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

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

National Society Investment Alliance announces grants to 14 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies

Following a rigorous review process, the National Society Investment Alliance (NSIA) has allocated approximately 3.1 million Swiss francs in 2025 to support the sustainable development of 14 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies operating in complex emergencies, protracted crises, and fragile contexts.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), the NSIA provides flexible, multi-year funding to support the sustainable development of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that carry out critical humanitarian work under extremely challenging environments.The NSIA awards grants in two key funding categories: It can allocate up to 750,000 Swiss francs of “accelerator”funding to National Societies over a maximum of five years, and it also awards “bridge grants” of up to 50,000 Swiss francs over 12 months that aim to help National Societies lay the ground for future investment from the NSIA or from other National Society Development (NSD) initiatives.In 2025, the NSIA Office received 32 eligible proposals, 17 for accelerator funding and 15 for bridge grants. The National Societies selected for accelerator funding in 2025 are the following:Colombian Red Cross SocietyJordan National Red Crescent SocietyPakistan Red CrescentSalvadorean Red Cross SocietySomali Red Crescent SocietySouth Sudan Red CrossThese National Societies will receive strategic funding to support their journey toward long-term organizational sustainability and impact. All six National Societies have previously received NSIA grants.The Colombian Red Cross Society will strengthen institutional efficiency and humanitarian impact through a national digital management system, unifying data and governance tools to enhance transparency, coordination, accountability and donor confidence.The Jordan National Red Crescent Society will expand its Commercial First Aid services by establishing a new training center, generating sustainable income while empowering communities, especially refugees, women, and youth, to prepare for and respond to emergencies.The Pakistan Red Crescent Society will expand equitable access to safe blood and diagnostic services by upgrading laboratories and launching new mobile units, ultimately improving healthcare access for underserved communities.The Salvadorean Red Cross Society will establish a new clinical laboratory and imaging center, translating prior NSIA support into a self-sustaining health service that expands access to affordable diagnostics and reinforces the Society’s financial autonomy.The South Sudan Red Cross will drive its digital transformation by deploying new management systems, training staff and volunteers, and strengthening ICT infrastructure to enhance efficiency, accountability, and readiness in humanitarian response.Bridge grants awarded to eight National SocietiesIn addition to the accelerator grants, the NSIA has awarded bridge grants to eight National Societies: Belize Red Cross Society, Bolivian Red Cross, Guatemalan Red Cross, Honduran Red Cross, Lesotho Red Cross Society, Tanzania Red Cross-National Society, Timor-Leste Red Cross Society, Venezuelan Red Cross.2025 bridge initiatives continue to strengthen the foundations of National Societies and setting the stage for larger investments, by improving financial sustainability, governance, and institutional systems.Several initiatives, such as in Venezuela, Bolivia, Lesotho and Guatemala, will focus on restoring operational capacity and developing comprehensive resource mobilization strategies to ensure long-term income generation and donor confidence.Others, such as Timor-Leste and Honduras, plan modernization of commercial first aid services and human resource systems, improving efficiency and transparency, as well as financial sustainability.The Belize Red Cross is redefining its strategic direction through a new strategy and business plan, while Tanzania Red Cross is investing in social enterprise models and education structures to enhance financial resilience and youth engagement.Collectively, these initiatives reinforce the institutional backbone of National Societies and prepare them for future strategic investments, enabling more sustainable, accountable, and locally led humanitarian action.The NSIA continues to be a vital instrument for enabling National Societies to strengthen their sustainable institutions and deliver effective locally led humanitarian action, when humanitarian needs are increasing and funding dropping.As highlighted in the NSIA Annual Report 2024, emerging impacts show that well-targeted investments, even small ones, can generate significant returns, for example, improving governance, financial sustainability, and humanitarian service delivery across crisis and fragile and protracted contexts.Ultimately, NSIA investments offer a transformative opportunity to National Societies operating in the most complex contexts to advance their strategic priorities, strengthen institutions and eventually contributing to more resilient communities, and lasting humanitarian impact.For more information, please click here to visit the NSIA webpage.

Hurricanes in sight: the Red Cross scales up training and preparedness

With the Americas region now well into the 2025 hurricane season, Red Cross teams in the region have been busy working alongside communities to prepare for what forecasters say will be yet another above-normal storm season.But even an average hurricane season can have devastating consequences for the people, as all it takes is one storm to affect entire towns and cities. That is why Red Cross preparedness work was already well underway even before this year’s forecast.The National Societies of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are among the most vulnerable to these extreme events due to their geographical location. The scale of the preparedness work now going on across the Americas is largely due to the experience with extremely devastating storms in the past – in particular Hurricane Mitch in 1998.Hurricane Mitch’s devastating passage left more than 11,000 people dead and millions affected, marking a turning point in the way National Societies in the region prepare for such extreme events. For people involved in emergency response and risk reduction, the storm was a game changer.Two decades later, in 2020, hurricanes Eta and Iota affected more than seven million people, most of them — more than four million — in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, the countries that had also been hardest hit by Mitch.But the results were different. In the time between one tragedy and another, the region and humanitarian organizations prepared in advance with response plans, training, drills, and institutional strengthening to reduce the impact of these disasters. This allowed the number of fatalities from Eta and Iota to be much lower than that of Mitch.From Mexico to South America, many National Societies have transformed the terrible experience of Hurricane Mitch into concrete action. Their mission: to be better prepared each year to respond more quickly and effectively to the arrival of potential hurricanes.Here are just a few of the many ways Red Cross National Societies in the region are working to get ahead of the storms and help communities prepare.Salvadoran Red Cross: Pre-positioning of humanitarian aid and access to weather forecastsThe Salvadoran Red Cross has contingency and response plans, which allow for more agile responses to extreme rainfall and landslides caused by tropical storms and hurricanes. According to Omar Ayala, Head of Crisis and Disasters at the Salvadoran Red Cross, the National Society has pre-positioned materials for humanitarian aid in its branches, guided by the nationalHazards Observatory’s forecasts.“This strategy has significantly reduced response times: what could previously take up to two days, is now done in just two hours,” assures Omar. Furthermore, in the context of monitoring and early warning, the Salvadoran Red Cross has recently signed a letter of understanding with the Hazards Observatory: “This agreement allows us to access weather forecasts early to be better prepared for the eventual arrival of a hurricane,” says Omar.In preparation for this and the coming hurricane seasons, the National Society wants to promote the preventive outreach of populations in at-risk areas even more, so they know what to do before, during and after a hurricane strikes.Honduran Red Cross: Early Warning Systems and strategic alliancesIn Honduras, Red Cross teams has invested in technical training for volunteers and staff in topics such as water rescue, pre-hospital care, cash transfer systems, water, sanitation and hygiene, and unmanned aerial systems.The Honduran Red Cross also highlights its investment inEarly Warning Systems (EWS) (specific measures guided by early warnings or forecasts to protect people before a disaster strikes), implemented in watersheds such as Chamelecón and Aguán."The experience withTropical Storm Sara, the last of the 2024 hurricane season, which affected more than 300,000 people in Honduras, showed the value of communities taking ownership of these early warning systems to ensure that the vulnerable populations receive the necessary information in time. That preparedness saved lives," says Manuel Isaula, risk and disaster manager for the Honduran Red Cross..Another good practice in the face of tropical Storm Sara was establishing strategic alliances with national and international actors: “Effective coordination between government, non-government, and community organizations to ensure the appropriation of knowledge, risk analysis, monitoring, and response capacity was and will always be key in our preparedness and response plans,” Isaula concludes.Guatemalan Red Cross: Development of Anticipatory Actions and Contingency PlansTeresa Marroquín, Director of Risk and Disaster Management at the Guatemalan Red Cross, says the National Society has strengthened its hurricane response capacity through several key actions –In particular the development of “early-action plans” that lay out key steps to take before the storms make landfall.“Early Action Plans (EAPs) funded by the IFRC have been developed to respond to flooding caused by extreme storms,”Marroquin says. “One successful example was the activation of Early Actions Plans duringTropical Storm Julia in October 2022, which helped us to provide a better response to those who needed it most.”Close coordination with official weather forecasting sources is key to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian operations during the hurricane season. Teresa also stresses the importance of developing contingency plans, providing training, and equipping volunteers for pre-hospital care and search and rescue in floods, especially in high-risk areas.'A key tool for understanding'Another key element to prepare for the hurricane season within the Red Cross world is the continuous learning and training of National Society staff and volunteers.In 2024, with support from theReference Centre for Institutional Disaster Preparedness (CREPD) in the Americas, more than 6,000 people were trained, both online and in person, through courses and practical training at the regional level, with the aim of strengthening their knowledge in search and rescue, health, humanitarian assistance, and logistics coordination.According to Edgardo Barahona, CREPD Coordinator, these training sessions, based on practical exercises and emergency simulations, not only strengthen the technical capacities of National Societies, but also promote comprehensive preparedness in line with IFRC global standards:"They are a key tool for understanding the usefulness of response, contingency, and anticipation plans,”he says.“Through experiential methodologies and simulated scenarios, teams can directly experience the challenges of an emergency, allowing for better operational coordination." says Barahona.According to the CREPD Coordinator, preparing teams at the local level allows National Societies to lead high-quality, timely responses, tailored to address the demands of each specific context, especially in the face of events such as hurricanes or other frequent disasters in the region.This type of preparedness is critical because the hurricane season threatens not only countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, but also more than 30 territories in the Americas, which face increasing risks due to extreme weather events aggravated by climate change.That said, the experiences in Central America confirm a vital lesson: preparedness is not optional, it is key to save lives. It requires sustained investment, strong partnerships, and the strengthening of National Society capacities to deal with crises and disasters – all of which are core elements of the IFRC’s regional approach to helping communities prepare for every coming storm season.Learn more about the IFRC’s approach to:Climate-smart disaster risk reductionDisaster and crisis preparednessEarly warning, early action

