Humanitarian Assistance in Africa
Africa is shaped by acute and chronic crises. Hence, the German Red Cross is involved in the continent with numerous projects and is working diligently to improve the people´s situation in each country.
Famines, such as those in Somalia, armed conflicts like those in Sudan, refugee movements in Uganda and South Sudan, and the effects of climate change in countries like Togo and Madagascar, require extensive humanitarian assistance.
Together with local Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, we work in many African countries to provide rapid and sustainable assistance to people affected by crises.
Core issues in Africa
The tasks we tackle – together with the local people, aid workers as well as donors – are wide-ranging: We support food security through the distribution of seeds and agricultural equipment, we take precautions for clean water and sanitation, health care and medical support, we provide assistance to refugees, improve disaster preparedness and the adaptation to climate change.
It is immensely important to open up perspectives for young people and provide them with knowledge on how to better protect themselves from disasters or diseases, for example, or how to increase their harvest.
GRC commitment in the respective countries
Ethiopia
Extreme weather conditions and ongoing conflicts have exacerbated the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia. The German Red Cross is working with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society to improve the living conditions of affected families through various measures.
For example, internally displaced persons, returnees and members of host communities receive support in the areas of water and hygiene, basic relief supplies, safe shelter, improved livelihoods and humanitarian cash transfers. Additionally, the GRC is assisting the Ethiopian Red Cross Society with its anticipatory actions so that vulnerable people can receive humanitarian aid before a disaster strikes.
Somalia
Life in Somalia is marked by a multitude of interrelated crises, including ongoing armed conflicts and extreme weather events such as severe droughts. This leads to widespread food insecurity, water shortages and the loss of livelihoods.
The German Red Cross provides emergency humanitarian aid and is involved in long-term projects. We support the Somali Red Crescent Society in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene, food security and disaster preparedness. With the intensive involvement of the population, the GRC helps people to improve their resilience to the effects of climate change, for example by creating stable community structures and alternative sources of income.
