Drought

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03/01/2025 |

Nourishing futures: School feeding and food assistance transform lives in Binga, Zimbabwe

For children in drought-stricken areas of Binga, Zimbabwe, hunger has long been a barrier to education. Many would miss school entirely, drop out of school or struggle to concentrate in class.But that’s starting to change with the help of a Zimbabwe Red Cross school-feeding programme that provides a daily serving of porridge (made with a blend of corn and soybeans) to more than 12,000 students in 11 primary schoolsThis fortified meal, rich in essential nutrients, aligns with UNICEF and World Food Programme dietary guidelines, ensuring children receive the nourishment they need to learn and grow.“For many of these children, this is their only meal of the day,” says a teacher from Siasundu Primary School, one of the schools benefiting from the program. “We’ve seen remarkable improvements—attendance has increased, dropouts have decreased, and the children are far more attentive in class. It’s truly making a difference in their lives.”Implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the Department of Social Development and the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the program targets schools in the hardest-hit areas. The Zimbabwe Red Cross intervention has also supported by an allocation of funds triggered as part of the Early Action Protocols of the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF).A Lifeline in the face of hungerBeyond schools, the Zimbabwe Red Cross is reaching vulnerable families with food assistance. In Ward 9 of Binga district, 67-year-old Esnathi Mudhimba cares for her sick granddaughter. For them, the 10-kilogram bag of maize meal provided per person in a household is a lifeline.“This food is keeping us alive,” Esnathi shares. “Before this, I sold baobab fruits to survive, but now I’m too old, and my granddaughter can’t help me. Without this support, I don’t know what we would have done.”Esnathi’s story is echoed by many in the district. More than 3,400 people across Wards 9 and 10 have received food aid through IFRC-DREF early action support, which has provided much-needed relief to families grappling with food insecurity.For 52-year-old Monica Mpande, who lives in Mupambe village, the support is more than just a meal—it’s a chance to rebuild. “With this food assistance, I can save a little money to buy books for my children,” she says. “It gives me hope that we’ll get through this.”Building resilience for the futureThe Zimbabwe Red Cross is also working to ensure that communities are better prepared for future droughts. Rehabilitated boreholes and solar-powered water points are providing reliable access to safe drinking water, while livestock dipping and deworming programs are helping farmers protect their herds and livelihoods.In Binga, where the impacts of the drought are felt in every facet of life, these programs are a vital lifeline. They represent a commitment to alleviate suffering and empower communities to build a better tomorrow. For families like Esnathi’s and Monica’s, this support is more than just food—it’s a promise of hope, dignity, and resilience in the face of adversity.

19/12/2024 |

Article

A lifeline amidst drought: How the Zambia Red Cross is bringing hope to families on the forefront of the climate crisis

The impacts are everywhere to be seen. Once lush fields of green crops are now dusty brown tracts of withered stalks. Businesses and restaurants have shut their doors. Livestock look weak and emaciated.These are just a few of the visible impacts of the prolonged drought that is turning the lives of millions of Zambians upside down as people face serious issues of food scarcity, livestock and crop loss, and escalating economic hardships.In response to the mounting crisis, ZRCS launched the Drought Cash Assistance Program in Chikankata District in November 2024 a critical initiative aimed at helping families survive the severe drought.Through this program, 5,864 families receive 600 Zambian Kwacha (roughly 20 US dollars) per month for four months, allowing them to meet immediate needs like food and water.At a time when inflation has driven up the cost of basic goods, this assistance is more than a financial boost—it’s a source of relief and resilience for families struggling to get by day-to-day.The impact extends beyond Chikankata. In Sinazongwe District, where the drought’s devastation is particularly acute, the Zambia Red Cross launched a program of multi-purpose cash transfers, along with support that helps farmers grow their winter crops.Since August 2024, over 5,200 households have benefited, with access to essential farming supplies—maize, okra seeds, and fertilizers—that offer them a way to revive their livelihoods. This initiative empowers local farmers to bring life back to their land, giving them a chance to rebuild and restore their communities.Supported by the IFRC, the European Union's ECHO Programmatic Partnership project, and bilateral aid from the Czech Republic, this work is part of a broader ZRCS response across five drought-affected districts.With approximately 1.5 million Swiss Francs mobilized, more than 11,000 households across Zambia are receiving critical assistance, spanning food security, livelihoods, health, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) support.A lifeline of hope and survivalFor families in these regions, this cash assistance is more than just financial aid—it’s a pathway to survival and stability. Ninety-year-old Musambo Sianjonkoma, unable to seek food on her own, says the support has had a profound impact.“At my age, I can’t go out and look for food,”Musambo says. “This support will help me eat.”For her and thousands of others, the program brings not only food but dignity and peace of mind.In Sinazongwe, farmer Wisdom Lubinda received maize and okra seeds and other support for winter crops.“The seeds they provided were like hope in a packet,” says Wisdom, adding that the chance of a successful harvest offers the promise of funding his siblings’ education and securing his family’s future.For 27-year-old Anita Maalila from Upper Kaleya, the drought meant the end of her small restaurant—the only income source for her and her two children after her husband left.Declared a national disaster, the crisis decimated agriculture and left Anita struggling with small-scale farming to survive. Hope arrived through the emergency cash assistance program. With 600 Kwacha a month, Anita plans to grow potatoes and maize to rebuild her livelihood.“This assistance is a blessing,” she shared, her voice filled with renewed determination.An appeal to save livesTo support the critical work of the ZRCS through this severe droughts, the IFRC issued an emergency appealto scale up the response. The support from the appeal is key to providing the cash transfers and crop support, which help protect what little people have left while offering a foundation on which to rebuild.These lifelines are urgent, says ZRCS Secretary-General Cosmas Sakala."We’re facing a devastating double threat in Zambia: a crippling drought has caused farmers to lose 80 per cent of their crops, and a cholera outbreak is putting immense strain on families,” Sakala noted. “I’ve seen the worry on people’s faces and heard their anguish, unsure where their next meal will come from.“Climate change is making these crises more frequent and severe. We are already responding with emergency cash transfers, food distribution, and hygiene kits, but we urgently need your help to scale up our support and reach the most vulnerable communities."

