International Committee of the Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) currently operates in 46 of the 50 countries most vulnerable to climate change and least equipped to adapt. Nearly half of the world’s 122 million displaced people live in countries facing both conflict and severe climate hazards. In regions like the Sahel and Horn of Africa, recurrent droughts, floods, and violence are driving instability and humanitarian need. In response, the ICRC and its partners integrate climate risk analysis and conflict sensitivity into operations, while upholding international humanitarian law (IHL) and supporting local actors through resilience-building programs and climate-smart interventions. Our work on the ground illustrates how we adapt our assistance to the unique intersection of crisis and climate. In Ethiopia, our largest solar-powered water system in Africa now serves over 77,000 people in Lalibela, mitigating conflict-driven power shortages and ensuring a stable water supply. In Myanmar, where climate shocks threaten food security, we promote climate-smart agriculture by distributing salt-tolerant rice and sustainable farming inputs. In conflict zones prone to climate hazards, we restore critical services—deploying mobile water units, delivering essential medicines, and rehabilitating infrastructure—to protect health and dignity. As a partner within the Red Cross Movement, we recognize that addressing the climate crisis requires coordinated, cross-sector action. That’s why we co-launched the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, aligning our operational and advocacy efforts around climate resilience, environmental safeguards, and principled humanitarian action. From advocating for respect of IHL to partnering with global institutions on climate finance access, the ICRC strives to ensure that the most vulnerable communities are not left behind in global climate responses. To learn more about how we’re driving systemic change to address the impacts of climate change on communities in crisis-affected regions, please visit www.icrc.org.

On August 31st at 11:47pm local time, a powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, devastating communities across five provinces. The impact was especially severe in Nurgal and Sawkai Districts in Kunar, where entire villages were reduced to rubble. Over 1,100 lives have been lost, nearly 3,000 people injured, and more than 56,000 affected. Landslides triggered by the quake have blocked roads and isolated communities, leaving families cut off from life-saving aid. The humanitarian needs are urgent and complex. Search and rescue operations are underway, but access remains limited. Emergency medical support, shelter, food, and clean water are desperately needed. The management of the dead poses a significant challenge, and road clearance is critical to restoring humanitarian access. A high threat from explosive ordnances—displaced by landslides—has further endangered survivors and responders. These events have compounded existing vulnerabilities in already fragile communities. The ICRC, in close coordination with the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) and IFRC, is actively responding. Our teams are delivering emergency medical supplies to hospitals, deploying water and sanitation equipment, and supporting families searching for missing loved ones. We’ve provided body bags and forensic support, distributed emergency kits and phones to reconnect families, and mobilized cash grants to help 1,500 affected households. Physical rehabilitation centers are receiving patients, and a cash-for-work program is being launched to clear debris and rehabilitate irrigation canals. The situation is changing quite rapidly, and the ICRC may adjust its assistance focus as new priorities emerge on the ground. The ICRC has been present in Afghanistan since 1987, working to strengthen health systems, support violence-affected communities, and uphold dignity for those in detention. This earthquake response builds on decades of trust and partnership. Your support today can help restore hope and resilience to families who’ve lost everything. Thank you for standing with us—and with the people of Afghanistan—in this time of urgent need.

In 2023, 149 million people in Africa faced food insecurity, with 82% of them—122 million—living in conflict zones. This stark reality highlights that violence and instability are the primary drivers of Africa’s food crisis. At the end of March 2024 already, 158.5 million people in West African countries, including the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, struggled to find sufficient food. Food security in the African continent is a cyclical, persistent concern, particularly during the lean season. Armed conflict impacts every dimension of food security: people displaced by hostilities lose access to their fields and other sources of livelihoods. Farmers and herders face conflict-related risks in carrying out their work, which impairs their ability to produce enough food. Essential services providing access to water and sanitation are disrupted, leading to outbreak of water-borne diseases and increasing the risk of malnutrition, particularly amongst young children. The conduct of hostilities may also directly imperil the delivery of health care and humanitarian aid. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stands out as a multidisciplinary, protection-focused, and principled food security actor in war zones and other situations of violence. Our approach is tailored to the complexities of armed conflicts. Nearly half of our Africa budget—346 million Swiss Francs—directly or indirectly addresses food insecurity across 17 countries. Our unique access to conflict-affected regions of Africa – along with your support – would enable us to deliver life-saving aid to starving families, strengthen community resilience by reinforcing their food production capacities, and improve access to essential services for millions of families across Africa. We work towards reducing communities’ exposure to risks created by armed conflict and other violence – for example, the risk of sexual violence that women face going to work in the fields. We provide emergency food assistance to those most in need, and help people cultivate their fields or rear their livestock. We maintain and support essential services, such as primary health care and access to water, sanitation and hygiene, in the fight against malnutrition. In 2024, 1,113,190 people obtain adequate food from the ICRC, and 3,957,713 people who will produce food more sustainably in Africa utilizing tools and seeds provided by the ICRC. You can find more information about our work at our website www.icrc.org

The ICRC’s water and habitat programme aims to restore or expand access to a wide range of essential services for people-affected by conflict – and ultimately, improve their living conditions and quality of life. Ethiopia: clean water closer to home In Ethiopia, a lack of running water was a daily reality for thousands in Roggee, a small town in Oromia region affected by both conflict and climate change. Hindia Adem, a seventy-year-old resident, says: “At my age, I walked 20 kilometers to fetch dirty water. We left for water at 2am and returned at 1pm. Our children were exhausted.” Everything changed after we dug a deep water well and set up a system consisting of pumps powered by solar panels and a back-up generator, and pipes connecting the water source to the local clinic, cattle troughs and other important facilities. “Now we are free from all that burden,” she says. “I feel so delighted for a moment like this.” Myanmar: a place to call their own Many areas of Kachin State in Myanmar have now become silent spaces scarred by armed conflict, with many people forced to flee for their safety. “We had been living in the camp for ten years,” says Ngwa Lu Paw. But every family deserves a home of their own. So, we built one for him and his family, and dozens of others. We equipped each house with a kitchen, a private toilet, solar power and clean water systems. “We are grateful that we now have a place to live” he says. His child has already put a personal touch on their new walls. ICRC helped 36 million people will have better access to clean water and other basic services. You can make a difference - thank you for your support.