News

On 8 November, at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF) Pledging Conference, taking place in Geneva, Lithuania stressed the importance of humanitarian law and announced a EUR 100,000 contribution to ensure that assistance reaches people affected by crises in a timely and effective manner.

“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, challenged the key principles of the international order based on international law and the rule of law and laid the foundations for further global erosion of humanitarian law. This underscores a profoundly troubling trend towards normalizing brutality and disregarding fundamental human rights, which is leading to worsening humanitarian crises. At the same time, in an increasingly climate change-affected world, the complexity and frequency of weather-related disasters is growing in all regions. In this context, we stress the importance of global collaboration in alleviating the suffering of those impacted by armed conflicts and natural disasters,” – said A. Jievaltas, Deputy Head of Lithuania’s Diplomatic Representation in Geneva.

IFRC DREF Pledging Conference aims to mobilize sufficient funding to ensure efficient, fast and transparent way of delivering humanitarian aid in different regions of the world through the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

During the conference, Lithuania also announced its contribution of 50,000 euros to the IFRC’s Typhoon Yagi response in Vietnam to help meet the humanitarian needs of the country.

Vietnam is an important partner for Lithuania in the Indo-Pacific region, where Lithuania aims to strengthen its partnerships.  Lithuania's Indo-Pacific strategy also emphasizes fostering people-to-people connections and expanding collaboration with the nations across the region.

Typhoon Yagi, which struck Vietnam in early September 2024, was recorded as the strongest typhoon in the past 30 years. The entire northern region with a population of 19 million was battered by prolonged torrential rain, causing major floods, landslides, widespread inundation, and extensive damage to people and property with over 284,000 houses damaged or destroyed. The typhoon also caused enormous damage to agriculture, affecting over 300 000 hectares of farmland as well as cattle and poultry farms.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network. Its secretariat supports local Red Cross and Red Crescent action in more than 191 countries, bringing together more than 16 million volunteers.  In 2024, the IFRC's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) marks its 45th anniversary.