Stronger, faster, safer: epidemic preparedness success stories from the Programmatic Partnership

Since 2022, 24 local Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world have been working to keep communities healthy and safe from epidemics and pandemics.They’ve done so through something called the Programmatic Partnership—an innovative, multi-year partnership funded by the European Union and with technical assistance, advocacy support and coordination from IFRC and European National Societies.Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are best placed to prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks and other health risks thanks to their unique auxiliary role to authorities and because their volunteers are close to communities, trusted by them, and can act quickly.Through the Programmatic Partnership, these 24 National Societies have equipped countless communities with knowledge and tools to stop the spread of diseases.They’ve trained volunteers and set up systems so communities can report outbreaks quickly, enabling a rapid response from local authorities.And they’ve worked hard to develop their own epidemic preparedness capacity, so they can respond more quickly and effectively when a health emergency strikes.Seven stories of hope and humanityIn this new brochure, you can read seven inspiring stories of National Societies’ epidemic preparedness work in action:In Cameroon, trained Cameroon Red Cross Society volunteers quickly detected and responded to a cholera outbreak—halting the spread of disease and minimizing the damage on the community.In Bangladesh, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society volunteers rapidly detected and reported an outbreak of foot and mouth disease to local authorities so quick action could be taken to protect people’s livelihoods.In Burkina Faso, Burkinabe Red Cross volunteers worked tirelessly to find children who had missed out on routine immunization due to conflict and internal displacement, making sure they got the vaccinations they need to be protected from disease.In Yemen, Yemen Red Crescent Society teams have provided communities with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities and trusted health information so they can keep themselves safe from disease threats.In Somalia, trained Somali Red Crescent Society volunteers quickly detected and responded to a dengue fever outbreak in a rural community, saving lives and helping curb the outbreak.In Central America, Red Cross Societies have set up and trained community health committees who are now taking local action to reduce the risks of disease outbreaks.In Chad, the Chad Red Cross has been using an innovative radio tool to broadcast trusted, lifesaving health information over the airwaves to isolated communities so they know how to stay safe from disease threats.Read the new brochure “Epidemic preparedness and response success stories from the Programmatic Partnership” to learn more.--The activities outlined above were made possible thanks to theProgrammatic Partnership with the European Union—an innovative, multi-year partnership between the IFRC, member National Societies and the EU to help communities worldwide reduce their risks and be better prepared for disasters and health emergencies.

