I volunteered and now our work is ongoing.”The devastating earthquake that shookTürkiye on 6 February, 2023 brought the critical importance of this work to the fore. Many died, were injured and thousands now live with permanent, physical disabilities.“With the unity of our state and our people, we thankfully overcame these tough days. Disabled children and individuals must first be accepted by society. We need to start working on this with our youngest children.”“We strive to demonstrate that physical characteristics are not important and that when given opportunities, they can achieve great things. Many of our children have succeeded in these efforts.“A few of our students have proven their success by going to university. Seeing this progress in our children makes us, as families and the Red Crescent team, very happy and motivates us to work even harder.”Rosa Guadalupe Gonzales Bucio: Humanity on wheelsIn communities on the southern side of Nogales, a city that straddles the US Mexican border in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, Rosa Guadalupe Gonzales Bucioto is well known to many.Health personnel, local authorities, consular representatives, social organizations, local merchants – everyone knows this determined, red-clad woman who drives an all-terrain vehicle through the streets and remote dirt paths in and around Nogales.It’s here that she drives the Mexican Red Cross all-terrain vehicle, providing life-saving humanitarian aid to people who have travelled across the desert, often in desperate need of water, first-aid, food or a safe place to rest.“Lupita,” as she is affectionately known, is an emergency medical technician, the focal point of the Mexican Red Cross's humanitarian aid for vulnerable migrants on the Mexican side of Nogales, a city that straddles the United States and Mexican border.For many migrants, Mexico is the last step in the journey that people from all over the world undertake to reach the United States. In 2023 alone, there were more than 2.4 million attempts to cross the border between the two countries, which the United Nations called the world's deadliest land migration route.In 2023, at least 686 migrants lost their lives on this route and almost half of them did so trying to cross arid landscapes such as the Sonoran Desert, the one Lupita drives through every day. This is what motivates her to keep driving and saving lives. “Their stories continue to move me as they did on the !rst day,” she says.Ali Bandiaré: Nurturing humanity in NigerLocated in the heart of the Sahel — the arid band or terrain that stretches across the African continent south of the Sahara Desert — the country of Niger is coping with some of the world’s most complex and extreme humanitarian challenges.On the one hand, there’s drought and extreme heat and, on the other, there are severe flash floods. A key crossroads for people migrating from various parts of southern Africa, Niger is also dealing with instability caused by armed violence in large area of the country. Due to ongoing insecurity, meanwhile, international relief efforts cannot access many communities.These are some of the reasons why the long-standing dedication of Ali Bandiaré has been so critical to improving the humanitarian situation in Niger. Animated by deeply held humanitarian principles, Bandiaré has played an essential role in developing and expanding the reach of the Niger Red Cross, a trusted, local humanitarian organisation that is uniquely able to bring services in Niger’s most vulnerable communities.In 1983, the organization had only one building and less than 300,000 CFA francs (about 500 USD) in its accounts. Under Bandiaré's leadership, the Nigerien Red Cross expanded significantly, establishing headquarters in all eight regions and more than half of the country’s 74 departments. His focus on humanitarian diplomacy, advocacy, and regular field missions has helped address the needs of the most vulnerable, particularly during food insecurity crises and climate-change challenges. His ability to bring in and work with partners has allowed the Niger Red Cross to cover a wide range of initiatives, from emergency response to long-term development projects. Thanks to his efforts, Niger is far more able to address the impacts of climate change, migration and displacement caused by armed violence, demonstrating proactive measures in disaster management and resilience building.

Joint statement issued 22 October 2024 by IFRC President Kate Forbes and Secretary General Jagan Chapagain at the IFRC General Assembly.

We continue to witness an escalation of violence which is further undermining efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance and uphold human dignity.We live in a world, where fragmentation threatens unity, where disregard for international humanitarian law has become alarmingly commonplace, and where our humanitarian principles are continuously challenged and misinterpreted.Humanitarian assistance requires an enabling environment, free of conditions and pressure, so it can reach everyone in need, without exception.It is time to prioritize dialogue and peace for those who are caught in the crossfire of conflicts and other crises.It is time for the guns to fall silent. We ask you to stand with us in pursuit of peace, reaffirming our commitment to human dignity, protection and humanity for all.

International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement Joint Statement on the 2024 Council of Delegates Outcomes

Geneva, 29 October 2024 – The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement concluded the 2024 Council of Delegates in Geneva on Monday, 28 October. At the Council representatives of all 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, alongside the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), met to reaffirm the Movement's mission and adopt critical resolutions in response to today’s unprecedented humanitarian challenges.The Council of Delegatesserves as the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's platform for strategic direction and consensus-building, strengthening the unity and coordination required to address issues affecting humanity globally. Held once every two years, this meeting precedes the International Conference, setting the stage for dialogue with state representatives on pressing humanitarian concerns and forming a united front for principled action.This year, nine resolutions were adopted, reflecting an urgent commitment to address crises that demand immediate, decisive action. Key areas addressed included:Enhanced Protection Measures: Establishing comprehensive, unified standards for protection across the Movement, ensuring that individuals impacted by conflict, disaster, and emergencies receive robust support and advocacy.Migration Strategy 2024–2030: Launching a strategy to bolster the Movement's capacity to support migrants, emphasising dignity, safety, and coordinated, principled action amid increasing global migration challenges.Humanitarian Disarmament: Redoubling efforts to mitigate the humanitarian impact of weaponry, including nuclear arms, landmines, arms transfers, and autonomous weapon systems, with a strengthened resolve to advocate for disarmament and reduced civilian harm.Urban Warfare: Making a powerful appeal to global actors to prevent the extensive devastation and suffering caused by urban warfare, urging adherence to international humanitarian laws and protections for civilians caught in urban conflict zones.Commitment to Principled Humanitarian Action: Reasserting the Movement's foundational principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence, the Council called for immediate responses to uphold these values, particularly as they are tested in complex modern crises.The Council of Delegates underscored that these resolutions are not mere statements but urgent calls to action, reflecting the Movement’s dedication to reducing human suffering. With these resolutions, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement reaffirmed its commitment to stand by the world’s most vulnerable populations.For information on all the resolutions: https://rcrcconference.org/For further information or for interviews, including with representatives of the IFRC, ICRC and National Societies delegates – many still in Geneva for the International Conference – contact:IFRC: [email protected]: [email protected]

Red Cross and Red Crescent Present Five Resolutions to Tackle Global Humanitarian Challenges at its 34th International Conference

