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The brave new world of ‘Tech-plomacy’

Digital information technology holds tremendous potential for easing human suffering. But it also poses many risks. In countries impacted by conflict, for example, those risks can be a matter of life and death. Humanitarian ‘tech-plomat’ Philippe Stoll decodes plusses and minuses of the humanitarian tech revolution.

A visit from ‘Aunt Natasha’

Already one of the poorest countries in Europe, The Republic of Moldova has been deeply impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. Indeed, many thousands of Ukrainians have found sanctuary in Moldova, which borders Ukraine to the north, east and west. The Red Cross Society of the Republic of Moldova is helping both refugees and Moldovans as they face compounding economic hardships. The modest but regular support from Red Cross volunteers — like ‘Aunt Natasha’ — can make a big difference.

‘Our techniques are working!’

Following principles of ‘build-back safer’ and ‘build back local’, some communities in Madagascar are boosting their resilience to tropical storms. Some have already passed their first, very severe test: Cyclone Freddy.

To trust, or not to trust?

That is a question many migrants must ask themselves every day as they navigate life on the move, or in new surroundings. A study from the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement sheds light on how to ensure migrants, including refugees, can trust those who are trying to help.

Imperfect storms

As the Atlantic hurricane season begins and Covid-19 cases rise, countries such as Honduras, already reeling from last year’s storms, are being forced to manage multiple, overlapping crises.

When lightning strikes twice (or even three times)

The Covid-19 pandemic is forcing a critical examination of how communities and countries prepare for multiple, overlapping crises. Here are a few lessons the Japanese Red Cross Society learned after the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant meltdown ten years ago this month.

Cookbook for resilience

Do you have a taste for innovative solutions that help people get through crisis, that provide comfort after a storm, or that offer a lifeline to those who might be otherwise left out? If so, you will love these four Recipes for Resilience, and the stories behind them.

Easier said than done?

A reactive, emergency mentality. A reflection of society. Lack of political pressure. These are a few of the reasons why gender disparity persists in the humanitarian sector.

Bridge of hope

Red Cross Red Crescent magazine goes on the road with migrants as they make the exhausting journey through the freezing mountain passes of northern Colombia.

The wildfire diaries

As the scale and frequency of fires hitting the Canadian province of British Columbia increases — in part due to climate change — the lives of local people are changing dramatically. Hear their stories.

The backbone and the brain

olunteers are often called the ‘heart’ or the ‘backbone’ of the Movement because they have passion and they do most of the heavy lifting. Is it time to rethink these metaphors?

Mixed signals

Even in the digital age, people going through crisis can still fall through the cracks

Crisis within crisis

With conflict and ravaged infrastructure complicating the response, the Somalia drought crisis is a case study on the challenges of saving lives in a complex emergency.

Radical rethink

To keep pace with rapid and sweeping change, the humanitarian sector needs to fundamentally transform the way it works, moving from isolated action to collective impact.

Fighting grips Philippine city

Fighting grips Philippine city Fighting between government forces and an armed group in the Philippine city of Marawi left large numbers of people displaced and in need of help. In the first week of the fighting in May, the ICRC and the Philippine Red Cross distributed food rations, addressed water and sanitation issues and provided household [...]

Movement mourns more aid worker killings

Movement mourns more aid worker killings More Movement aid workers have tragically lost their lives after being deliberately targeted in violent attacks. In September, a physiotherapist in ICRC’s rehabilitation centre in Mazare- Sharif, Afghanistan, was shot, apparently by a patient, as she went about her daily work helping people relearn how to walk or complete [...]

Uniting for humanity

After eight years as president of the world’s largest humanitarian volunteer network, Tadateru Konoé reflects on the critical work ahead in strengthening National Societies, volunteerism and local humanitarian action.

Never say never

Will we ever be able to say ‘never again’ to drought, famine and violence in sub-Saharan Africa?

Publications 2-2017

I saw my city die: voices from the front lines of urban conflict in Iraq, Syria and YemenICRC, 2017 Urban wars in Iraq, Syria and Yemen are among the deadliest conflicts of our time. Through first-hand stories of residents of cities like Aleppo in Syria, Mosul in Iraq and Taiz in Yemen, this report vividly [...]

Publications 1-2017

Humanitarian Futures for Messaging AppsICRC, 2017 Today, more than 2.5 billion people around the world communicate via messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Snapchat. These and other apps have the potential to make a positive impact in situations of crisis but also to introduce risks relating to security, data protection and privacy. Humanitarian [...]