Red Cross responds to the largest dengue outbreak in Central America with education and prevention

Dengue has been a major public health threat in Latin America for decades, with epidemics occurring cyclically every three to five years. Transmitted by female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the virus affects millions of people every year, but never more than now.So far this year,more than 12.7 million suspected cases of dengue were reported in the Region of the Americas, a record number in the history of the disease.In Central America and Mexico, more than 17,000 new suspected cases of dengue were reported in the last week of November alone. This equates to 100 cases every hour, a 198 per cent increase over the average over the past five years.This increase in the spread of dengue poses a challenge to health systems in a region facing complex climatic and health conditions.The effects of the climate crisis, extreme temperatures and more intense weather events – such as hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020, the historic heat waves earlier this year, or the recent tropical storm Sara – are changing the habits of thousands of Central American families living in conditions of risk and vulnerability.Growing poverty and inequality, coupled with insufficient and inadequate water and sanitation services, are forcing people to store what little water they have access to. Water is often stored improperly, due to a lack of information or the lack of adequate means to store it safely.This and other practices, such as poor solid waste management, can facilitate the creation of mosquito breeding sites in items such as uncovered water containers, tires, flowerpots, piles and gutters.Amid this multi-factorial challenge, National Red Cross Societies from around the Central American region have engaged in a comprehensive response, which encompasses a variety of strategies focused on prevention and education.During 2023 and 2024, local Red Cross teams have implemented six dengue response operations in Central America, with support from the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF).This year, dengue response efforts have also been carried out in operations in response to a hospital fire in Roatan, Honduras, and flooding in June in El Salvador.Thanks to these eight IFRC-DREF operations, National Societies in the region will be able to reach more than 182,000 people in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama with response actions, but also with prevention for future outbreaks.Community-based preventionOne of the Red Cross' main initiatives has been to raise community awareness of the dangers of dengue and the importance of eliminating mosquito breeding sites.Volunteers work directly in communities, in coordination with health authorities, to carry out community-based prevention and vector control activities.The main activities include educational talks, identification and elimination of mosquito breeding sites, application of larvicide in stacks and water containers, fumigation and cleaning campaigns, and home visits.These activities teach people how to avoid stagnant water, where mosquitoes prefer to lay their eggs, and promote practical and effective measures such as turning over containers and regularly cleaning drainage systems.The response also includes the distribution of safe water storage containers and household cleaning kits, as well as water filters, repellents and mosquito nets for groups at risk, such as pregnant women, children under five, the elderly, and people with disabilities and/or reduced mobility.Strong and prepared communitiesThe Red Cross has a long-term focus on training local staff to strengthen community capacity to fight dengue.Through workshops and training sessions, volunteers learn how to recognize the symptoms of dengue, how to effectively prevent outbreaks and how to implement sustainable mosquito control programs.Volunteers have also helped to establish and train community health committees to promote epidemiological surveillance at the community level.In several locations, local health workers are also being trained in the clinical management of dengue patients, especially in areas where health infrastructure is limited.Through its comprehensive approach to education and prevention, the Red Cross has played a key role in the fight against dengue in Central America, a region highly vulnerable due to climatic, social and health factors.The actions carried out by volunteers and trained staff have not only allowed the response to emergencies, but also to prepare communities for future outbreaks.From eliminating breeding sites and distributing supplies to training in clinical management and sustainable vector control strategies, these interventions have built community resilience. In some places, the actions of the National Red Cross Societies in support of the health ministries in the region have led to reductions in dengue cases.In Panama, for example, there has been a reduction in dengue cases in recent weeks, which could be linked to the efforts of several actors, including the Ministry of Health, the Panamanian Red Cross, other international agencies and the communities themselves.Some small communities have also provided anecdotal accounts that suggest the dengue education and eradication efforts are making a difference.Despite the progress, dengue remains a challenge, underscoring the importance of continuing to adapt our response strategies to the climatic and social changes affecting public health in the region.

Central American Red Cross Societies join forces to bring clean water to communities hard hit by climate-related disasters