Geneva (ICRC/IFRC) – The 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent taking place 28-31 October brings together one of the world’s largest humanitarian networks, including 191 National Societies, together with 196 states party to the Geneva Conventions. The meeting, which takes place every four years, will focus on five key resolutions aimed at advancing humanitarian solutions to global challenges.As an apolitical and purely humanitarian forum, this year’s meeting comes at a critical time, amid headlines dominated by escalating conflicts and disasters, underscoring the urgency of refocusing the world´s attention on the populations facing today´s crises.Kate Forbes, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC),said: "In an increasingly polarized world, the International Conference highlights the importance of our global Movement in tackling today’s complex challenges. The Red Cross and Red Crescent serve as an example of the best of humanity in turbulent times.”Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said: “The unbearable levels of suffering caused by today’s conflicts demand immediate action. Too many communities are being destroyed and too many families torn apart in today’s warzones. The international community must urgently reaffirm its commitment to international humanitarian law and prioritize protecting civilians. Strengthening this consensus is essential to our shared humanity."The conference agenda focuses on pressing humanitarian issues, such as compliance with international humanitarian law, the protection of civilians and aid workers, the impact of digital technologies on warfare, and enabling locally-led action. The resolutions aim to guide global humanitarian action and address emerging challenges, including: Building a Universal Culture of Compliance with International Humanitarian Law:This resolution promotes international humanitarian law (IHL) by encouraging states to support universal respect for IHL, including protections for civilians and humanitarian workers.Protecting Civilians from the Humanitarian Impact of Digital Technologies in Armed Conflict:As digital warfare risks escalate, this proposal sends a clear signal that all states and Red Cross and Red Crescent societies recognize the potential human cost of malicious ICT activities and commit to safeguard civilians and critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.Strengthening Disaster Risk Governance:This resolution calls for comprehensive legal frameworks to improve disaster risk management and enhance global resilience in response to disasters.Enabling Local Leadership and Strengthening Resilience in Humanitarian Action:Emphasizing local ownership, this initiative encourages sustainable, community-led responses to crises by empowering local actors in humanitarian efforts.Protecting People from Climate-Related Humanitarian Impacts:In response to the growing threat of climate change, this resolution calls for anticipatory action and global cooperation to mitigate the humanitarian consequences of extreme weather events on vulnerable populations.The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has a long history of advancing international humanitarian law and neutral, impartial humanitarian action. Past International Conferences have driven significant progress, including in shaping the Geneva Conventions of 1949, defining the humanitarian principles for humanitarian action recognized globally, or the launch of the global campaign to ban landmines and the adoption of disaster relief guidelines. Recent conferences have addressed issues like gender-based violence, mental health, and pandemic preparedness. This year's resolutions reaffirm the Movement's commitment to adapt and respond to evolving challenges in humanitarian work.Every discussion at this year’s International Conference is a step toward easing the suffering of people affected by conflict, disaster, and crisis. While reflecting on these successes and addressing new challenges, the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement reaffirms the importance of this apolitical space in advancing solutions that protect their dignity and rights.

Climate change, economic uncertainty and the future of volunteering: IFRC youth leader takes on the hot issues impacting young people

When Bas van Rossum was elected to represent youth on the IFRC Governing Board, he was the youngest person to ever serve in that role. Now as he steps down as president of IFRC’s Youth Commission, he talks about the challenges that defined his tenure. “Young people are perhaps the closest to the front lines,” he says in this special episode, recorded during the IFRC Youth Forum and released on the first day of the IFRC General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. “So it's really important that we listen to young volunteers and that we give them space to really shape the direction we're heading.”

From Geneva, with love: Red Cross Red Crescent meetings kick off with call to protect humanitarian workers and to put young volunteers in the driver’s seat

As Red Cross and Red Crescent representatives from around the world gathered in Geneva, Switzerland yesterday, IFRC president Kate Forbes laid out what is at stake for humanitarian workers and people impacted by natural disasters, conflict and other crises.“Today, our work is increasingly difficult,” she told the gathering. “Global conflicts have escalated, endangering civilians and our volunteers, making it even more difficult to deliver humanitarian aid.“The surge in violence against humanitarian workers underscores a decline in the adherence to international humanitarian law and poses a direct threat to our mission.”In 2024 alone, she noted, the IFRC network of National Societies has lost 30 of its volunteers in the line of duty. The most recent death was a Sudanese volunteer named Sadel, killed while providing life-saving assistance at his local hospital.“Each loss is a deep one for both the communities we serve and for our global network, weakening our ability to support those in need -- but not weakening our resolve to directly address these crises,” she continued.As part of its ongoing efforts to protect humanitarian workers, the IFRC launched the Protect Humanity campaign earlier this year to build awareness and rally support with protection of volunteers and staff.During the opening ceremony for the Statutory Meetings of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which include the General Assembly, The Council of Delegates and the International Conference, Forbes also announced the establishment of The Red Family Fund, designed to provide financial support to the families of those who have died in the line of duty.“This is a tangible step that demonstrates our commitment to honor those who care for others,” she told those gathered.The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, also spoke at the opening ceremony. She stressed the urgent need to protect people living in places impacted by conflict and violence and she emphasized the critical role National Societies play in supporting and accompanying communities in their path toward recovery.Audience members were also given a chance to express themselves as participants responded to critical humanitarian questions via mobile phone apps. The responses were used to generate online surveys and even a word cloud that envisioned a future centered on youth, community, resilience, and innovation.Youth Forum sets the stageSetting the stage for the General Assembly, the 2024 IFRC Youth Forum got underway on 22 October with 85 Red Cross and Red Crescent youth representatives from around the world participating."I want to congratulate you for speaking up for young people,” IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain told the gathering, adding that he remains committed to ensuring that young volunteers and leaders play a key role in influencing strategy and decision making. “It's time for you, as young leaders, to show us the way."The outgoing chair of the Youth Commision, Bas van Rossum, agreed. Van Rossum was the youngest person to have ever served as youth representative on the IFRC Governing Board as chairman of the Youth Commission.Now, nine years later, he steps down as president of IFRC’s Youth Commission, but he still champions the role of youth in setting the course of humanitarian response.“Young people are perhaps the closest to the front lines,” he said, in a special episode of the People in the Red Vest podcast, recorded as the Youth Forum was underway. “So, it's really important that we listen to young volunteers and that we give them space to really shape the direction we're heading.”Fostering youth leadershipThe forum was also a chance for young leaders to meet directly with senior IFRC leadership. Milena Chacón from the Costa Rican Red Cross moderated a panel with IFRC President Kate Forbes, who talked about a wide range of issues, including migration challenges in her home state of Arizona, in the southern United States, focusing on the trauma faced by children.She highlighted a program by a young Mexican Red Cross volunteer that helps migrant children express their feelings. Forbes shared her journey from local volunteer to president of the IFRC, emphasizing the Red Cross's role in developing management skills and youth engagement.Forbes also addressed the need for diversity in youth councils, advocating for gender balance and inclusion of people with disabilities to inspire more diverse leadership.For their part, the young volunteers in the audience expressed the importance of being involved in diverse parts of the network, and the importance of having a voice in finding and implementing global solutions.Youth Engagement Strategy 2024One panel discussion led by Maryna Kozhedub, a volunteer with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, explored the challenges young people face today.Luciana Marino from the Argentine Red Cross discussed three key issues affecting young people in South America: poverty, unemployment, and migration. She noted that poverty and unemployment often contribute to migration.Djamira Zorom from the Burkinabe Red Cross Society described the challenges that female leaders face in Africa. She explained that she had to work hard to gain the trust of her superiors and prove herself as a capable woman in a leadership position.Johnson Apamumu from the Papua New Guinea Red Cross highlighted the generational gap as a significant issue facing young people. He emphasized the need for a more open and understanding environment between generations.What is the IFRC General Assembly?As the supreme body of the IFRC, the Assembly meets every two years and determines the vision and strategy of the IFRC, and the general policies that govern the International Federation and the National Societies.Key elements such as trust and integrity, localization, volunteering and investing in National Societies have guided the preparations for the Statutory Meetings, which will provide an opportunity to discuss how we can remain relevant as an organization.This year, the Assembly took place along with an International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which is hosted along with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Harnessing Technology for Humanitarian Efforts

In a world where digital solutions are crucial, the IFRC, the Spanish Red Cross, French Red Cross and Kenya Red Cross Society are leading the way in transforming how volunteering data is managed globally. Powered by CiviCRM, our Volunteer Data Management System (VDMS) streamlines and enhances the efficiency of volunteer operations across National Societies.

2024 Triggers First-Ever Insurance Payout for Disaster Fund

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

Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF)

IFRC Disaster Law

IFRC - General resources

IFRC-DREF Pledging Conference

Leading donors from around the world gather each year at the IFRC secretariate in Geneva, Switzerland to pledge new or renewed funding to the IFRC's Disaster Response Emergency Fund, moving the fund a significant step closer to its strategicambition of growing IFRC-DREF to 100 million Swiss Francs by 2025. 