17/09/2024 |

Article

Zimbabwe: Water project offers a garden of hope in drought-stricken region

A 37-year-old mother of seven, Patience Makuya is one of many women who have borne the brunt of a devastating drought that has turned once fertile fields into barren expanses.Triggered by the El Niño weather phenomenon, the drought has ravaged Southern Africa, leaving millions facing food insecurity and water scarcity.In Mwenezi, Masvingo Province, a district renowned for its erratic rainfall and high temperatures, the impact has been particularly severe. Here, more than 80 percent of the region received below-average rainfall, leading to widespread crop failures and deepening the hunger crisis.For women like Patience, the daily struggle for survival has become a harsh reality – though a newly created irrigation system and garden is now easing the pressure on many families. "Before this piped water system and garden, we used to walk long journeys to fetch water and leave our children all day with hunger," Patience recalled. "We had no vegetables to give our children to eat with sadza, so we would buy sugar for them to eat with the sadza."This grim reality is shared by many in Mwenezi, where the drought has pushed food insecurity to alarming levels, with nearly half the population grappling with severe hunger.A pipeline of hopeRecognizing the dire need in Mwenezi, the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, with support from the IFRC, has initiated several life-saving projects aimed at mitigating the impact of the drought.One such project is the Gudomutovhoti Piped Water Scheme, a 2km pipeline network commissioned in May 2024, that has brought much-needed water to the district, transforming lives in the process.The pipeline network supports the 1.5 hectare-nutrition garden, where Patience and many other women from 100 households diligently tend to their allocated plots.For Patience and the women of Gudomutovhoti community in Ward 14, under Chief Neshuro, the piped water scheme has been nothing short of a miracle. In a region prone to irregular rainfall and water challenges, especially in the face of climate change, the scheme has not only reduced the arduous task of fetching water but has also provided the means to sustain their families.Through the establishment of a nutrition garden, Patience and other women in the community can now grow vegetables and legumes, offering a vital source of nutrition. "Our children now have better nutrition thanks to this garden,”Patience says. “We can cook spinach from our garden and feed our families." The nutrition garden has also fostered a sense of self-reliance among the women, who have taken ownership of their plots and are now able to provide for their families, despite the harsh conditions."Many in the community were sceptical and laughed at us for being a part of the project, but now they come to ask us for vegetables to eat from our garden plots and we sell to raise money to either pay for school fees for our children or buy grain to ward off hunger in this drought," Patience shared.Challenges still aheadWhile the piped water scheme and nutrition garden have provided much-needed relief, the challenges facing Mwenezi are far from over. The drought continues to tighten its grip, exacerbating food insecurity and leading to a range of social issues, including gender-based violence, child marriages, and school dropouts."This drought has made these challenges worse," said Abigail Murwira, the district's Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development gender officer. "Couples argue more when food is lacking, and many girls are leaving school to be married as their families seek ways to make a living."The drought has taken a heavy toll on livestock herders, with many animals dying from a lack of water and grazing. The Gudomutovhoti water station is providing critical relief, supplying much-needed water to both the herders and their livestock, easing the drought's harsh impact.The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society’s needs assessment in Mwenezi, supported by the IFRC, underscores the urgent need for a scaled-up response, as called for in the ongoing IFRC emergency appeal for countries impacted by drought and food insecurity in Africa. Without additional support, millions of people in Zimbabwe and across the region will face worsening levels of acute food insecurity, malnutrition, and water scarcity.Patience Makuya’s story is a stark reminder of the human cost of climate change and the critical need for sustained humanitarian efforts. While the ZRCS and IFRC have made significant strides in alleviating the immediate suffering in Mwenezi, and the resilience of people like Patience is inspiring, these facts should not be seen as a substitute for the support they so desperately need.By Rumbidzai Nenzou, IFRC Communications Officer

11/09/2024 |

Emergency

Lesotho: Drought

Lesotho is grappling with a severe food security crisis, made worse by El Niño weather pattern, which is disrupting the critical 2024/25 summer planting and rainy season. Persistent crop failures, dwindling food production, water shortages, and skyrocketing food prices have severely hit the country’s agricultural production with 41 per cent of rural households now forced to spend more than half of their income just to put food on the table.Through this Emergency Appeal, the Lesotho Red Cross Society will support 87,381 individuals (17,473 households) to sustain their livelihoods, build resilience and recover from the ongoing food crisis.

11/09/2024 |

Emergency

Namibia: Drought

For the past decade, Namibia has faced a prolonged drought, which has been further exacerbated by the ongoing El Niño phenomenon in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. The El Niño conditions have resulted in most of the country experiencing below-normal rainfall from October 2023 to April 2024, leading to more than 1.4 million people experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity. This has left them in urgent need of assistance to address food shortages and to protect their livelihoods.

17/07/2024 |

Article

In part of Nigeria hard hit by drought and heatwaves, Red Cross volunteers are helping farmers find natural solutions

Like many young people in Nigeria, Saratu Aboki was introduced to the Red Cross in grade school, when she learned a range of first-aid skills to care for herself and others in emergencies.Over the years, she trained many others in first aid and in doing so she learned to speak many of the 29 languages spoken in her home state of Nasarawa.But even though she always had a strong love for the environment and the natural world, she says she was never very interested in one of the biggest activities in her home state: farming. Despite the fact that farming makes up a big part of the economy in Nasarawa, she didn’t know much about what it took to grow the food that ended up on her table.That was until she saw how much the farmers were suffering due to the dual impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic – which put a halt on nearly all trade for farmers for several seasons -- and the prolonged heatwaves and droughts in the years since.Saratu knew she wanted to do something to help. After all, the farmers were the lifeblood of their area, bringing in income and producing the yams, sesame seeds, casava and maize beloved and needed by everyone.“After the Covid-19 pandemic, the small-scale farmers in my community had a hard time getting back on their feet because during the crisis they could not take their product to market to sell,” Saratu says. “They lost a lot of their crops, especially the perishable ones. They lost almost half of their livelihoods.”After the pandemic eased up, it didn’t get much better. The normal rainy seasons weren’t coming as usual. After losing so much, farmers could no longer afford supplies like fertilizers that they needed to put on their crops of wheat, rice, melon, cassava yams and maize.“The farmers had this ritual where, at the end of each harvest, they clear their fields by setting fire to the remains of the plants in the field,” she recalls. “So I started to think about how to convert the leftover plant material into organic fertilizer.”“When the IFRC was calling for applications for its ‘Limitless’ project at the Solferino Academy, for people who have innovative ideas, I saw it as an opportunity for me to help the people of my community to get back on their feet,” she says. ‘So excited to share’With support from her local branch, Saratu’s first step was to organize training sessions with about 120 farmers, who came from 15 communities in the area. The trainings went well and the farmers were receptive.In the coming months, Saratu and other branch volunteers organized trainings in 10 other communities, where they invited farm leaders from various communities in the hope that they would share the knowledge with other farmers.The composting process they proposed to the farmers is relatively simple, though it is hard work. First, the farmers collect all the leftover plant stalks and leaves. Then they make a pit and put the organic material inside.After that, they add some topsoil and some fresh plant material. Then sprinkle occasionally with water over the next three or four months. After that, the compost is ready to be put on the fields, in time for the next planting season.But it’s also not so simple. It’s important to get the right balance of materials and to give the process enough time. Too much of one ingredient – or not enough of another – can inhibit the composting process. Also, if the compost is not cured properly, it can be too strong and hurt the crops’ growth.It’s been a joint learning process, and Saratu stays in constant touch with farmers as an evolving experiment as they refine their technique and continue to share ideas.“They call me at all times of the day and night,” she says with a smile. “They are so excited to share what they’ve learned as they try new techniques and successes. They call me and say, ‘You have to come to my village and see my yams.’”“One farmer told me that last year, he got an increasing yield and was able to buy a car and that car is now helping get his produce from farm to the community. He doesn’t have to pay money to convey the produce to the community any longer. Also, he says his kids have gone back to school. I told him I was so happy.”“It keeps me going because I know it’s protecting our ecosystem, the communities and people’s health — and it’s making money for the farmers.”Helping people displaced by violenceThe project has now expanded to other states in Nigeria. In Benue State, Saratu and other volunteers have done many trainings in camps for people displaced due to violence between herding and farming communities.“The idea is to train them so that as go back to their homes, they have something to fall back on,” she says. “A lot of the displaced people lost everything and they have to go back to farming. A lot of them are not able to afford the supplies they need.”So far, the volunteers have trained more than 2,000 farmers. They also show a similar process to women who manage gardens from which their families get much of their daily food. In this case, the compost is made mainly with cow dung, chicken dropping and rice husks.From first-aider to farmerNow, many years after learning first aid as a young student, Saratu is still also a first aid volunteer who offers trainings in first aid wherever she goes. But she also has a new found love for farming.“Now I am putting these farming skills to the test myself,” she says. “I plant around my house and I do different tests, trying other things, mixing different ingredients to make the compost.”For example, she says, if you apply too much compost to a patch of sweet potatoes, you might end up with plants that produce a lot of leaves but not much of a fruit, or in this case the root. Now that she’s got the farming bug she wants to keep developing her own green thumb. “I just learnt it on my own,” she says. “I was someone who did not really like farming. But now I love it.”“I intend to farm really big now. I want to grow maize and rice. Presently, rice is one of crops that is very expensive so I would like to experiment on techniques so it can be grown more affordably.”“But I have a lot to learn. I am still on the journey.”