Deadly avalanches

Deadly avalanchesFollowing heavy snowfall in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan in February, at least 120 people were killed by avalanches that destroyed or damaged dozens of homes. In the north-eastern Afghan province of Nuristan, bordering Pakistan, at least 45 people in one village perished under an avalanche. “In the village of Afsye, Bargematal district, 70 [...]

Movement rocked by more aid worker deaths

Movement rocked by more aid worker deathsSince the beginning of the year, a total of 17 Movement workers or volunteers have lost their lives in attacks by warring parties in various parts of the world. In early February, six staff members of the ICRC were killed in Afghanistan when their clearly marked convoy was attacked [...]

Survey finds most people support rules of war

Survey finds most people support rules of warA majority of people questioned in a recent ICRC-commissioned survey feel that rules of war developed in the second half of the 20th century still make an important difference in protecting lives during conflict. According to a survey of 17,000 people in 16 countries conducted by WIN/Gallup International, [...]

Empty nest in Gaza

Empty nest in GazaThe life of a fisherman is rarely easy. But the fishing boats of Gaza face a particular challenge: they are only allowed to fish up to six nautical miles off the coast, due to the Israeli naval blockade. Fishing is an essential part of Gaza’s economy, but restrictions have undermined the sector [...]

Struggling to survive in South Kivu

Photo: Julie Schneider/ICRC Struggling to survive in South KivuDue to relentless fighting between the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s armed forces and armed groups, whole communities are facing serious food shortages because they no longer have access to their fields and crops. In December, the ICRC distributed urgently needed food to more than 8,500 people [...]

Life on Syria Street

The largely urban conflict in Syria has also had a major impact on cities in neighbouring countries. Lebanon, which hosts some 1.2million Syrians, is dealing with complex confessional fault lines.

Urban resilience: a tale of two cities

We could say that today’s rapid urbanization is a tale of two cities. The first is a story of shining high-rises, the second, a tale of sprawling shanty towns. A guest editorial by Fouad Bendimerad.

A walk through Kigogo

Using an online map they helped developed with local residents, Tanzania Red Cross National Society volunteers offer a tour of the risks and assets of Kigogo, a neighbourhood in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Front line city

As cities take on greater importance — as population centres and economic hubs — they have also become front lines in most of today’s conflicts.

Money talks

Communication, community engagement and preparedness are key as more National Societies use cash in emergency response.

Publications issue 3

World Disasters Report 2016IFRC, 2016 A lack of global investment in strengthening community resilience is leaving tens of millions of people exposed to predictable, preventable and catastrophic disaster risks. This is the key message behind the IFRC’s World Disasters Report 2016. According to the report, despite broad recognition that investing in resilience before a disaster [...]

The cost of violence

Author and researcher Patricia Leidl says the helping communities recover from crisis and overcoming poverty requires greater protection for women and girls.

Focus: Lives in limbo

In a field hospital at the al Azraq refugee camp, just 100 kilometres from the Syrian border in northern Jordan, a baby is born to a woman fleeing conflict in Syria.

Guest editorial

Cash, a chance for change
By Degan Ali, executive director of African Development Solutions.

Education in crisis

With more people on the move than ever before, conflicts lasting years and chronic violence on the rise in many areas, millions of children are deprived of even a basic education.

Attacks on aid workers continue

Attacks on aid workers continueA horrific attack on an aid convoy and a warehouse operated by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent near Aleppo killed 20 civilians (including a Red Crescent staff member) in September and deprived thousands of civilians of much-needed food and medical assistance. “We’re totally devastated by the deaths of so many people, [...]

Italian Red Cross aids quake victims

Italian Red Cross aids quake victimsAfter a series of earthquakes rocked central Italy between August and November, Italian Red Cross volunteers worked tirelessly to rescue people from the rubble, provide meals and offer psychological support to those who lost everything in the quake — including their own family members. The Red Cross’s mobile kitchen in [...]

Volunteers respond to Gabon election violence

Volunteers respond to Gabon election violenceIntensive preparation before recent elections helped the Gabonese Red Cross Society respond to election-related violence that reportedly left 15 people dead and more than 100 injured. As part of a contingency plan developed by the National Society, 110 volunteers were deployed nationwide to provide assistance to the injured. IFRC emergency [...]

Massive yellow fever campaign in Angola

Massive yellow fever campaign in AngolaIt was one of the largest mass vaccination campaigns against yellow fever ever attempted in Africa: Red Cross volunteers fanned out across Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to aid in the response. Since the first confirmed reports of yellow fever in Angola in January 2016, mass vaccination [...]