Central America is a region where access to water is increasingly challenging: in 2023, Panama faced its longest drought in recent history; the dry corridor in Guatemala suffers from persistent water shortages; and weather-related disasters, such as hurricanes, often cause flooding that disrupts water services.In 2020, hurricanes Eta and Iota left more than seven and a half million people in need of humanitarian assistance and our global network was forced to provide assistance in seven countries simultaneously.In all of them, access to clean water, safe and dignified sanitation and information on good hygiene practices was essential.The scale of the storms’ impacts was such that our global network activated its international support mechanisms. The German Red Cross, for example, mobilised its emergency unit specialising in the provision of safe water to augment the response capacity of the Honduran Red Cross.Meanwhile, local Honduran teams have also played their part in expanding their services, going so far as to rehabilitate water treatment plants that had been in use since Hurricane Mitch 22 years ago.Recognising the power of coordinated action and the high likelihood of a recurrence of major disasters like Eta and Iota, the Costa Rican, Guatemalan, Honduran, Panamanian and Salvadoran Red Cross and the IFRC decided to create a centre that would allow them to multiply their capacity to provide water, sanitation and hygiene services (often referred to as “WASH” for short) on a regional level.Welcome to the ‘Wash Hub’Thus was born the “WASH Hub,” a centre of knowledge and equipment for programme management and response to emergencies, disasters and crises. The hub was created as part of the Guatemala Declaration for the Strengthening and Cooperation in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.Signed in April 2023, the Declaration aims to identify and use the human resources, equipment, methodologies and knowledge that Central American countries have to offer each other."The initiative is about uniting: uniting the efforts of volunteers and team members so that when an adverse event or disaster occurs, we can join forces as National Societies and support a neighbouring country that needs assistance in the area of water, sanitation and hygiene,"says Danny Escoto Lagos, National WASH Focal Point for the Honduran Red Cross.The WASH Hub's work is based on five strategic pillars: capacity building, equipment and maintenance, planning and advocacy, activation and deployment, and sustainability.The logistical teams are divided among the National Red Cross Societies that make up the WASH HUB, with the Honduran Red Cross being one of the first to mobilise equipment thanks to its existing logistical capacity already in place. With its current stock of resources, this hub has the capacity to produce 114 cubic metres of safe water per hour. This would allow it to serve around 182,400 people per day."With the impact of Eta and Iota here in Central America, it was recognised that National Societies in this region have the talent and capacity to address WASH needs in any neighbouring country,"adds Lagos, the Honduran Red Cross WASH focal point.Ensuring a rapid, regional responseBut Eta and Iota also helped to recognise that staffing levels were inadequate and needed to be much more professional. So from December 2023 to the present, the Hub has supported several technical training initiatives, including basic workshops, field schools and high-level training.To date, nearly 200 people from the region have participated in WASH Hub Central America trainings, including participants from the National Societies of Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina.“The WASH Hub will allow for more timely and rapid mobilisation to a nearby country in Central America, or eventually in South America, to deploy a WASH team,” adds the Honduran Red Cross’s Lagos.In its first three years, the WASH Hub will focus on professionalising staff and equipping WASH emergency response units, with technical and financial support from the German Red Cross and within the framework of the Programmatic Partnership between the IFRC and the European Union.The power of the WASH Hub is not only that we will be able to reach more people, but that we will also strengthen our network, a movement of people with diverse experiences and knowledge, who when brought together can respond to the needs of people affected by disasters, when they need it, and where they need it.

Deadly heatwaves in Central America – 35 times more likely because of climate change and four times more likely than in 2000

