Annual report

Strategic Priorities
| Disasters and crises 
105

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SPOTLIGHT
IFRC-ECHO PROGRAMMATIC 
PARTNERSHIP
The Programmatic Partnership is an innovative 
and ambitious three-year partnership between 
the IFRC, member National Societies, and the 
European Union supporting communities to 
reduce their risks and be better prepared for 
disasters and health emergencies.
Initial funding covers 25 countries across the 
five regions:
•
Africa: Chad, Cameroon, Mali, Niger, Burkina 
Faso, DRC, Madagascar, Somalia, South 
Sudan, Zambia, Eswatini and Uganda
•
Americas: Ecuador, Panama, Guatemala, 
Honduras, El Salvador
•
Middle East North Africa: Lebanon, 
Palestine, Yemen
•
Asia Pacific: Bangladesh, Cambodia
•
Europe: Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine
The initiative takes a multi-hazard, multi-sectoral 
and integrated systems approach focusing on 
disaster risk management and epidemic and 
pandemic preparedness and response, as well 
as humanitarian assistance and protection to 
people on the move.
To enhance quality, impact and cost-efficiency, 
cash and voucher assistance is used as a key 
modality for humanitarian assistance. Risk 
communication, community engagement and 
accountability are integrated to ensure that 
communities are active partners at all stages.
Globally, nearly 4.6 million people were sup-
ported in 2022: 1.9 million with disaster risk 
reduction/disaster preparedness; 1.6 million in 
health; 1.2 million with coordination activities; 
218,000 for protection; and 185,000 under mul-
tipurpose cash transfers.
PPP action at country level
Disaster risk management
Most participating countries are either imple-
menting, or preparing to implement, Enhanced 
Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments. 
Countries such as Honduras used them to iden-
tify threats, vulnerabilities, risks, and capacities. 
In Honduras, this information was then used to 
prepare community response plans and identify 
actions to transform vulnerabilities. Those who 
have not implemented the assessments, have 
focused on training staff and volunteers to carry 
them out as an important step to strengthen 
preparedness.
In Bangladesh, the National Society provided 
training for 1,200 urban community volun-
teers on life-saving skills such as basic first aid, 
and search and rescue. These volunteers 
will be deployed and work under the direct 
supervision of their respective Ward Disaster 
Management Committees.
Climate-smart processes were conducted in all 
21 selected communities in Tajikistan. Essential 
needs were identified in each village, enabling 
Tajikistan Red Crescent to formulate possible 
nature-based solutions.
Epidemic and pandemic 
preparedness and response
In Cameroon, 36 state-owned health facilities 
were assessed on Infection Prevention and 
Control, and recommendations were made 
to address shortcomings. Two health centres