09/07/2024 |

Podcast

Dyanne Marenco Gonzalez: Saving lives and saving the planet, all part of daily business for the Costa Rican Red Cross

Can Costa Rica’s largest ambulance fleet become completely carbon neutral? How can we better work with the forces of nature to protect our communities from natural calamities? Is it possible to save lives and save the planet at the same time? These are some of the questions that the first woman president of the Costa Rican Red Cross, Dyanne Marenco Gonzalez, tackles during this wide-ranging interview about her 20-year humanitarian career. She also discusses the challenges of being a young woman leader in the male-dominated fields of law and emergency response.   

13/06/2024 |

Article

Hot and dry: The Caribbean island nation of Grenada struggles with drought, heatwaves and fire

An island nation in the eastern of the Caribbean Sea, Grenada is going through the most severe water crisis in the last 14 years.Alarmed by unprecedented low water levels in reservoirs, the Government of Grenada officially declared a water crisis on May 10, 2024, leading to significant temporary water rationing measures that were lifted in June.“For the past few months since the heatwave began our dams which are the main source of water have dried up significantly,” says Noreen Cox, a long-time volunteer of the Grenada Red Cross who manages a wide range of disaster preparedness and response challenges. “Ultimately, this led to significant drought conditions and a severe water shortage.”“The water company began using water from its back up source (Grand Etang Lake), however, over time this source also depleted since the water was not being replenished.”In addition to the water crisis, Grenada is currently experiencing a significant heatwave, the most recent being on May 6, 2024, where temperatures have consistently exceeded 31.7 degrees Celsius for several consecutive days.Rising risk of fireThis heatwave has exacerbated the water shortage, increasing the stress on the already limited water resources, and adding to the challenges faced by the population.“Also, due to the heatwave there was an increase in bush fires throughout the island. Grenada is a volcanic island and so the intense heat and presence of sulphur is causing natural fires that are sometimes spread rapidly due to the wind”.People here worry that the severity of the current drought and the structural challenges suggest that the water crisis may persist at least until the peak of the next rainy season, which typically occurs around August or September. Communities across the southern and eastern parts of the island (St. Andrew, St. David and St. George) have been most affected.Recent rains have helped fill reservoirs, however water supplies are still not sufficient to meet needs due to the long-standing drought and conservation methods are still being encouraged.“The people who farm as their livelihood also have a severe strain since the ground is extremely dry and there is a lack of water,”Cox adds. “As such, most of the crops cannot withstand the harsh conditions and die, this ultimately led to a shortage in some of the locally grown fruits and vegetables”.Long-term solutions involving infrastructure improvements, better water management practices, and increased conservation efforts will be crucial in mitigating the impacts and preventing future crises.The IFRC is helping to support the Grenada Red Cross response. Through the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF), the Grenada Red Cross Society aims to assist at least 1,000 families (5,000 people) with water, sanitation and hygiene support and multipurpose small cash grants.“Water trucks visit different communities at varying times to deliver water to the people,”says Cox, adding that people use water buckets to wash and even water plants.The Grenada Red Cross has also partnered with the National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA) to distribute jerry cans, water filters, water drums and other supplies to people in the community as they collected water from water trucks.These tools give people additional storage options for clean water. Meanwhile, Red Cross volunteers educate the public about how to use these tools in ways that best promote water conservation.Heat stressThe Grenada Red Cross is also doing what it can to address the constant stress and anxiety associated with securing daily water needs. The loss of livelihoods due to water shortages exacerbates these stress levels. The National Society is working to creating awareness about mental health issues and offering support for those affected.To address the immediate livelihoods needs, GRCS will conduct a feasibility study to ascertain the functionality of the markets for multipurpose cash transfers to vulnerable households in the affected districts.GRCS will consider other options such as procurement and distribution of relief food (in-kind support). While immediate measures are being taken to address the crisis, the situation in Grenada is expected to remain critical for the foreseeable future.Sustained efforts and humanitarian support will be essential to navigate through this challenging period and build resilience against future water shortages.

29/05/2024 |

Article

‘No such thing as a simple disaster’: Partnership to tackle complex food crises by addressing hunger on multiple fronts

Along the Niger River in Mali, Red Cross volunteers are helping local communities find new sources of water during dry spells when the river dries up and water for crops and livestock all but disappears.“There is water in the river only for three months,” said Nouhoum Maiga, Secretary General of the Mali Red Cross. “And the people there, most of them, rely on that water for their cattle.”As part of a pilot programme, volunteers help the communities dig wells and install solar-powered pumps that provide a continual source of water.In addition, the Red Cross collaborates with meteorological and hydrological services to get ahead of future problems – extreme heat, unpredicted dry spells or flash floods – with community-based early warning systems.As a result, says Maiga, local farmers have been able to quadruple their harvests. “Instead of just doing a harvest for one season they have been able to harvest four times,” he said.A complementary partnershipThis is exactly the kind of forward-looking, multi-layered response to complex challenges that will be strengthened through a renewed partnership signedon 29 May, 2024 between the FAO and the IFRC.The FAO and IFRC partnership aims to build on the two organizations’ complementary mandates and strengths at the local and international level in order to improve the quality, reach, impact and sustainability of food security and agricultural livelihoods programming. So far, the renewed partnership has been initiated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, South Sudan and Uganda.The partnership is born from a growing understanding that durable solutions to today’s complex and long-lasting humanitarian crises require ever deeper cooperation among multiple partners from the community to the global level.“There is no such thing anymore as a simple disaster,” said Caroline Holt, the IFRC Director of Disasters, Climate, and Crises, speaking recently at an FAO-IFRC Global Dialogue on Localization held on 27 March, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland . “Issues such as food insecurity are intimately connected to lack of access to safe water or reliable energy sources. All of these issues impact one another and so the solutions need to be equally integrated.”Solutions to food insecurity must also address the complex factors that impact local food production and they will require new and innovative resourcing strategies. The partnership between the IFRC and FAO, therefore, will also serve as a base for wider investment by other partners interested in supporting local innovation on food security and livelihoods.“Two-thirds of people experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity depend on agriculture as their main source of livelihood, yet only four per cent of humanitarian assistancegoes towards emergency agriculture assistance,” Dominique Burgeon, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva, noted during the FAO-IFRC Global Dialogue on Localization.“Food aid alone is not enough to address acute food insecurity without the support and protection of livelihoods, many of which are based in local agriculture”.Mali serves as a good example. In Mali, FAO and the Mali Red Cross are collaborating on cash transfers, supplies for farm and food production, and cooking demonstrations aimed at achieving good nutritional balance, among other things.“We work with those communities, to empower them to be able to provide for themselves even in the midst of ongoing conflict,” added Maiga, who also participated in the FAO-IFRC Global Dialogue on Localization.The case of Mali also highlights the critical role that IFRC member National Societies play in addressing complex, long-lasting crises. In Mali, the Red Cross works amid an array of challenges: unpredictable and extreme weather patterns exacerbated by climate change, instability and insecurity, loss of traditional livelihoods and food sources, and massive displacement of entire communities. Meanwhile, in many parts of the country,most international organizations have left due to a lack of security.“TheRed Cross has remained in the communities impacted by these crises ,” Maiga noted. “Why? Because the Red Cross is a community-based organization. Our 8,000 volunteers are part of the communities where they work.”The critical need for early actionSimilar challenges exist in many countries. With one of the largest refugee populations in the world, Uganda is experiencing numerous, serious climate challenges, as weather patterns become more unpredictable. In some areas, entire communities have been washed away in flash floods.In this case, collaboration between FAO and the Ugandan Red Cross has helped communities withstand heavy rains caused in part by the most recent El Niño Phenomena from September to December 2023.With funding from FAO, the Ugandan Red Cross took actions in ten districts of Uganda in anticipation of coming rains: disseminating early warning information, mapping flood-prone areas, and overseeing cash-for-work activities in which local people cleaned water canals or removed silt from tanks that help contain excess water.In other cases, the cash-for-work projects involved helping local communitiessafely manage crops to reduce loss once they have been harvested. Crops can be ruined if storage facilities are damaged by flooding or if the systems needed to store, transport and distribute them are disrupted.“It's clear that the increasing frequency, magnitude, and intensity of disasters are not only affecting human lives, livelihoods and property but also evolve into epidemics requiring strong investment in community level preparedness and response,” said Ugandan Red Cross Secretary General Robert Kwesiga.

