Asia-Pacific
Red Cross humanitarian assistance and work in the Asia-Pacific region
According to the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) World Disaster Report, Asia Pacific is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world, with some countries dealing with the impacts of two or more disasters at any given time. It is estimated that by 2050, approximately 500-700 million people in Asia will face a 20 per cent increase in the probability of lethal heatwaves.
Such emergencies lead to a significant increase in migration and internal displacement, further creating longer-term needs. Sexual and gender-based violence too remains a pressing issue in the region, impacting health within communities and humanitarian efforts at large.
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Canadian Red Cross impact in the Asia-Pacific region
The Canadian Red Cross collaborates closely with local partner National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and other regional stakeholders to provide technical expertise, implement critical projects, and strengthen strategic alliances at the grassroots level.
Local National Societies play a vital role in addressing, mitigating, and responding to these increasingly frequent humanitarian challenges. In the last decade alone, the Red Cross assisted more than 27 million people across the region in their time of need.
With current global humanitarian challenges requiring a more holistic approach, the Red Cross is building immediate and long-term capacities within impacted populations, by integrating preparedness, emergency response, and recovery and resilience in the region.
Looking ahead, we continue to significantly advance Canadian support to address humanitarian needs in Asia Pacific, through important social impact programs and strategic engagements.
Humanitarian assistance within the region
Photo: Meer Abdullah / IFRC
The Canadian Red Cross has a longstanding partnership with the Afghan Red Crescent Society, working together to meet the immense humanitarian needs in the country, with a focus on health services and disaster response and readiness.
The situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, with recurrent earthquakes and the impacts of climate change causing more droughts and floods.
Photo: IFRC
The Canadian Red Cross has been partnering with the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society since 2011 to build their capacity to respond to the country’s most urgent crises, and to strengthen long-term resilience among communities.
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Photo: Diana Coulter / Canadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross has been partnering with the Philippine Red Cross National Society for almost 30 years, working on initiatives that enhance disaster preparedness, response, and recovery within local communities. This includes ongoing support for communities impacted by multiple cyclones.
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Photo: Olivier Matthys / IFRC / PRCS
Pakistan’s diverse geography, from mountains to plains, makes it highly susceptible to a range of disasters, including floods, earthquakes, landslides, and droughts. Natural disasters in Pakistan disproportionately impact the most vulnerable sections of the population and often exacerbate existing inequities within the country.
In 2022 and again in 2024, Pakistan faced intense monsoon rainfall unleashing chaos and devastation across the nation. Urban areas were inundated, and flash floods ravaged communities. Six and a half million people were impacted this year with homes, livestock and livelihoods destroyed or damaged.
With a history of collaboration over almost two decades, the Canadian Red Cross quickly mobilized to support the Pakistan Red Crescent Society by deploying Mobile Health Teams, with an added emphasis on the wellbeing of women and children, to deliver health care to those affected.
Through our partnership with Pakistan Red Crescent Society, we remain dedicated to supporting sustainable solutions that address the long-term shelter needs of displaced people and communities and assisting them on their journey to recovery and resilience.
Photo: IFRC
Indonesia is frequently prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides, tsunamis, and disease outbreaks.
In light of these pressing and complex issues, for more than 20 years the Canadian Red Cross has played an important role in working with the Indonesia Red Cross to bolster their response efforts, alongside supporting recovery and disaster risk reduction initiatives to improve response capacity at the local and national level.
In the aftermath of emergencies, clean water and sanitation are some of the most critical components of our disaster response. Through our strategic partnership with the Indonesian Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross is working towards improving the resiliency of communities through operational leadership in health and water and sanitation capacities.
Photo: Myanmar Red Cross Society
In March 2025, powerful earthquakes struck central Myanmar, affecting more than 1.35 million people and displacing more than 200,000 people. The Myanmar Red Cross Society, one of the oldest humanitarian organizations in Myanmar, with support from partners across the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, provided life-saving assistance — including first aid and health services, safe water and sanitation, distribution of relief supplies including blankets, and providing cash support to help families meet their immediate needs and begin rebuilding their lives.
