Health in emergencies

The lives and health of millions of people are affected by emergencies every year. The IFRC works to reduce illness and death and improve health and maintain human dignity during health emergencies.

In the last decade, disasters caused more than 1 million deaths and affected almost 3 million people around the world at a cost of nearly 1 trillion US dollars (World Disasters Report 2009).

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and its millions of volunteers provide frontline response when emergencies strike. They provide immediate assistance for the victims and are involved in longer-term activities that save lives and improve health