27/05/2024 |

Emergency

Zambia: Drought

Zambia is currently experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis due to frequent droughts, floods and heat waves driven by climate change. These disaster risks are affecting the country’s poorest communities, especially in rural areas, which rely on rainfall for agriculture. These dry spells, compounded by the El Niño effect, are driving overall increasing severity of food insecurity. The IFRC and its membership aim to reach 476,448 people with actions aimed at improving food security, encourage positive hygiene and health behaviours, and improve nutritional status of children under the age of five.

27/05/2024 |

Emergency

Mozambique: Drought

The 2023-2024 El Niño has been one of the strongest on record, bringing below-average rainfall between October 2023 and February 2024 in southern and central Mozambique. It also brought average- to above-average rainfall to the northern part of the country. Prior to the current El Niño, 2.7 million people living in the drought-affected areas were already facing high levels of malnutrition. This is expected to worsen as conditions deteriorate. Through this Emergency Appeal, IFRC and its membership will support the Mozambican Red Cross (Cruz Vermelha de Moçambique) to reach 55,000 people (11,000 households) across Tete, Manica and Gaza provinces.

07/05/2024 |

Article

Keeping humanity alive by helping communities stay safe from infectious diseases

In the outskirts of Bongor, a town on the western border of Chad, volunteers from the local Red Cross and the French Red Cross are hard at work.In a residential area teeming with children and animals — and under daily scorching heat — the volunteers are organising activities with the community aimed at helping prevent and control the spread of infectious disease.The community here lacks the infrastructure needed to deliver safe water or discharge their wastewater. And because public fountains used for gathering water are not maintained rigorously, the risk of infection here is high.Lack of sanitation systems means that other risky practices, such as open defecation, pose significant hygienic and epidemiological risks.For this reason, the volunteers are raising public awareness about ways people can protect themselves from infection, such as proper cleaning and sanitation of water sources as well as practices to avoid.“The activities raised real awareness among community members,” says Catherine, a 26-year-old volunteer for the Chad Red Cross and local resident. “We notice in particular that the vaccination centre is much busier.”A pharmacy technician, Catherine has been volunteering with the Chad Red Cross for more than a year. She is responsible for raising awareness of the dangers of open defecation.Red Cross volunteers and community members are mobilised three times a week to clean areas most at risk and raise awareness of good practices.“The project will continue to live on its own on the principle of the community transmitting [this information] to the community,” Catherine adds.Catherine is passionate about her work to build knowledge and resilience in her community, and stop diseases from spreading. “The objective,” she explains, “is to fight measles, yellow fever, poliomyelitis, Guinea worm and COVID-19”.The Red Cross volunteers use community disease surveillance methods to keep people safe – recording health-related data about specific issues or incidence of illness affecting the community, and encouraging people to report suspected cases.For Marie-Claire, a state-certified nurse and resident of Bongor who manages a women-led health centre in the city, the Red Cross efforts are effective because they have built trust with people in the community."The Red Cross serves as a trusted intermediary between residents and the health centre,” she says. “The Red Crossconducts disease surveillance and sends pregnant women or those suspected of illnesses for consultations [with the health centre]."The volunteers’ disease-prevention work in various neighbourhoods of Bongor is supported by the Programmatic Partnership between the IFRC network and the European Union. The partnership provides strategic, flexible, long-term and predictable funding, so that National Societies can act before a crisis or health emergency occurs. It is being implemented in 24 countries around the world.

10/04/2024 |

Article

Resilience: Nurturing new life in Galoolay village

By Timothy Maina, IFRC communications officer and Guuleed Elmi, SRCS Somaliland, director of communicationsNestled in Somaliland's Togdheer region, the vibrant agro-pastoral community of Galoolay faced a harsh reality - a ravaging drought that threatened their very way of life.But hope arrived with the SRCS Somaliland Resilience and Livelihoods Programme, which empowers communities like Galoolay by fortifying their resilience against disasters and climate change, fostering sustainable livelihoods, and ensuring access to clean water and sanitation.Made possible through a partnership between the German Red Cross (GRC) and the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS), the program has successfully completed two life-changing initiatives in Galoolay since 2022 that have reached over 2,000 families.A Community StrugglesAmong the many the concrete examples of the project’s impact is the renovated berked — a traditional underground water cistern — that provides residents of Galoolay with a critical source of clean water for households and for livestock.Standing next to the refurbished cistern, Asad Abdilahi Heri, the village head, paints a vivid picture of a community struggling with drought and why access to water is so critical. Their livestock, the lifeblood of their livelihood, has dwindled by a shocking 3,800 head due to drought in recent years."Since this berked was constructed, life has improved for the better and more than half of our water needs of the households have been met,” he says. “We thank SRCS for coming to our aid."Due to increasing water scarcity in recent years, only two of the 56 berkeds that once existed still function. Villagers were forced to travel a grueling 30 kilometers to the nearest water source in Odweine district.The restoration of this water source — done by the community with SRCS support — has significantly improved the situation for 480 households who now rely on it for their primary water needs.Despite the improvements, the scars of the drought remain. Familes that were displaced due to livestock loss now live in the village, relying on donkeys and camels for the arduous water-fetching journeys.Still, there's a sense of progress. With over half the village's water needs met, life has improved. Heri's plea for another berked, along with repairs to existing ones, reflects the community's desire for a more sustainable water future.Koos Yusuf Mohamed: A Story of ResilienceSRCS' intervention has also been instrumental in reviving the village's agricultural efforts. Their support, including providing hours of field ploughing work, significantly helped farmers like Mama Koos Yusuf Mohamed cultivate a second harvest of corn.A mother of eight, Mama Koos exemplifies the challenges and triumphs of Galoolay. Despite limited resources, she keeps a spirit of optimism and gratitude. The drought reduced crop yields, but Mama Koos finds solace in the SRCS' continued support."Despite the drought hurting our crops, their continued support gives us hope,” she says. “They generously provided four hours of ploughing for my land, allowing me to harvest corn a second time this season.”The drought's effects are undeniable, but SRCS' support has demonstrably made a difference. The community's corn residue, used for animal feed, ensures the well-being of the remaining livestock, a vital part of their livelihood. With healthy animals, the village can rebuild herds, rebuild their economic engine, and secure a future they wouldn't be at the mercy of the elements.