Panama, GenevaDeadly heatwaves which recently hit North and Central America were made 35 times more likely because of human-induced climate change, according to the latest study by World Weather Attribution (WWA). WWA is a collaboration of scientists and analysts including some from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre. Heatwaves began in March across parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras and the southwest of the United States. Looking specifically at the hottest five days and nights of the most recent extreme heat in early June, the WWA scientists and analysts found that in a world which had not been heated by the 1.2 degrees Celsius of global warming seen to date, the extreme heat would have been very unlikely to have happened. It was made 35 times more likely than it would have been in pre-industrial times, and four times more likely than at the start of this century, just 24 years ago. The researchers say that similar heatwaves would have been expected once every 60 years in the year 2000 but can be expected every 15 years today.The heatwaves aren’t just getting more frequent. They are getting hotter. For the five hottest days (3-7 June) and nights (5-9 June) they studied, the researchers found daytime temperatures were 1.4 degrees higher than they would have been even in an (extremely rare) ‘heatwave’ in pre-industrial times; night-time temperatures were 1.6 degrees more. As the world warms beyond 1.2 degrees on average, heatwaves in the region will continue to get hotter and even more frequent.The extreme heat has had many impacts. At least 125 people in Mexico have died because of heatwaves since March. The number across the region as a whole is likely to be much higher as heat-related deaths are rarely recorded appropriately, or not captured at all, because heat-related fatalities are often attributed to preexisting or sudden-onset health conditions rather than the heat that exacerbates or causes them.One health problem that may be worsened by the heat and other climate-related disasters such as droughts, is mosquito-borne dengue fever. In Guatemala and Honduras, the exponential growth of dengue has forced health officials to declare a red alert. Figures from the Pan American Health Organization show that from 1 January to 25 May this year, cases increased by 622% in Guatemala and 580% in Honduras, in comparison to the same period in 2023. In Guatemala, cases went from 3,738 in 2023 to 23,268 in 2024, while in Honduras they went from 4,452 to 25,859.In nearby Belize, the heatwaves have led to fires. There have been forest fires in the Toledo and Cayo districts with daily temperatures above 100° F (39°C) creating conditions for fires to start easily and intensify swiftly. Across Central America, National Red Cross Societies are dealing with the impacts of extreme heat. In Guatemala and Honduras, volunteers are eliminating mosquito breeding sites, conducting prevention awareness campaigns and providing mosquito nets. Their operations are supported by financial allocations from the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) and they aim to support more than 20,000 people. A DREF allocation is also helping the Belize Red Cross to support 800 people, providing affected families with hygiene kits, cleaning supplies and cash for recovery efforts. Additionally, members of the national relief corps in Belize are receiving personal protection equipment. Karina Izquierdo, Urban Advisor for the Latin American and Caribbean region at the Red Cross Climate Centre, said: “Every fraction of a degree of warming exposes more people to dangerous heat. The additional 1.4°C of heat caused by climate change would have been the difference between life and death for many people during May and June. As well as reducing emissions, governments and cities need to take bolder steps to become more resilient to heat.”Martha Keays, IFRC Regional Director for the Americas, said:“Extreme heat is a silent threat to the health, economy, and well-being of millions of people in Central and North America. More heatwaves are expected this year and young children, people with disabilities, pregnant women and older adults are particularly vulnerable, as are certain populations who work or spend time outdoors, such as agricultural workers and people on the move. Red Cross teams in the field will continue to assist them, while reinforcing early action and early warning initiatives that help anticipate and protect lives from this and other climate-related disasters.”For more information, see the full report on World Weather Attribution’s website hereFor more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected] Panama: Susana Arroyo Barrantes +50769993199 In Geneva: Andrew Thomas +41763676587

El Salvador: Red Cross supports communities before, during and after disasters

Rosa Cándida is a farmer from Las Maravillas village on the outskirts of Ahuachapán, western El Salvador. She and her husband, two daughters and two young granddaughters live off the land—growing maize, beans and sorghum in the lush countryside close to their home. In stark contrast to the idyllic setting, in recent years, Rosa has seen tropical storms, landslides, heavy rains and earthquakes devastate her country. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, but it faces big disaster and climate-related risks. In 2022, Rosa was one of more than 1.7 million people who needed some form of humanitarian assistance or protection in the country due to disasters. An earthquake in January of this year damaged her home, creating big cracks in its mudbrick walls and forcing her family to sleep outside while they found the money needed to repair it. Half a day’s farming only generates just enough income for Rosa to feed her family for the day, meaning disasters like the earthquake have a drastic impact on her family’s finances and wellbeing. Thankfully, help arrived in the form of the Salvadoran Red Cross. Their teams quickly conducted an earthquake damage assessment and provided cash assistance to more than 600 families in the region—including Rosa’s. “Support from the Red Cross reached us and helped us buy food, medicines and other household items," she says. Red Cross teams completed two cash transfers, making sure the money got to the people who needed it most: "We prioritized households which were the most heavily affected by the earthquake and which included older people, pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under five," explains Fatima Evora from the Salvadoran Red Cross. Cash assistance is one of many ways in which the Salvadoran Red Cross is helping local communities across the country to prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters. Their volunteers have also been setting up early warning systems to prepare communities for droughts and floods, as well as helping people to adopt climate-smart livelihoods. And as part of the Programmatic Partnership between the IFRC, National Societies, and the European Union, the Salvadoran Red Cross organized community workshops earlier this year so people could learn about their disaster risks and know how to prepare. “We learned that there are green, yellow, orange and red alerts, and that each one indicates a different level of risk. We can be prepared and warn people via megaphones to evacuate and seek help,” says Juana Santa Maria, who attended a workshop in San Luis Herradura. “The most valuable thing has been to know that, as a community, we are able to seek help from the mayor's office, community development associations and civil protection personnel. Today we have more information to prepare for and respond to disasters,” she adds. -- In 2022, we reached 3,000 people in El Salvador through the Programmatic Partnership with the European Union. Implemented by 24 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world—including in Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Ecuador in the Americas—the Programmatic Partnership helps communities to reduce their risks and be better prepared for disasters and health emergencies. With the coordination of the Spanish Red Cross, Italian Red Cross and Norwegian Red Cross and support from the IFRC, the Salvadoran Red Cross is: Building community knowledge Providing assistance to people on the move Preventing and responding to health outbreaks Ensuring community perceptions and concerns are taken into account and used to improve their humanitarian assistance

