The American Red Cross helps vulnerable people around the world prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters, complex humanitarian emergencies, and life-threatening health conditions. We accomplish this goal by working within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – the world’s largest humanitarian network with more than 180 Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies and more than 97 million volunteers.
Currently, the American Red Cross supports international programs in the priority areas described below.
Preparing for and Responding to Disasters
Global trends – rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization, environmental degradation and climate change – have caused an increase in the severity of natural disasters. Sadly, countries facing the greatest risk are often the least able to cope with the effects of disaster.
The American Red Cross helps vulnerable people around the world prepare for and respond to emergencies. When disaster strikes and a Red Cross or Red Crescent society in another country requests assistance, the American Red Cross can respond by deploying skilled people, mobilizing relief supplies or providing financial assistance.
Like we do in the United States, the Red Cross also helps families around the world reduce their risks by making community response plans and developing simple early warning systems before disasters occur.
Preventing Diseases
Each year millions of vulnerable people, especially children, die from easily preventable diseases. The American Red Cross global health programs combat some of the world’s most deadly infectious diseases: measles, malaria and HIV/AIDS.
Partnering with local Red Cross volunteers, who are already working in the world’s poorest regions, the American Red Cross helps families access health prevention programs, such as vaccination campaigns, distribution of bed nets against malaria and HIV/AIDS peer education.
The Red Cross helps reconnect families separated internationally by war or disaster. When families have nowhere else to turn, the Red Cross assists by delivering family news in refugee camps, informing relatives of their loved one’s fate and locating family members in the aftermath of disaster. As with all other Red Cross international services, this assistance is free of charge.
Get Involved
You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund. Your contributions will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other assistance to help those in need.
Global trends – rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization, environmental degradation and climate change – have caused an increase in the severity of natural disasters. Sadly, countries facing the greatest risk are often the least able to cope with the effects of disaster.
Each year millions of vulnerable people, especially children, die from easily preventable diseases. The American Red Cross global health programs combat some of the world’s most deadly infectious diseases: measles, malaria and HIV/AIDS. 
The Red Cross helps reconnect families separated internationally by war or disaster. When families have nowhere else to turn, the Red Cross assists by delivering family news in refugee camps, informing relatives of their loved one’s fate and locating family members in the aftermath of disaster. As with all other Red Cross international services, this assistance is free of charge.
