Winter is here - but so is the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Winter brings extra challenges for people already living in crisis. Here's how we're supporting those who need us, at home and overseas.
Together, we're the world's emergency responders
A few weeks into 2024, and the UK has already been battered by Storm Henk and widespread flooding. Communities have been evacuated and homes damaged.
It follows a year of global devastation on an unprecedented scale. Conflict in Ukraine, Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory, earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, Afghanistan and Morocco - and powerful storms in the UK - have left millions in urgent and ongoing need.
Now, people are facing the added challenges that winter brings.
People living in the shadow of conflict will see nights get darker as supplies run out. Those who have lost their homes in earthquakes face plunging temperatures. And those living here in the UK may wake to more flooding and chaos.
But the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement is here to help.
Emergency Response teams have been supporting communities affected by Storm Babet, Storm Ciaran and Storm Henk. PHOTO: British Red Cross
Floods have battered the UK in recent weeks, and the British Red Cross teams are supporting those affected. PHOTO: British Red Cross
Help us leave nobody out in the cold
The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is working in the UK and around the world, to bring warmth this winter and beyond.
Our National Societies and local volunteers work alongside resilient people and communities as they rebuild and recover from disasters. Volunteers like Bob, who supported people through Storm Arwen in Scotland.
He says: "I went to an 82-year-old lady. She hadn't had a hot drink for three days. When strangers come in with a friendly face, it just means someone cares.
She just wanted someone to talk to, a bit of company. She was happy by the time we left for the next job.
Winter in conflict zones
In Gaza, where 1.9 million people have been forced to leave their homes, winter has arrived.
January is on average the coldest and wettest month, and hundreds of thousands are in makeshift shelters, in cars, or out in the open. Many are resorting to cardboard boxes to protect against the elements.
People here lack blankets, warm clothes, and access to food, clean drinking water, and proper sanitation. Fuel has run out, and hypothermia is a real threat.
It’s a critical time. Winter makes things harder in every emergency. But the Palestine Red Crescent Society has been supporting people from day one.
Rooted in the community, they have provided first aid, shelter, food parcels, milk, blankets, mattresses, water as well as baby items, to nearly 400,000 people.
Natalie and her 3-year-old son Ignat from Kharkiv were supported by one of the many Red Cross societies working in Ukraine. PHOTO: Danish Red Cross.
In Ukraine, countless homes, businesses and buildings have been destroyed by the ongoing conflict. People are living in crowded shelters like nurseries and university halls – and damage to energy infrastructure could leave them without power or electricity, exposing them to freezing temperatures.
Heavy snowfall makes it harder for teams to reach remote rural areas with critical aid. In preparation, Ukrainian Red Cross responders have been distributing blankets, sleeping bags, hygiene kits and food parcels, as well as helping people to stay warm with mobile heaters.
Health units and carers are also visiting people who aren’t able to travel, making sure they have the healthcare they need.
Deadly earthquakes have left hundreds of thousands of people exposed
Last year saw a number of deadly earthquakes devastate communities around the globe.
In Morocco, where the September 2023 earthquake left communities without shelter, freezing weather has enveloped the Atlas Mountains. Moroccan Red Crescent responders are providing blankets, clothing, and warm places to stay, as well as access to suitable hygiene for the longer term.
A tented community in the Atlas Mountains. Winter has now enveloped the region, and people are enduring freezing temperatures. PHOTO: ICRC
In Türkiye and Syria, survivors are still grappling with the devastating repercussions of the February earthquakes.
Turkish Red Crescent and Syrian Arab Red Crescent teams are working with communities on winter preparations and long-term recovery, from reinforcing and waterproofing to insulating shelters.
Millions of relief items including blankets, baby items, and kitchen sets have been distributed, as well as support for the colder months including hot meals, winter kits, and cash so people have the power to buy what they need.
Many communities are still exposed to freezing conditions after the earthquake in Türkiye. PHOTO: Türkiye Red Crescent Society
After years of conflict, many Syrian people were living in tented communities when the earthquake struck. PHOTO: Syrian Red Crescent Society
Winter storms bring long-lasting hardship
In the UK, winter brings a heightened risk of flooding and other extreme weather events. As seen with Storm Babet, Storm Ciaran and Storm Henk, repairing the damage may run up a bill of thousands of pounds, but the full cost is impossible to measure.
Sentimental belongings cannot be replaced, and homes can be ruined, bringing another layer of emotional suffering.
Record waves battered Stonehaven during Storm Babet in October 2023. Our Emergency Response teams reached people in remote areas and set up warm rescue centres. PHOTO: British Red Cross
The British Red Cross shares guidance to help people prepare and supports evacuations if the floodwaters do arrive. If the power goes out, teams conduct door-to-door checks, and longer-term psychosocial support is also there to help people cope with what has happened.
We're here to bring warmth this winter and beyond
There is hope. While this is set to be one of the hardest seasons for many, our local national societies and volunteers on the ground will be working with resilient communities as they rebuild and recover.
We'll be reaching people in crisis here in the UK, and around the world - during winter and beyond.
Here for humanity this winter
In the UK and around the world, we're protecting vulnerable communities from the biting effects of winter. If you can, please support our vital work.
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