ICRC helps four athletes realize a dream

Photo: REUTERS/Ismail Zetouni ICRC helps four athletes realize a dream Four athletes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) represented their country at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in September, with the support of their national paralympic committee and the ICRC. “I never expected to get this far, I’m so happy!” [...]

The case for cash

From Ecuador to Myanmar, Nepal to Somalia, Viet Nam to Canada, cash transfers are now an integral part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s aid operations.

Burkina Faso

As donors and international organizations discuss how best to support local organizations, many are coming up with their own ideas on how to ensure self-financing of local humanitarian relief.

The fight against Zika

With plenty of front-line experience fighting the mosquito that spreads chikungunya and dengue, National Societies in Latin America gear up against another mosquito-borne disease.

Yellow fever outbreak could spread, IFRC warns

Yellow fever outbreak could spread, IFRC warnsA deadly yellow fever outbreak in Angola has now spread to China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Kenya. The IFRC warned in May that fears are growing that the disease will continue to spread internationally unless immediate action is taken. “Limited vaccine supplies, poor sanitation, inadequate [...]

ICRC: sparing the civilians of Fallujah

ICRC: sparing the civilians of FallujahFierce fighting around the Iraqi city of Fallujah in May raised serious concerns about the well-being and safety of civilians still trapped in and around the city. The situation was particularly problematic for the tens of thousands of men, women, children and elderly people who remain stuck inside Fallujah, the [...]

El Niño sweeps southern Africa

El Niño sweeps southern AfricaAs El Niño-related drought conditions swept across southern Africa, some 49 million people will likely be struggling to get adequate food by the end of the year, according to the IFRC. Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland and Zimbabwe all declared states of emergency, as have seven of South Africa’s nine provinces. Mozambique declared [...]

‘I used to sit alone’

‘I used to sit alone’When the unrest that shook Burundi in April 2015 spread to their home province of Kirundo, Gérard and his 14-year-old brother feared for their lives. “We left home in the middle of the night and followed other people who were leaving for Rwanda,” said Gérard. The two brothers made it to [...]

In for the long haul

Donors and relief organizations agree that people affected by natural disaster or trapped in protracted conflict need more stable, long-term support.

Publications 2-2016

Istanbul and beyond: Perspectives and pledges of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement on the occasion of the World Humanitarian SummitICRC/IFRC, 2016 In his report prepared for the World Humanitarian Summit, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon identified critical challenges to the humanitarian sector and issued calls for action to defend and reaffirm core [...]

Deaths at sea continue in the Mediterranean

Deaths at sea continue in the MediterraneanIn May 2016 alone, more than 1,080 people were reported missing or drowned as they attempted to make the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea towards Europe, according to the International Organization for Migration. The IFRC, its member National Societies and the ICRC continue to call for governments and [...]

Guest editorials: World Humanitarian Summit — a big deal for humanity?

Guest editorials World Humanitarian Summit: a big deal for humanity? Merewalesi Nailatikau Youth commission chair, Fiji Red Cross Society I was quite proud of the Movement’s position at the Summit, particularly with its emphasis on human dignity and the idea of ‘intervention as local as possible, as international as necessary’ as well as our message [...]

A big deal for Humanity?

Three months after delegates to the World Humanitarian Summit have gone back to their communities, what will all the big promises mean over the long term?

Humanity under fire

Bombed hospitals. Health and first-aid workers killed. Heavily populated urban areas bombarded. What can be done to ensure respect for the rules of war?

Movement voice heard in Paris climate talks

Movement voice heard in Paris climate talks After states taking part in the ‘COP 21’ climate talks in Paris in December 2015 adopted an agreement to reduce emissions and set specific targets for global temperature rises, the IFRC urged governments and partners to place communities most at risk from climate change at the centre of [...]

VIDEOS

War surgery in DR Congo: A new splint for the woundedICRC 2016 Part of a series on innovations in war surgery, this latest instalment explains the ICRC’s new traction splint, which can be put together in five minutes, folded up and adjusted to any size of femur. What’s more, it doesn’t rust and is available [...]

Online tools

Advocacy Resource CentreGlobal Road Safety Partnership/IFRC 2015 The Global Road Safety Partnership, a hosted project of the IFRC, has released an essential new web-based resource to support advocacy efforts for improved road safety policies and implementation of programmes. This new online Advocacy Resource Centre is a one-stop resource for civil society organizations, National Societies and [...]

Publications

The Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Ethics and tools for humanitarian actionICRC and IFRC 2015 This booklet uses personal stories and case studies to explain what the Fundamental Principles are and how they apply in today’s world. Imagine you’re a volunteer driving an ambulance in a country going through civil [...]

