Frauen auf einem Feld in Mosambik

Helping, supporting, preventing – these are our strengths.

The international cooperation of the GRC aims to provide humanitarian aid worldwide in close partnership with national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies where this aid is most urgently needed.

[Translate to Englisch:] Was macht das Rote Kreuz? Das DRK leistet weltweit humanitäre Hilfe.

Given the number and duration of humanitarian crises, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance worldwide is continually increasing. The increasingly threatening risks of climate change, the humanitarian consequences of natural disasters and, in some cases, highly infectious disease outbreaks pose major challenges for the DRK's international cooperation. In addition, humanitarian crises are occurring more and more frequently in urban areas due to increasing urbanization worldwide.

The aim is to reduce the vulnerability of affected people to crises and disasters and to strengthen their resilience in the long term.

What does the GRC do?

Our main topics

The tasks of the German Red Cross are diverse and range from issues of long-term health, nutrition and water supply to rapid humanitarian aid in the event of a disaster and in acute crisis regions. In addition to emergency aid, it is also important to us to sustainably strengthen people and structures so that they are better prepared for crises. Below you will get an insight into our DRK tasks and key topics.

By strengthening the thematic priorities within its international cooperation, the German Red Cross is responding comprehensively to the current challenges. The DRK is constantly expanding its core competencies in disaster prevention and so-called proactive humanitarian aid and is continuously working on new and innovative approaches in order to be able to provide effective humanitarian aid.

Disaster preparedness & proactive assistance

Disaster prevention and forward-looking assistance makes people in risk areas better prepared for disasters. This way, suffering can be prevented before it happens.
[Translate to Englisch:]
Disaster risk reduction

Earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, crisis and conflicts, again and again cause enormous human suffering worldwide.The GRC provides effective emergency relief; but it also supports National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to analyse disaster and conflict risks, to reduce existing and future risks and to prepare vulnerable communities to be able to respond to crisis and disasters in an effective way.

[Translate to Englisch:] Mapathon im Rahmen des Missing Maps Projekts
Missing Maps – Putting the world’s vulnerable people on the map

The Missing Maps project aims to capture unmapped areas in developing countries and to publish them on OpenStreetMap. This enables humanitatian organisations to provide emergency aid more quickly.

[Translate to Englisch:]
Disaster risk reduction

Earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, crisis and conflicts, again and again cause enormous human suffering worldwide.The GRC provides effective emergency relief; but it also supports National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to analyse disaster and conflict risks, to reduce existing and future risks and to prepare vulnerable communities to be able to respond to crisis and disasters in an effective way.

[Translate to Englisch:] Mapathon im Rahmen des Missing Maps Projekts
Missing Maps – Putting the world’s vulnerable people on the map

The Missing Maps project aims to capture unmapped areas in developing countries and to publish them on OpenStreetMap. This enables humanitatian organisations to provide emergency aid more quickly.

[Translate to Englisch:]
Water

Everyone has a right to clean water. However, over 633 million people on earth do not have access to water. Making this element accessible for people worldwide, appreciating and protecting it is one of the foremost challenges for the GRC and its partners.

[Translate to Englisch:]
Sustained health care

The German Red Cross provides support in all areas of basic health care and hygiene. In addition to acute emergency relief in crisis and disaster situations, we implement sustainable health care measures in both medium-term and long-term development cooperation projects.

[Translate to Englisch:]
Resilience

GRC projects always have the objective to strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable people and the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to enable them to better cope with crises and disasters in the future.

Refugee Relief

The GRC is part of a worldwide community that provides aid to victims of conflicts and disasters. Around 79,5 million people all over the world are refugees. Many of them have experienced cruel and traumatic situations are very vulnerable. The GRC helps refugees both at home and abroad.

Food security

The GRC ensures food security for the poor population in many countries around the world.

Improvement of living conditions

Extreme weather events but also crises or environmental impacts threaten or destroy the livelihoods of people in many countries worldwide. The German Red Cross supports the affected people to restore, secure and sustainably strengthen their livelihoods.

Shelter

If a disaster like a tsunami, a typhoon or an earthquake devastates a region, thousands of houses can be destroyed. The GRC helps planning and building accommodations, rebuilding them robust enough to withstand the local threats.

[Translate to Englisch:]
Climate change

Climate change affects all international activities of GRC. More frequent and stronger extreme weather disasters cause certain diseases to spread (e.g. malaria), while also impeding the safe access to drinking water and potentially aggravating the living conditions of vulnerable population groups. Adapting to the effects of climate change and reducing the humanitarian consequences are central issues for GRCs international cooperation, with a special focus on promoting resilience in disaster-prone regions. To integrate climate change adaptation aspects i…

[Translate to Englisch:]
Disaster risk reduction

Earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, crisis and conflicts, again and again cause enormous human suffering worldwide.The GRC provides effective emergency relief; but it also supports National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to analyse disaster and conflict risks, to reduce existing and future risks and to prepare vulnerable communities to be able to respond to crisis and disasters in an effective way.

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