28/03/2024 |

Press release

Global Summit announces ‘sprint of action’ to tackle consequences of extreme heat

Summit was co-hosted by the IFRC and USAIDExtreme heat is a silent, yet formidable adversary that – without action – will kill thousands in coming years.But, as participants at the first-ever Global Summit on Extreme Heat heard, there is plenty that can be done. Countering the worst of extreme heat’s impact will take action from the local to global level. The Global Summit on Extreme Heat, held on Thursday, was co-hosted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It brought together political and civil society leaders, representatives of the private sector and those from the world’s most affected communities to discuss best practice and ideas.Besides the co-hosts Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General and Samantha Power, USAID Administrator, speakers included John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the [US] President for International Climate Policy, His Excellency Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti and Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, among others.The keynote address was delivered by IFRC Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain. He said:“While hurricanes and floods often capture the headlines, extreme heat quietly exacts a toll on lives and livelihoods . . . In 2024 we declare extreme heat a priority . . . Let us be the architects of resilience, the enablers of hope.”Chapagain laid out four key actions that need to take place. The first is protecting the vulnerable, particularly those in urban areas and in marginalised communities. The second is investing in early warning systems and anticipatory actions. The third is forging partnerships across borders, and the fourth is putting local communities in the driving seat of change.Samantha Power, Administrator of USAID, said:“At a time when some have grown numb with increasingly familiar headlines about ‘hottest days on record’, we absolutely need to resolve never to get used to the scale of this problem, never to get used to the threat it poses to human life.” Following the summit, an online ‘Heat Action Hub’ has been established where people can share experiences and best practice when it comes to tackling extreme heat. The IFRC and USAID have jointly announced a 'sprint of action’ on extreme heat which will run up to a ‘Global Day of Action on Extreme Heat’ on June 2, 2024.A recording of the summit can be watched here.For interviews contact:IFRC [email protected] ThomasMobile: +41763676587

22/03/2024 |

Article

IFRC rolls out full climate action journey after successful National Society trials

The IFRC and its specialist reference centre on climate are today outlining the full seven-stage “climate action journey” that has been trialled by the National Societies of Malawi (blogandstorymap), Nigeria and Pakistan and encompasses the key concepts of climate-smart operations and locally led adaptation.It had earlier been formally presented at a training session in Naivasha, Kenya,attended by representatives of 20 African National Societies, as well as IFRC secretariat and Climate Centre specialists.The climate action journey starts with the key enabling factors of institutional buy-in through signing of the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, dedicated staff, seed funding, raised awareness, and the mobilization of youth and volunteersThis year, a range of additional National Societies will embark on the journey to scale up climate action and locally led adaptation: they will be able to increase their knowledge on changing climate-risks and impacts, strengthen capacities and partnerships, and access climate finance with solid proposals.The climate crisis has necessitated the empowering of communities to take charge of their own solutions and to secure for local actors and the most vulnerable communities the international climate finance that is currently falling short.This climate action journey seeks to prepare National Societies to increase adaptation driven by communities.Implementation, evaluationA guide to climate-smart programmes– the journey’s first three stages, centring on climate risk assessment, climate-smart screening and climate-smart planning – was published last year in bothlongandsummaryform; the former includes example of climate-smart programmes in various sectors from the Red Cross Red Crescent in (alphabetically) Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mali, Vanuatu and Zambia.The last four stages of the journey – multi-year climate strategy, engagement with communities on adaptation, design of locally-led adaptation programmes, and implementation followed by evaluation – are detailed in the new publication,The importance of scaling up locally led adaptation, which will be expanded later this year.Climate-smart programmes and operations integrate climate and weather information, including long-term climate projections, “to ensure that, at a minimum, they do not place people at increased risk from new climate extremes and … empower communities to anticipate, absorb and adapt to climate shocks and long-term changes,” the journey text says.Locally led adaptation in all its forms, meanwhile, ensures “communities are empowered to lead sustainable and effective adaptation to climate change at the local level, increasing long-term resilience of communities to climate shocks”.Prisca Chisala, Malawi Red Cross Society Director of Programmes and its climate champion, says in her blog that the climate action journey enabled the National Society to “set our institutional vision and priorities on climate for the next few years”.She adds that the journey has been “a living process, able to be adapted whenever new experience and lessons arise. Experiences and thoughts by National Societies are critical to shape this journey into a tool that will be most helpful to the mission and work of Red Cross Red Crescent.“The National Society has to be at the centre of the journey, defining the direction it’s taking.”IFRC Under Secretary General Xavier Castellanos said today: ”This decade demands an unequivocal commitment to locally led adaptation as we confront the escalating climate crisis. Urgency compels us to strengthen local initiatives and empower local actors to spearhead climate resilience.”The climate action journey empowers numerous National Societies to lead the change, forge impactful partnerships, including with local authorities, and foster the emergence of climate-resilient communities.”Most National Societies are already effective in climate-related areas such as preparedness, anticipatory action, response and recovery, generating entry points for more extensive climate programming and integrating climate considerations into their work.But access to international climate finance that reaches down to the local level is another important component of them becoming climate champions for their countries.

21/03/2024 |

Article

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

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

01/03/2024 |

Basic page

Islamic humanitarian giving

As the world’s largest network of locally based humanitarian organizations and volunteers, the IFRC is uniquely positioned to ensure your Zakat or Sadaqah donation reaches the people and communities who need it most. Fully accredited for receiving Zakat donations, we are based in communities alongside those we support. We act before, during and after disasters and health emergencies to meet the needs of, and improve the lives of, vulnerable people—reaching millions every year.