Taking action on heat: Getting ahead of extreme heat by taking their message to the streets

In anticipation of the upcoming heatwave season in Lebanon, the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) has embarked on a comprehensive campaign to raise awareness and equip vulnerable people with the knowledge and resources they need to stay safe during extreme heat.The campaign picked up steam on 2 June — Heat Action Day — when LRC volunteers took to the streets, distributing flyers containing preventive measures in numerous communities. They went to construction sites, gas stations, police stations, places of worship, supermarkets and pharmacies. They even left fliers on car windshields.Recognizing the importance of hydration during extreme heat, the LRC also distributed water bottles to residents in targeted communities, prioritizing those most vulnerable to heat-related health risks.The LRC also shared Heat Action Day flyers across its social media platforms, using the hashtag #BeatTheHeat, and encouraging their followers to re-share. The National Society is also actively engaging with the media to disseminate vital information about heatwave preparedness and preventative measures.Beyond heat action dayBut the National Society emphasized that these actions will continue well beyond Heat Action Day, an international day of events aimed at bringing attention to the increasing risk of heat waves.“This initiative is beyond a single action day since as LRC we are actively promoting resilience and anticipation as a core humanitarian call, ensuring our permanent commitment to support communities and vulnerable groups”, said Kassem Chaalan, the Lebanese Red Cross’s Director of Disaster Risk Reduction.Throughout the week just following Heat Action Day, the LRC conducted a massive awareness campaign on heatwaves within the Lebanese Territory. To address the heatwave season, LRC will continue to deliver awareness sessions through October.A global day of actionThe Lebanese Red Cross is just one of many National Societies that joined local and global organizations, private enterprises and individuals around the world to amplify their messages and prevention efforts during Heat Action Day.For many, Heat Action Day is an opportunity to highlight actions they feel compelled to take due to increased number of heatwaves and extreme heat days caused by climate change. These actions are as varied as they are colorful and creative.The Indian Red Cross, for example, used the occasion to put the spotlight on the wide range of work its volunteers do throughout the country, setting up streetside water stations and handing out information about how to stay healthy during a heatwave, among many other activities.The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) co-organized a workshop that centred around ExtremeHeatRisk Study being done in partnership with a leading, Indonesian meteorological society based in Jakarta. It also launched aheat awareness campaign ithat coincided with Car Free Day in the city of Surabaya, encouraging community engagement in various eco-friendly Sunday morning activities, including parades, music and much more.Beyond the Red Cross and Red CrescentMany organizations outside the Red Cross Red Crescent network also got involved.As heat waves swept across mush of the Asia Pacific region, the Asian Development Bank took up the call, issuing statements and sponsoring workshops that promoted heatwave resilience and awareness about "heat stress" and the need for gender-responsive actions.In Dallas, Texas, in the United States, high-school students put together an educational podcast to highlight steps that can be taken to mitigate rising temperatures as part of an environmental architecture class.In Kampala, Uganda, a youth group used football to raise awareness by issuing eco-friendly gifts such as tree seedlings that aim to shift the balance between the number of trees being planted versus the number of trees being cut down.InZanzibar, Tanzania, scuba divers who often entertain tourists do their diving with displays encouraging people to drink more water, check on family members and other small but important preventive measures.And around the world, people created paintings, large outdoor murals and other works of art as part of a global effort to raise awareness through art. These are just a few of the many ways in which people used Heat Action Day to spread the word, share ideas and bring more people to the task of taking action on extreme heat.

New report: Climate change added average of 26 days of extreme heat over last year