The Movement continues to focus on long-term recovery, helping communities restore livelihoods, rebuild essential infrastructure, and strengthen resilience to future disasters.
The Canadian Red Cross has a long history of supporting the Myanmar Red Cross Society. To support the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement Myanmar earthquake response, the Canadian Red Cross has provided funding and expertise in shelter; protection, gender and inclusion; security; and planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting. We also provided more than 3,000 tarpaulins thanks to funds raised through the 2025 Myanmar Earthquake Appeal. The Canadian Red Cross is grateful for the Government of Canada’s contribution to support the Red Cross in Myanmar following the earthquake in the region.
Photo: Marko Kokic / Canadian Red Cross
For nearly a decade, the Canadian Red Cross has been actively involved in supporting Nepal’s health systems and community resilience, through our partnership with the Nepal Red Cross Society and support to the Government of Nepal.
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Photo: Indian Red Cross / IFRC
India is vulnerable to natural disasters and is predicted to be one of the countries that will be most adversely impacted by disasters and emergencies in the future. In addition to facing gender-based discrimination, inequality, and a growing population, the region is regularly impacted by natural disasters such as floods, droughts, cyclones, and earthquakes. India was also one of the countries that was worst hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenges continue to persist, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable and localized humanitarian support.
Since 1977, the Canadian Red Cross has collaborated with the Indian Red Cross Society to support humanitarian efforts in the region. As one of the country’s oldest and largest humanitarian organizations, the Indian Red Cross Society is well known for its positive work and impact through disaster response, healthcare, and welfare programs.
From the Gujarat earthquake disaster response in 2001 to the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, the Canadian Red Cross as supported Indian Red Cross Society in many major responses. With the support of Canadian Red Cross during the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Red Cross Society was able to provide ambulances and patient monitoring equipment, as well as support access to vaccinations and oxygen-related equipment to support those that were most critically impacted.
Currently, the Canadian Red Cross and Indian Red Cross Society are partnering for the reconstruction of a warehouse and training centre in Mumbai, India, to improve the capacity of local staff and volunteers. This will help the Indian Red Crescent Society respond effectively to urgent needs, particularly within vulnerable communities that are currently at the highest risk of being impacted by disasters and other extreme events in the region.
The Canadian Red Cross is an active and engaged partner with Red Cross National Societies in East Asia.
For more than 20 years, Canadian Red Cross has been partnering with the Red Cross Society of China to support rural community health needs through the Norman Bethune Initiative. Canadian Red Cross and Red Cross Society of China teams regularly engage in shared humanitarian initiatives, such as when East Asia is affected by climate change events, and on issues like support to older adults in vulnerable communities.
Canadian Red Cross also has a partnership with the Japan Red Cross to jointly send health professionals when needed to support disaster responses across the world. In addition, Canadian Red Cross and the Korean Red Cross continue our ongoing efforts to work together on critical climate change policy and building readiness capacities to be able to respond to the most urgent disasters of our time.
In the vast and dynamic landscape of Southeast Asia, the Canadian Red Cross has been actively supporting and fostering regional resilience and humanitarian efforts across multiple countries.
From 2013 to 2018, the Canadian Red Cross partnered with 11 Southeast Asian National Societies in their humanitarian mission, the Regional Resilience Initiative, to build local and national capacities in disaster preparedness and response. This was achieved through improved communication, implementation of disaster risk reduction projects, the development of protection, gender, and inclusion policies to improve access to services (particularly among vulnerable populations), and through the advancement of International Disaster Response Law.
Currently, the Canadian Red Cross continues to support the Red Cross National Societies of Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries in their capacity to swiftly respond to emergency responses as well as effectively and proactively coordinate humanitarian efforts.
The Canadian Red Cross innovative partnerships and culturally appropriate collaborations place local Red Cross National Societies at the forefront of all efforts. Our shared commitment to making a positive impact helps build a strong and sustainable foundation of preparedness and response within these respective countries and communities, helping people in times of crisis.