13/02/2024 |

Article

Extreme fire-weather in Chile driven by climate change and El Niño

By the Climate CentreOn Monday 12 February the IFRC approved a Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) operation for half a million Swiss francs to help the Chilean Red Cross assist nearly 10,000 people affected by the fires, which it says have had “profound consequences” and are notably worse than similar wildfires a year ago.The Chilean Red Cross is continuing to assist thousands of people affected by the wildfires that the UN now says are believed to be the deadliest on record in the country, collecting aid in kind donated by residents all over the country, and partnering with a local bank to expedite online donations.The Red Cross is also assisting on the ground with first aid and has set up a hotline to help family members separated by the fires to re-establish contact.A full account of the Chilean Red Cross response to the disaster – which President Gabriel Boric earlier this week described as the “biggest tragedy” since the 2010 earthquake – is now available (in Spanish) via an IFRC X/Twitter space.“The inhabitants of Viña del Mar, of Quilpué, of Villa Alemana, have gone through and are experiencing a situation that has been tremendously catastrophic, exceptional, unprecedented and painful,” President Boric said.Chilean authorities said Tuesday that 131 bodies had been recovered from burnt-out neighbourhoods.Destructive seasonsThe fires in Chile come two weeks after Colombia declared a disaster as nearly 30 wildfires continued to rage there out of more then 300 since November, UNDRR noted, adding that a 2022 report by the UN Environment Programme anticipated a global increase of extreme fires of up to 14 per cent by 2030 “due to climate change and land-use change”.In Chile, wildfires have “dramatically risen in recent years”, according to a study published late last month in Nature journal, which researched the 2022–23 southern hemisphere summer fire-season. Nearly 2 million hectares have been ravaged by wildfires over the past ten years, the study says, three times the amount for the preceding decade, with all but one of the seven most destructive seasons observed since 2014.“Fire weather conditions (including high temperatures, low humidity, dryness, and strong winds) increase the potential for wildfires, once ignited, to rapidly spread,” the Nature authors write, while “the concurrence of El Niño and climate-fuelled droughts and heatwaves boost the local fire risk and have decisively contributed to the intense fire activity recently seen in central Chile.”MegadroughtJuan Bazo, the Climate Centre’s regional representative for Latin America, said today: “There is clear evidence that climate change and variability, including ENSO, have a significant relationship to fires in Chile, especially in the past decade when they’ve been increasingly extreme".“Unprecedentedly severe droughts and heatwaves are closely linked to wildfires and are having a serious impact on the most vulnerable communities.”Additional investments in adaptation and resilience that may be needed in the light of intensifying climate impacts include “include improving the country’s Early Warning System (EWS), a critical tool to take early action, reduce disaster risk, and support climate adaptation,” the Nature article adds.“These systems allow forecasting hazardous weather and help to minimize impacts by opportunely informing governments, communities, and individuals.”For much of the last decade, Chile has also been in the grip of what is termed a megadrought – the longest since records began, heightening the risk still further.

23/01/2024 |

Article

Hunger crisis: ‘Now I can take care of my own family’

In the Lubombo region of Eswatini, near the town of Big Bend, 39-year-old Bongani Masuku looks over at his field of maize. He just harvested a section last week. “But there is still work to do,” Bongani says and starts working the land. Lubombo is one of the hottest areas in Eswatini. As Bongani weeds his field, the temperature has already risen to over 34 degrees. “I remove the weeds so that my maize will grow properly,” he says. “If I let the weeds take over, the seedlings would grow to be very thin and not offer good harvest.” Earlier in the season, Bongani attended an agricultural training, after which he received a cash grant of around 70 euros. He invested the money in maize seeds that are more resilient to drought, as climate change has made rains more irregular and increased drought. Around 70 per cent of Eswatini’s population are directly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. This is why the changing weather conditions are extremely concerning. “The recent heatwaves have really made farming more difficult. The maize should not receive too much sunlight when it is blooming. Rain is important at that stage. The last time the maize was in bloom there was no rain at all, so my harvest was smaller than I expected.” The maize field has a great significance to Bongani. “This allows me to feed my family, but also to sell some of the crops and get money,” he adds. “This money helps me put my children to school. I have five children with my darling wife. Now I can buy them schoolbooks and other school supplies, like pens. If I make enough money, I can also buy them shoes to wear to school.” Prolonged food insecurity Like elsewhere in Southern Africa, people in Eswatini are suffering from a severe and prolonged food security crisis that began in 2015. The drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon, further strengthened by climate change and the irregular rains and floods ever since, have damaged harvests year after year. Bongani is one of the 25,500 people included in the three-year project funded by the European Union to improve food security by means of cash assistance. In addition to the Finnish Red Cross, the project includes the Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society and Belgian Red Cross Flanders. For recipients of the cash grants such as Winile Masuku, the cash assistance has meant the ability to buy food such as rice, maize flour and cooking oil at a time when regular food sources are far less plentiful and more expensive. “Before receiving cash assistance, we were dependent on our neighbours,” Winile explains as she sits in front of her home – its walls made of intricately woven branches and stonework. “Now I can take care of my own family.” Gardening for change While not everyone is a farmer, many people in Eswatini grow a portion of their daily sustenance in local community gardens. This is one reason this climate-resilience project also aims to revive the tradition of community gardens. Part of that effort includes trainings from the Ministry of Agriculture on how to most effectively tend community gardens in the face of more extreme climate conditions. After each training, participants get a cash grant of around 35 euros to buy plant seeds, for example. The participants are encouraged to use crop varieties that require less water. “The garden offers stability to my family, as I employ myself with this and take care of my family,” says Sibongile, one of the participants. “The harvest from the garden allows me to feed my family, and I can also sell some crops to get money for my children’s education.” Health in the countryside It’s also important to ensure that people stay healthy as drought and heat can create conditions that exacerbate the spread of diseases and symptoms such as dehydration. For this reason, the EU-funded project also supports the community in epidemic and pandemic preparedness. The Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society runs three clinics in the country, and the project supports their capacity to respond to different epidemics, such as diarrhoeal diseases, tuberculosis and HIV. “Each morning we offer health advice, meaning that we tell patients what epidemics are currently ongoing,” explains Phumlile Gina, a nurse at the clinic in Hosea Inkhundla in the Shiselweni region. “Right now we are informing them of vaccinations, especially against the coronavirus and tuberculosis. We also highlight proper hygiene: we explain how important it is to wash your hands and also remind people to wash their water containers every now and then.” “Some of our patients here in the countryside are very poor,” she adds. “They can come to the clinic for some completely other reason, for a flu for example. But we may then notice that the growth of the patient’s child is clearly stunted and there is reason to suspect malnourishment.” “We are able to take care of such situations as well and monitor the condition of the patients. It feels great when a patient comes back to the clinic after six months and says that their child is doing great and playing like other children.” The Programmatic Partnership between the IFRC network and the European Union, provides strategic, flexible, long-term and predictable funding, so that National Societies can act before an emergency occurs. It is being implemented worldwide including 13 countries in Africa.

07/12/2023 |

Press release

Africa's hunger crisis intensifies: IFRC warns against crisis fatigue

Geneva/Nairobi, 07 December 2023: In response to the growing hunger crisis across sub-Saharan Africa, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is amplifying its call to action amidst growing concerns of crisis fatigue. To this end, the IFRC has revised its funding appeal to 318 million Swiss Francs, now aiming to reach 18 countries. More than a year has passed since the initial launch of the Africa hunger crisis appeal, yet the needs continue to outpace support received. Originally set at 215 million Swiss Francs for 16 countries, only 59 million Swiss Francs has been raised. This humanitarian crisis, intensified by recurring droughts, El Niño-induced floods, conflicts and economic downturns, demands an immediate response to prevent widespread suffering, loss of lives and livelihoods. Around 157 million people in 35 countries across sub-Saharan Africa face acute food insecurity. Despite early warnings from African Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, more funding and resources are needed. The Horn of Africa has been particularly hard-hit, enduring its longest dry spell on record with five consecutive dry seasons. In contrast, regions like eastern Kenya, parts of South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Tanzania experienced heavier than usual rains during the October-December season, leading to flooding that further aggravated the situation for those already facing acute food insecurity. This mix of extreme weather conditions, along with ongoing conflicts, has led to varied harvest outcomes across the continent. Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers are witnessing heart-wrenching conditions where many, including women and children, survive on less than one meal a day. Mohamed Omer Mukhier, Regional Director for Africa, emphasized the continued urgency: “In the past year, the dire need for resources in tackling the current hunger crisis has been evident with millions of people deprived of water, food and health services. While this crisis has intensified, it has been largely overshadowed by more visible crises over the past year. Considering its magnitude across the continent, we urgently call for expanded support to pursue our collective lifesaving and life-sustaining mobilization.” These countries are currently at the heart of the hunger crisis: Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. African Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies have been instrumental in providing life-saving assistance to millions affected by this crisis. So far, they have reached 1.53 million people. Most of the aid provided has been water and sanitation services, reaching over 1.2 million people. Additionally, over 725,000 people received cash assistance and over 450,000 received health and nutrition support. This underscores the IFRC's commitment to transitioning from immediate relief to sustainable, long-term resilience strategies in the region. The revised appeal will focus on improving agricultural practices, fostering peace and stability and creating economic opportunities. More information: For more details, visit the Africa Hunger Crisis appeal page. For audio-visual material, visit the IFRC newsroom. To request an interview, contact: [email protected] In Nairobi: Anne Macharia: +254 720 787 764 In Geneva: Tommaso Della Longa: +41 79 708 43 67 Mrinalini Santhanam: +41 76 381 50 06

