Since 2021, more than 1.9 million people affected by emergencies and crises have received assistance fr om the Russian Red Cross. This support has included responding to the Ukrainian crisis, aiding residents of border regions, managing the aftermath of floods and wildfires, responding to man-made disasters, and conducting international humanitarian operations.
“It is important that in our work we understand that emergencies and crises can take many forms—including large-scale humanitarian ones. Each of them requires its own approach; our main goal has been to ensure that assistance is precise, timely, and needs-based to the maximum extent possible in each specific situation. Over the last five years, we have consistently built an effective response system. To date, we have formed a Federal Emergency Response Team, established an Emergency Response Fund, streamlined logistical and institutional processes, and are developing mobile infrastructure. All of this will serve as the foundation for a large-scale Effective Emergency Response Strategy, which we will continue to implement and strengthen,” noted Pavel Savchuk, President of the Russian Red Cross.
A great bulk of our aid has been allocated to the humanitarian response to the Ukrainian crisis—since 2022, more than 1.7 million people have received support, including refugees and displaced persons, as well as residents of the border regions affected by shelling.
Support in other emergencies was provided to over 200,000 people. A significant portion of the work involved flood relief efforts in 2023–2024. The Russian Red Cross assisted people affected by floods in the Orenburg region, wh ere over 12,000 people received support, as well as in the Primorsky Krai and the Omsk region. To increase response efficiency in 2024, the RRC purchased specialized equipment, including 100 heat guns and 50 generators for drying out residential buildings and social institutions. People affected by floods were also provided with essential items, food and hygiene kits, bedding, vouchers for children's and adults' clothing, and psychological support.
Assistance for those affected by wildfires in 2022–2023 became a distinct area of focus. Support was provided in the Krasnoyarsk Krai, as well as the Kemerovo, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan, Tyumen, and Omsk regions. People affected by wildfires received humanitarian aid, including food and essential items, along with targeted support.
Following the tragic events at educational institutions in Kazan, Perm, and Izhevsk in 2021–2022, as well as the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in 2024, Russian Red Cross specialists were on the ground from the very first hours. Psychologists provided emergency assistance to survivors and their loved ones, working with the bereaved families and witnesses to the events. Psychosocial support continued in the following years, helping people cope with the severe trauma and gradually return to their daily lives.
Another area of focus was responding to industrial accidents. Following the Listvyazhnaya mine explosion in 2021, the Russian Red Cross raised over 120 million rubles for targeted assistance to survivors and bereaved families. Affected people were also provided with comprehensive psychological support. The specialists' work was aimed at helping people cope with the aftermath of the tragedy and providing necessary support during the most acute period.
Besides, during this five-year period, for the first time in 30 years, the Russian Red Cross has expanded its humanitarian activities to an international level. Following the devastating earthquakes in Syria in 2023, the RRC dispatched two humanitarian missions comprising doctors and psychologists. These specialists conducted medical examinations, provided healthcare services, and worked with survivors, including children, to help them cope with the effects of severe stress.
