In 2024, the Red Cross responded more frequently than ever to extreme weather and natural disasters. The organization launched 108 large-scale relief efforts due to natural calamities, a significant increase compared to previous years.
In 2023, there were 87 such actions, 75 in 2022, and 59 in 2021, nearly doubling since 2021. According to Director Harm Goossens, the past year saw unprecedented conditions, including Mongolia’s harshest winter in fifty years, record-breaking temperatures in India, and extended cyclone seasons in the Philippines.
The Red Cross is preparing for more and intensified natural disasters in 2025, focusing on the poorest areas most affected by climate change. Goossens noted that extreme weather is increasingly impacting regions like Spain, Italy, Austria, and Poland.
Concerns are growing about the organization’s capacity to respond due to overlapping natural disasters and conflicts. A special account, Giro 661, was opened to aid disaster victims, raising one million euros.
Despite reduced attention due to other humanitarian efforts, the Red Cross will continue to promote the account in the new year.
Source: NOS