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Statement by Bekele Geleta, Secretary General,
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
All over the world, people – including Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers – face the impacts of a
changing climate. We see changing hazards combined with rising vulnerabilities due to population growth,
urbanization, poverty and environmental degradation. In particular, we are responding to a substantial rise
in smaller climate-related emergencies – a real change in the typology of disasters.
Through our unrivalled community-based volunteer network, we are well placed to respond to these
localized disaster events, which often go unnoticed by the international media.
Instead of waiting for emergencies to happen, we work to prevent disasters and reduce their impact through
enhanced disaster preparedness. We monitor vulnerability, hazards and risks – working in partnership with
governments and civil society, and with local communities worldwide to increase their resilience through
improved contingency planning and public awareness. Climate information is a key ingredient in these efforts,
helping to anticipate threats days, weeks, months, even years and decades before they become disasters.
However, experience shows that climate information by itself is not enough. The people who use it –
particularly the most vulnerable – must understand and trust it, and be able to act upon it. That last mile,
getting from scientific early warning to early action on the ground, is often the crucial missing link. The
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies can bridge this gap and stands ready to do
its part.
Bekele Geleta
Secretary General, International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies