Stories

Since 1979, the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has offered immediate financial support to respond to all kinds of emergencies around the globe.

Humanitarian needs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are among the highest in the world. People in the DRC have been facing persistent conflict and violence for decades.

In a first-hand account, the Hungarian rescue team explains how they managed to save Selma’s life.

In eastern Ukraine, the ongoing conflict continues to cause damage to housing, schools, health facilities and water and electricity supply.

Europe faces overwhelming losses and destruction from climate-related disasters as the continent is warming faster than any other region in the world:

After years of abuse and living in the reality of one of the world's longest conflicts, Sandra* had the courage to take the first step and leave Colombia to save herself and her children's future.

The EU works with several humanitarian partners throughout the north of Central America, where gang violence is so blind and widespread that it resembles a conflict.

With EU humanitarian support, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) provides aid to those affected by conflict in the country’s northeast, ranging from life-saving assistance to resilience-building projects.

“We’ve lost everything. But one day, we will return home.” These words are most often heard in conversations with senior Ukrainians who have been suffering from the Russian invasion since February 2022.

Bangladesh’s southern district of Cox’s Bazar hosts hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

Born into a low-income family in a village in Bangladesh’s southern Cox’s Bazar district, Sumaiya got married when she was only 15 years old.

When dealing with a large-scale natural disaster, access to safe water is critical in order to avoid the spread of waterborne diseases and fulfil basic hygiene needs.

Since November 2020, the conflict in northern Ethiopia has caused massive displacement not only in Tigray, but also in the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara.

The Horn of Africa is caught in the grip of the most severe drought in decades, with more than 13 million people already affected.

As the Syrian crisis enters its 12th year, millions of displaced Syrians endure another brutal winter.

When countries closed their borders in a bid to limit the spread of COVID-19, thousands of EU citizens remained stranded abroad. The EU’s emergency response coordination centre addressed their call for help, organising support from across Europe. Spain responded by flying 1,100 of them back home.

What exactly is the Humanitarian Air Bridge, and how is it making a difference? We met the people behind these operations to learn about their organisation and the impact they're having on the lives of those in need.

“I opened the front door and I heard screaming, and everything in my apartment started to fall from the shelves,” says Jonathan, who has been working with EU humanitarian aid in Gaziantep, Türkiye, for almost 5 years.

In pictures, see how the EU is responding to forest fires across Europe.