On Tuesday (28 May), Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, World Weather Attribution and Climate Central released a report looking at the role climate change played in increasing the number of extreme heat days around the world over the last twelve months. It was already known that 2023 was the hottest on record. The report confirmed that almost all the world’s population was affected by extreme heat days caused by human-induced climate change. Across all places in the world, an average of 26 days were ‘excess’ extreme heat days which would probably not have occurred without climate change. (Methodology below)Heat Action Day – organised by the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre – draws attention to the threat of extreme heat and what can be done to mitigate it.National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world are sharing ideas via a dedicated website. As part of a ‘Heat Action Sprint’ - organised alongside USAID and launched at a Heat Summit in late March – people are being urged to hold events and share artwork to highlight the danger of extreme heat to lives and livelihoods.Attention is needed this year more than any other.Why?There is an ongoing extreme heatwave in Asia – across Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Malaysiaand The Philippines.Across Bangladesh alone, the extreme heat has hit 57 of 64 districts, well over 120 millionpeople. In Myanmaran extreme temperature of 48.2°C was recorded on 28 April – the highest ever in the country.In Nepal, the city of Nepalgunjisin the grip of weeks of temperatures of more than 40°C.There have been long-lasting recent heatwaves this year across swathes of Africatoo.Extreme heat is known to have killed tens of thousands of people over the last 12 months, but the real number is likely in the hundreds of thousands or even millions. Unlike sudden ‘event’ weather disasters, heatwaves kill more slowly and less obviously; they are often exacerbatorsof pre-existing medical conditions.Heatwaveshit the vulnerable the hardest – the young, the old, the poor and those obliged to work outdoors.National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are at the forefront of actions to mitigate extreme heat. In Bangladesh, for example, a first-ever ‘Early Action Protocol’ was launched last month, targeting 123,700 people with early warning messages, safe drinking water and oral saline solution,and cooling stations. In Nepal, a three-year collaboration (between the IFRC, the Nepal Red Cross Society, city authorities and others) in the city of Nepalgunjhas culminated in a detailed Heat Action Plan which is serving as a best-in-class example for cities around the world. Cities are where extreme heat is most dangerous so that’s where efforts are focused. Locally-ledplans and adaptation, early warning systems, information campaigns and efforts focused on the most vulnerable are what saves lives. Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary-General, said:“Flooding and hurricanes may capture the headlines, but the impacts of extreme heat are equally deadly. That’s why Heat Action Day matters so much. We need to focus attention on climate change’s silent killer. The IFRC is making heat - and urban action to reduce its impacts - a priority and remains committed to working with communities that are at risk of extreme heat through our global network of National Societies.”Aditya V. Bahadur, Director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre said:“This report provides overwhelming scientific evidence that extreme heat is a deadly manifestation of the climate crisis. This wreaks havoc on human health, critical infrastructure, the economy, agriculture and the environment, thereby eroding gains in human development and decreasing wellbeing- especially for poor and marginalized communities in the global South.”At 4pm on Tuesday 28 May, authors will hold a webinar briefing on the details of the report. Register here.For further details or requests for interviews:[email protected] Thomas +41 76 367 6587Tommaso Della Longa +41 797 084367CLIMATE CENTRAL METHODOLOGY – summaryPlease use contacts above for the full report.Climate Central looked at the years 1991 to 2020 and worked out what temperatures counted as within the top 10% for each country over that period.Then Climate Central looked at the number of days between May 15 2023 and May 15 2024 (‘the recent year’) when peak temperatures were within, or beyond, the previous top 10% range. As a next step, they applied their Climate Shift Index (CSI), which uses peer-reviewed methodology to quantify the influence of climate change on daily temperatures. Where the CSI level was 2 or above (meaning climate change made the heat at least twice as likely), they counted the day in question as an excess heat day due to climate change. They compared the recent year's temperatures with counterfactual temperatures - the temperatures that would have occurred in a world without human-caused climate change. They counted the number of days with temperatures within or beyond the 'top 10%' band, and where the CSI said climate change made the temperatures at least twice as likely, and subtracted the number of times the counterfactual temperatures reached or exceeded this level.The conclusion? Over the last 12 months, human-caused climate change added — on average, across all places in the world — 26 more days of extreme heat than there would have been without it.6.8 billion people – 78% of world’s population – experienced at least 31 days (about one month) of extreme heat.

In memoriam

When crisis strikes, Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers are often the first on the scene. As they endeavor to protect the lives of others, however, they face great risks. Too often, they make the ultimate sacrifice. In 2023, 18 Red Cross and Red Crescent staff members and volunteers lost their lives in the line of duty. On this page, we pay hommage to their service and their sacrifice — and we demand once again that the physical and mental well-being of all humanitarian workers is fully cared for and protected.

