Sierra Leone

How the Sierra Leone Red Cross are helping people in Sierra Leone.

Last updated: 12 September 2024

Over the past two decades, Sierra Leone has made remarkable progress in development, with life expectancy rising by over 16 years since the 1990s.

However, the country has also confronted significant challenges along the way, including the Ebola epidemic of 2014–2015, the 2017 mudslide in Freetown, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

We need your help to continue supporting the people of Sierra Leone.

Donate to the Disaster Fund

Joseph is indoors, wearing a white buttoned shirt and smiling at the camera

Joseph is a Sierra Leone Red Cross volunteer. PHOTO: James Tamba-Martha / Sierra Leone Red Cross Society 

Sierra Leone in numbers

  • Sierra Leone ranks 181st out of 189 countries on the Human Development Index.
  • 58% of the population are food insecure.
  • 61% of women aged 15-49 who have ever been married women have experienced spousal violence.
  • Sierra Leone is among the 10% of countries most vulnerable to the adverse consequences of climate change.

 

Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement response

With a leading role in disaster and national risk management, the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society (SLRCS) has a wide presence across the country and strong volunteer network - aiming to respond and prepare for disasters facing the country and to improve the resilience of vulnerable communities.

The SLRCS and the British Red Cross partnership spans over 100 years with strong results.

We’re supporting them to build their programming capacity in resilient livelihoods, financial inclusion, climate smart disaster management and sexual and gender-based violence prevention.

SLRCS and BRC have been working together on an integrated resilience programme.

As part of the programme, local disaster management committees have been set up to anticipate and respond to risks in the community, which can include threats such as flooding or mudslides. Women are disproportionately impacted by crises, so the programme helps women to build their own resilient livelihood strategies. This is achieved by helping them to set up bank accounts and providing them with financial literacy training and business management training so that they can thrive in difficult circumstances.


To reduce instances of sexual and gender-based violence, the programme also seeks to educate men in the communities and empower them to become advocates for women’s rights.

Donate to the Disaster Fund