19/12/2023 |

Article

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

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

30/11/2023 |

Article

IFRC at COP 28: The impacts are here, the time to act is now

Whether it’s the increasing power of storms, the proliferation of wildfires, worsening heatwaves and droughts – or the displacement of entire communities due to all the above — the impacts of climate change have been with us for some time. This is why the IFRC is once again heading to the Global Climate Summit, COP28, in the United Arab Emirates, with an urgent message: there’s no more time to waste. The time to act is now and the action must be bold. Just as world leaders must agree to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to prevent even worse humanitarian impacts, they must vastly scale-up adaptation action at the local level in order to reach the most at-risk and impacted people, according to the IFRC. People like Martha Makaniko, a farmer from Chiwalo village in the town Mulanje in Malawi. Earlier this year, Makaniko lost her home and all her crops due to unexpected flash flooding caused by Cyclone Freddy. After that, the normal rainfalls failed to come and now the El Nino phenomenon threatens to make the expected upcoming lean season even leaner. "Year after year, it’s been getting harder to get good yields from farming and get a good earning,” says Makaniko. “We no longer rely on regular weather patterns. I used to get eight bags of maize from my field. Now I would be lucky to get two." This kind of story is increasingly common in communities where the IFRC network is rooted. They are also the reason why the IFRC has been scaling up its own efforts to work with local communities and Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to alleviate immediate suffering — providing cash, food, water, hygiene and health support — while also preventing and reducing risks in the future. This is also why the IFRC is urging world leaders assembling for the COP 28 Climate Summit to take the following urgent steps: • prioritize local action • increase financing to help communities adapt • scale-up early action and measures that help communities anticipate risks • strengthen climate resilient health systems and to help people avert, minimize and address loss and damage due to climate-related events. Worse before it gets better Much more investment in all these areas is critical to help communities cope as the situation is likely to worsen before it gets better. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirms that climate change is already contributing to an increasing number of humanitarian crises (with average global temperature at 1.15°C above 1850-1900 average). And now there is a very real threat that temperatures will rise even further. Under current policies the world is on track for 2.8°C global warming by 2050, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. In the short term, this year’s El Niño phenomenon is expected to compound the impact with human-induced climate change, pushing global temperatures into uncharted territory, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Reasons for hope There are some reasons for hope however. If urgent steps are taken, there is a chance we can slow or stop further temperature increases while also making communities far less susceptible to climate-related shocks. Across the IFRC network, which includes 191 National Societies, there are numerous examples of communities working with the IFRC and others to make themselves more resilient so they can avoid the food insecurity, health risks and economic impacts of climate related disasters. In Jamaica, for example, the Red Cross worked with a school for deaf students on a climate-smart project to reinforce their self-sufficient campus farm with a solar-powered irrigation system. In Somalia, the IFRC and the Somalia Red Crescent worked with the village of Cuun to reestablish small farms with the help of a new borehole for clean water and a pumping system to help them cope with multiple years of drought. “We struggled to access clean water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and livelihood support,” says one of the community leaders, Yasiin Maxamed Jamac. “This had a negative impact on our health and well-being, and it made it difficult for us to grow crops, fruit, vegetables and raise livestock." Now over 100 households have their own small farms — 100 metres by 100 metres — where they cultivate a variety of fruits, vegetables, and crops.

30/11/2023 |

Article

In Somalia, an oasis grows amid the drought

By Timothy Maina, IFRC communications officer Not too long ago, people living in the Cuun village were grappling with the challenge of basic survival. Access to clean water for both domestic and agricultural purposes remained a constant struggle. The community's reliance on hand-dug artesian wells, which were prone to flooding during rainy seasons and regular siltation, significantly reduced their water yield. This scarcity had a detrimental impact on their health and well-being, hindering their ability to cultivate crops, fruits, vegetables, and raise livestock “We struggled to access clean water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and livelihood support,” says one of the community leaders, Yasiin Maxamed Jamac. “This had a negative impact on our health and well-being, and it made it difficult for us to grow crops, fruit, vegetables and raise livestock.” In 2022, the Somalia Red Crescent Society (SRCS), with the support from the IFRC, rehabilitated the solar-powered borehole pump and provided the Cuun community with adequate water sources for human and animal consumption, as well as irrigation purposes, as part of the IFRC's Africa Hunger Crises Emergency Appeal. Located in the Somali semi-autonomous state of Puntland, the village is less than 400 kilometers from the tip of the Horn of Africa. Like many other parts of Somalia and the Horn of Africa region, Cuun has suffered from recurring failed rainy seasons and occasional flash floods in recent years. Since 2021, Somalia has been under a state of national emergency due to ongoing drought. At the same time, the region around Cuun has also been destabilized by armed violence and population movement — adding to the challenges for those trying to maintain stable livelihoods. A landscape transformed The project with Cuun village is just one example of how the IFRC and National Societies such as the SRCS join forces with local communities to re-inforce local resilience to climate-related shocks and unpredictable weather patterns, which have been aggravated by climate change. It’s the kind of urgent local action the IFRC is calling on world leaders to support at COP28 Climate Summit from 30 Nov. to 12 December. For the village of Cuun, the project has had a transformative impact. Over 100 households now have their own small farms — 100 metres by 100 metres — where they cultivate a variety of fruits, vegetables, and crops, including papaya, lemon, watermelon, onion, tomatoes, pepper, carrot, sweet potato, coriander, sorghum, beans, and maize. The community sells 80 per cent of their harvest in nearby cities, earning an average income of USD 200 to USD 500 per month per household. This represents a significant increase in their income and livelihood, enabling them to improve their food security and overall well-being. One of the beneficiaries of the project is Mama Ruqya*, a mother of eight.She and her family recently moved to Cuun village with their herd of goats looking for pasture. SRCS identified Mama Ruqya as one of the beneficiaries of the 5-month Cash Voucher Assistance programme, which provides people with cash vouchers that can be redeemed for food, water, and other essential items. “During the recent drought season, SRCS supported us with US$ 80 cash grants for five months and it has sustained us a lot,” says Mama Ruqya. “Now as we are in the last stage of the prolonged drought and hoping for rain, we are grateful for the support that we have received.” The initial rains have brought some relief to the herding and farming communities in Cuun village. Mama Ruqya and her family supplement their food supplies and water from the nearby Cuun village while their livestock graze in the reviving plains. *Not her real name, to protect the identity of her children

28/11/2023 |

Article

El Nino expected to make Malawi’s lean season even leaner

By Anne Wanjiru IFRC Senior Communications Officer Almost every family in Malawi is a farming family, a source of great strength for the country’s economy. This was seen a few decades ago when the country was regularly exporting agricultural produce to neighboring nations. However, this means most families have also been extremely vulnerable to climatic stresses and shocks. "Year after year, it’s been getting harder to get good yields from farming and get a good earning,” says Martha Makaniko, a farmer from Chiwalo village in Mulanje. “We no longer rely on regular weather patterns. I used to get eight bags of maize from my field. Now I would be lucky to get two. I have prepared my land awaiting the rains but have no money to buy seeds or fertilizer." When tropical cyclone Freddy hit Malawi in March 2023, Martha watched as her entire crop was washed away. Like thousands of other farming families, she not only lost her crops. “My house collapsed,” says Martha, who is also ill and in need of money for medical assistance. “I stayed in the shelter for several months. I spent my entire lifesavings building a new house. This set me back. We eat nothing, but porridge made from raw mangoes.” Boiled fruit and poisoned yams People don’t normally boil fruit for food in Malawi, so Martha’s mango porridge is an indication that a lot of families are running out of choices. According to the Malawi government’s Vulnerability Assessment Committee Report, more than 4.4 million peopleare facing hunger. The economic downturn, as well as the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict have all exacerbated the hunger situation in Malawi. In the last 18 months,Malawi’s currency – the Malawian Kwacha – has been devalued twice. This has caused inflation on everything, including critical supplies such as seeds and fertilizer. Some farmers find it too expensive to manage their own farms, and decide to do piecework in other people’s fields, a common coping alternative among farming families that is also proving to be very competitive. Those that cannot find any piece work at all will scavenge for wild yams or raw mangoes to boil and feed their families. A variety of wild yams is poisonous, however, and the difference can be hard to tell. Fani Mayesu recently lost her husband and 19-year-old son after consuming poisonous wild yams. “We didn’t know they were poisonous,” she says, with a look of disbelief. “My husband brought them, I prepared them, and we all ate. Immediately we begun getting sick and vomiting. My other 5 children and I recovered but not my husband and one son.” El Nino’s first waves According to forecasts, the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. International and national Meteorological agencies say the upcoming 2023/24 rainy season (also known as the lean season when food supplies diminish) in Malawi is expected to be influenced by El Niño. In the past, El Niño conditions have been linked to a delayed start of the rainfall season, below-normal precipitation, and dry spells. The Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) in its lean-season response plan will seek to prioritise highly affected districts. This is aimed at strengthening community capacity to cope with the food insecurity while sustaining other resilience building activities. “We hope to not only address the immediate acute food security needs but to also respond to climate predictions through interventions such as distributing early maturing seed varieties,’ says Prisca Chisala, director of programmes and development at MRCS. “We also plan to support winter cropping and encourage crop diversification to adopt drought resistant crops to address the gaps in production.” Red Cross response Through the support of IFRC and partner National Societies, MRCS needs over CHF 3 million to help close to 100,000 people by: • providing food assistance in forms of cash-based transfer, wet feeding in schools and in-kind support • strengthening community resilience through promotion of livelihood and risk reduction, • protection of all vulnerable groups from violence, sexual violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect and ensure that human rights are respected. “It’s critical that we support the farming family’s resilience to attain a harvest after this rainy season, otherwise we will see significant rise in hunger levels,” says John Roche, head of IFRC's cluster delegation for Malawi. Zambia and Zimbabwe. “Time is of essence here to avert a worsening situation from the El-Nino predictions. Only a rapid, effective, and well-resourced response is urgently needed to mitigate the crisis from long-term impacts.”

13/11/2023 |

Article

Jamaica: Deaf students harness the power of climate-smart farming with support from Red Cross

Planting, watering, weeding, harvesting and feeding the animals have long been part of the life at the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD) in Manchester, Jamaica. On any given day, staff and students at the school’s Knockpatrick Campus might be harvesting beans, squash or vegetables as part of the educational nutritional and livelihoods program. But when the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic led to dwindling enterprise earnings and donations to the school, the administration placed even more focus on using their land to assist in producing some of their internal food demands. In the meantime, however, there were other challenges: persistent drought meant that there simply wasn’t enough water to adequately irrigate the campus’ greenhouse and open field crops That’s when the school turned to “climate-smart” agriculture. With support from the Jamaica Red Cross (JRC), the Knockpatrick campus now uses solar powered pumps to help harvest and store water for its greenhouse and farm. The CCCD had previously installed a water catchment system in the 1960s, but the system has been in a state of disrepair. Tyreke Lewis, one of 130 students who lives at the 130-acre Knockpatrick campus, says the improvements have turned things around for the better. “The school will also be able to produce more goods to be sold to the community and other stakeholders,” he says. “The additional income will help us to pay our bills and other expenses. It will allow us to develop our skills to become more self-reliant for the future.” An island going dry The Knockpatrick Campus is not alone in facing the impacts of climate change. According to the Meteorological Services of Jamaica, all parishes received below normal rainfall in December 2022. Combined with COVID-19, changes in the climate have resulted in major humanitarian consequences, with the poorest and most vulnerable feeling the brunt of its effects through loss of life, economic setbacks and livelihood loss. As part of its plans to help people affected by the climate crises and the socio-economic effects of COVID-19, the JRC connected to the CCCD through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA). “In our discussions with the CCCD, we realized that the drought and water scarcity that existed, coupled with the reduced income generation due to COVID-19, compounded the food crisis, pushing them to produce more for themselves,” said Leiska Powell, JRC project manager. “But to do that, they needed assistance to manage their water for improved and increased production. We wanted to find a way to help them do this.” Climate-smart farming To get things done, the JRC contracted a local company that provides alternate energy solutions to install the solar water pump and provided four, 1,000-gallon water tanks to help facilitate additional water storage. The initiative involved building a ramp to house the four water tanks and installing a solar water pump to move the water from the current catchment tank to the new storage drums to supply the greenhouse with water. John Meeks, social enterprise officer at the CCCD, noted that this partnership with the Red Cross marks the first step in their strategic bid to develop a climate-resilient and climate-smart agricultural programme. “Without irrigation, we can’t plant or raise animals,” he says. “This initiative, therefore, provides a key step in the right direction and will allow us to expand our crop production from 2-3 acres to up to 10 acres, because we now have the irrigation system in place.” The next phase of the initiative will see the JRC collaborating with RADA to offer climate smart agriculture training to students and staff of the CCCD to further build their capacity in sustainable agriculture and water management. There are also plans to expand the climate smart agriculture initiative to the other CCCD campuses, once additional funding is secured. The partnership also now forms a central part of activities undertaken through the COVID-19 climate-smart livelihoods recovery initiative, conducted by the JRC and supported by the IFRC, added Keisha Sandy, IFRC technical officer for climate and environmental sustainability for the Caribbean. “The Red Cross network is committed to helping people in communities make the transition from immediate recovery to the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19, to long-term climate smart livelihood solutions geared towards increasing the sustained resilience of the communities we serve,” Sandy says.

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