Launch of ambitious partnership between IFRC and EU: a new model for the humanitarian sector

Brussels/Geneva, 30 March 2022 - An ambitious partnership between the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) launched today aims to be a new model for the humanitarian sector. In response to the increasing number of crises arising worldwide, the pilot Programmatic Partnership “Accelerating Local Action in Humanitarian and Health Crises” aims to support local action in addressing humanitarian and health crises across at least 25 countries with a multi-year EU funding allocation. The partnership strengthens mutual strategic priorities and is built around five pillars of intervention: disaster preparedness/risk management; epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response; humanitarian assistance and protection to people on the move; cash and voucher assistance; risk communication, community engagement and accountability. European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič said: “I welcome with great hope the Pilot Programmatic Partnership with IFRC, a trusted EU partner who shares our vision of implementing efficient and effective humanitarian aid operations worldwide. The funding allocated for this partnership reaffirms the EU commitment to help meet the growing needs of vulnerable people across some 25 countries, in close cooperation with the Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies. It also confirms our commitment to strategic partnerships with humanitarian aid organizations.” IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain said: “Longer-term, strategic partnerships are essential to respond to the escalation of humanitarian crises around the world. We must respond rapidly, we must respond at scale, and we must modernize our approach to make impact. We know that the most effective and sustainable humanitarian support is that which is locally led, puts communities at the heart of the action, and is resourced through flexible, long-term and predictable partnership. The pilot Programmatic Partnership allows exactly that.” The Programme will begin with an inception phase in several countries in Latin America, West and Central Africa and Yemen. The main objective is to provide essential assistance to those currently affected by humanitarian crises, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate-related disasters and conflict and to prevent loss of lives and suffering. Investment is also made to ensure communities are better prepared to cope with disasters through the implementation of disaster preparedness and risk reduction components. Working closely with its National Societies, the IFRC’s global reach combined with local action, its long history of community-driven humanitarian work and its Fundamental Principles, make it the partner of choice for this Pilot Programmatic Partnership with the EU. Following the first phase of implementation, the Programme aims to expand its reach and include additional countries around the world with the support of more EU National Societies. Key facts The 10 countries of implementation in the inception phase are: Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, Mali, Niger, Yemen, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama. The seven National Societies from the EU working to support the implementation of the inception phase are: Belgian Red Cross (FR), Danish Red Cross, French Red Cross, German Red Cross, Italian Red Cross, Luxembourg Red Cross and Spanish Red Cross. For more information In Brussels: Federica Cuccia, [email protected] In Geneva: Anna Tuson, [email protected], +41 79 895 6924

Programmatic Partnership / IFRC

The Pilot Programmatic Partnership was an innovative and ambitious three-year partnership (2022-2025) between the IFRC, 37 National Societies, and the European Union. Together, we supported 17 million people in communities worldwide to reduce their risks and be better prepared for disasters and health emergencies, while strengthening local humanitarian capacity across 25 countries.