Uncommon risks

Nuclear accidents and other technological disasters are rare. But 30 years after Chernobyl, the disaster reminds us of the urgent need to prepare.

Taiwan Red Cross responds to deadly earthquake

Taiwan Red Cross responds to deadly earthquake Five rescue teams from the Taiwan Red Cross supported government and military emergency services in searching the ruins of collapsed buildings in Tainan City in early February, after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck in the south of Taiwan. In the most difficult cases, the teams spent hours digging through [...]

With Ebola outbreak waning, a focus on early detection

With Ebola outbreak waning, a focus on early detection As cases of Ebola virus disease dwindled to near zero in West Africa, the IFRC renewed its call for increased investment in early warning and response mechanisms. “Unfortunately, the threat has not passed and our focus now must be on strengthening capacity [in Guinea, Liberia and [...]

Supporting returning domestic workers

Supporting returning domestic workers Some 6.5 million Indonesians work overseas and many of them are female domestic workers. As the Indonesian government increases efforts to ensure their nationals have protection before, during and after they leave the country for employment, the Indonesian Red Cross Society has recently started to provide support to female domestic workers [...]

Horrifying conditions in besieged Syrian cities

Horrifying conditions in besieged Syrian cities With blockades of several Syrian cities creating catastrophic conditions for residents, the Movement called on all parties in the Syrian conflict to end all sieges being carried out across the war-torn country. As joint ICRC, United Nations and Syrian Arab Red Crescent convoys delivered food, medicines and blankets into [...]

Better shelter for Sri Lanka’s displaced

Better shelter for Sri Lanka’s displaced Following the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2010, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society began a housing and livelihoods project in the northern part of the country to support the most vulnerable of the displaced people, who can now finally return to their homelands. The [...]

Movement adopts new logo

For the first time in its 150-year-plus history, the Movement has approved a Movement-wide logo representing all its components — the ICRC, National Societies and the IFRC.

The fight against Zika

The fight against Zika As the Zika virus spread rapidly through the Americas earlier this year, teams of Red Cross volunteers hit the streets, getting the message out about how to interrupt the spread of this mosquito-borne disease, which has been linked to an increase in the birth of babies with microcephaly and to Guillain-Barré [...]

A call for humanity

In the shadow of mounting challenges, the Movement’s 32nd International Conference made a case for building a stronger humanitarian response from the ground up.

Fighting by the rules

Could a voluntary compliance mechanism, designed to be non-binding and non-political, help bridge the gap between the ideals behind the rules of war and real-world practice on the ground?

Movement renews calls for end to nuclear weapons

At the 25th United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues in Hiroshima, Japan, Movement representatives emphasized the need for governments to take urgent action to ban and eliminate nuclear weapons through a binding international agreement.

Focus: A world on the run

Powerful images of migrants drowned at sea, crossing over razor-wire fences or arriving on shore after a shipwreck have propelled the current migration phenomenon to the forefront of public consciousness in Europe in the past year.

Discuss: 21st Century Fundamental Principles

It has been fifty years since the adoption of the Seven Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. Do you think they’re still relevant to 21st century life and humanitarian work, or do they need updating?

Voices to action

When the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent convenes in December, will the voices of people at the grass roots be heard?

Remembering the ‘old ways’

A project that links high-tech weather forecasting with traditional knowledge is being piloted in the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu in an effort to help people cope with climate change and disasters.

Calls for action on migration

The secretaries general of 21 European Red Cross Societies, along with IFRC Secretary General Elhadj As Sy, have called for more compassionate action on behalf of migrants after yet another series of sea disasters claimed the lives of thousands of people in the Mediterranean Sea.

‘Hoping to escape death’ in Iraq

When fighting in the central Iraqi city of Ramadi forced thousands of people to flee their houses, they look for refuge in safer areas in the country, particularly in Al Amiriyah Fallujah and Al Khalidiya in Al Anbar province.

Middle East being bled dry by conflict

Even before conflict broke out in Iraq and Syria, people in the Middle East were suffering from severe water shortages as the past few years’ rising violence and record low rainfall have made access to an adequate quantity and quality of water increasingly difficult, according to a recent report by the ICRC.

Breaking point

As conflict intensified in Yemen, and many aid agencies were forced to leave, locally based Movement workers have been the backbone of the humanitarian response.

Aftershock

People in Nepal are learning how to survive, rebuild and deal with trauma as more aftershocks bring back terrible memories.

Matters of principle

The Fundamental Principles turn 50 years old this year. What better time to examine the challenges faced in putting these key guiding principles into action?

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