International Women's Day

International Women’s Day in 2024 is all about investing in women and accelerating progress. This year, we show how the IFRC is doing this with concrete initiatives at the regional and global level and we share the views of women around the world who talk about the challenges, risks and joys of being at the forefront — and at the helm — of humanitarians response.

Kate Forbes: ‘I wasn't surprised, but I was still shocked’ — IFRC’s new president takes on today’s toughest humanitarian challenges

Inspired by her mother’s work helping migrant farm workers in the southwestern United States, Kate Forbes grew up understanding how hard people struggle for a better life. Starting as a Red Cross volunteer at her local branch, she now leads the world’s largest network of local humanitarian organizations. As newly elected president of the IFRC, she talks about extraordinary volunteers she’s met around the world who’ve risked everything to help others, and she explains her approach to today’s most complex humanitarian crises, from climate change to migration.

IFRC Global COVID-19 study: vaccine bank an ‘essential element’ of next pandemic response

Geneva/Panama City/Buenos Aires – 31st January 2024Governments need to prepare for the next pandemic by establishing an international ‘vaccine bank’ which ensures the availability and distribution of vaccines equitably in all regions of the world.That’s the central recommendation of a new report following a huge study into the impact of COVID-19 and authorities’ reactions to it. The report is being released exactly four years on from the IFRC’s first Global COVID emergency appeal, on 31st January 2020.The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) commissioned researchers from the Humanitarian Observatory, an IFRC reference centre hosted by the Argentine Red Cross, to carry out a major research project. For it, they’d carried out interviews with 16,027 people, working in collaboration with 90 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies.People from different sectors were asked about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strategic partners from the private sector and trade unions also collaborated in conducting the surveys.Participants were chosen to represent people working or active in six societal sectors - healthcare, academia/education, transport, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the corporate sector and the media. The study looked for both common trends and contrasts across geographies and sectors. Its aim was to develop recommendations so that the next pandemic can be handled better than the last.The study – ‘Insights Gained by Strategic Sectors During the Pandemic’ – found:Nearly 70% of people in all sectors and regions had a high fear of catching COVID-19. People in the Americas and/or working in healthcare had the highest fear.More than half of all respondents said their personal finances were affected by the pandemic.54% of participants interviewed said their government handled the pandemic well. The percentage was highest across Africa and lowest across the Americas.Almost half of all respondents working in healthcare and the media felt ‘discriminated against’ for the role they played during the pandemic.The vast majority of interviewees said they received no priority for vaccinations despite the important roles they played during the pandemic.The main recommendations of the report include:Creating a global vaccine and antidote bank to ensure the availability and distribution of supplies equitably in all regions.Establishing priorities for vaccination or delivery of medicines to those who enable the world's citizens to receive food, medical care, news and education.Carrying out a communication campaign from a supranational body that values the actions of the essential sectors to legitimise their tasks and recognize their work.José Scioli, Director of the Humanitarian Observatory of the Argentine Red Cross said:"Some of the answers to the main challenges require establishing efficient processes on a global scale. That is why it is so central to take these global lessons to ensure that we can all – as humanity as a whole - learn from our experience and emerge stronger. We are convinced that we are capable of learning from our past to improve the present and future. With the insights from the Humanitarian Observatory’s study, we can promote the exchange of information to improve our societies."Xavier Castellanos, IFRC Under Secretary General said:“The COVID-19 pandemic led to the biggest worldwide disruption to normal life in a generation. But its impacts were disproportionate. Often, for example, vaccines were distributed on the basis of money, not need. Those who contributed most to helping the vulnerable through the pandemic were too often treated the worst. This important study offers a path to handling the next pandemic better. Its ambition and scale means its recommendations carry weight. “The full report can be downloaded in English here, and from here via the ‘Descargar Informe’ link in Spanish, French and Arabic.There are downloadable graphics and animations to add to coverage hereFor more information or to set up an interview: [email protected] Geneva: Andrew Thomas +41 76 367 65 87In Buenos Aires: Jose Scioli +54 911 64551193In Panama: Susana Arroyo Barrantes +507 6999 3199