Salvadorean Red Cross Society

El Salvador: surviving amidst COVID-19 and the floods

Sandra couldn't sleep. It was the night of May 31st, the rain was falling in buckets from the sky and the wind was raging round the walls of the house. The storm Amanda was hitting the community La Anona in San Luis La Herradura in El Salvador. That same night the Comapa River had overflowed its banks and surrounding villages were flooded with water and mud. Among the houses affected was that of Sandra and her family. "That same night we had to go out in search of a place to stay," she said. " The water came into our house. It was completely flooded." The next day, like thousands of families across the country, she moved to a nearby school that was being used as a temporary shelter. At the moment, there are 152 hostels opened by the National Government with about 5,400 beds. Sandra finally returned to her homeland, but her home and livelihood are affected, and she is now facing a complex health situation. The current conditions make her more vulnerable amidst the context of COVID-19. "Before the floods, the situation was already very complicated with the pandemic. Many people in the community who live from street vending could not go out to sell," she said, while waiting her turn to receive food kits delivered by the Salvadorean Red Cross in her community. "We could no longer work the farmland and everything we had there was lost. Crops were lost, animals were lost, and now we have no income." Since the beginning of the floods, the Red Cross has been involved in rescue work and delivery of humanitarian aid. At present, volunteers work directly with 30 hostels in the country and 5 reception shelters where they deliver hygiene and sanitation kits, as well as mattresses and blankets. They also work in communities highly affected by the floods. More than 1,000 volunteers have participated in these activities, and have been deployed to 10 departments in the country from the headquarters and different branches of the Salvadorean Red Cross. However, the closure of roads due to landslides has complicated the movement of Red Cross staff inland. At the moment the rains have diminished in intensity, but the worst is yet to come. Thousands of families have lost their homes. Others are returning home; yet they are exposed to risks, such as landslides and unsafe conditions. "Many people in the community have the flu and the fever, and need to go to health centers to get tested for Covid-19." Sandra said. "Mosquitoes are everywhere and we are afraid that we will get dengue fever", she added. As the waters recede, the risk of disease outbreaks begins to increase and those affected need food, psychosocial support, and access to water and sanitation. The Salvadorean Red Cross is developing a project to provide support in these areas. "Through this project, we will support three communities in the department of La Libertad", said Alex Valle, Director of Risk Management at the Salvadorean Red Cross. The storm claimed thirty lives. Yet, it is only the first phase of the emergency. Recovery work involves a major effort to support populations that have been affected by the floods and COVID-19. "This is the first time we have to face an emergency of this kind, but we will be there to do everything we can to provide support to affected people", Valle said.

Dengue spreads across Central America, Red Cross scales up response

Panama/Geneva, 27 September 2019–-As dengue spreads rapidly across Central America, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is scaling up emergency assistance to help countries contain the mosquito borne viral disease. In Honduras, more than 71,200 people have been affected by the disease making it the worst outbreak in the country’s history. Nearly one quarter of the cases reported were classified as severe dengue and more than 65 percent of the 128 deaths so far are children under 15. Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica are also reporting massive increases in dengue cases compared to previous years. Dr Maria Franca Tallarico, Head of Health at IFRC’s Regional Office for the Americas said: “Dengue is endemic across the Americas, but what is very concerning in this outbreak is that the majority of the cases and deaths are occurring in children under 15. This is due to a lack of immunity in young people to the deadliest of the four strains of dengue currently circulating in the region.” A combination of seasonal rains and warming temperatures are being blamed for dengue’s rapid spread--creating more stagnant pools that are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. There are rising concerns that this will make the outbreak will be harder to contain. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rising global temperatures rainfall patterns linked to climate change could significantly modify vector-borne diseases and their effect on human populations—making epidemics more difficult to predict and control. Teams of Red Cross volunteers in affected Central American countries have been supporting government efforts to slow the outbreak—providing door to door awareness raising about the disease and how to prevent it. With their unique access to affected communities, the Red Cross volunteers are helping to clean up mosquito breeding sites or accompanying health workers to identify cases. Dr Tallarico said: “The size of this outbreak is unprecedented across Central America. Dengue is a disease that affects the most vulnerable--those who live in places where there is poor sanitation and where mosquitoes thrive. But the disease can be contained if governments and communities work together to raise awareness, access medical care and clean up the environment. This is what the Red Cross teams across affected countries are focused on doing.” The IFRC has launched a regional appeal seeking a total of 2.9 million Swiss francs to support the National Red Cross Societies in Central America to deliver assistance and support to 550,000 people for 12 months. The appeal will focus on community health, water and sanitation and promoting behaviours changes that prevent the decease. Dengue cases have increased 30-fold over the last 50 years, according to the World Health Organization. As one of the world’s fastest growing diseases, dengue is endemic in 100 countries infecting up to50-100 million people a year.