Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services in both acute and protracted emergencies is critical for people’s health and wellbeing. Our emergency WASH work includes:
We are also working hard to improve capacity and collaboration relating to WASH services within our Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and with external partners.
The IFRC and National Societies have built a network of WASH expertise and equipment to respond to a range of disaster scale and context. This includes a number of kits (equipment only) and Emergency Response Units (ERUs) that can be pre-positioned at country, regional and global levels to provide water treatment, sanitation and rapid hygiene promotion for 2000 to 20,000 people.
Find out more about our WASH Surge Services on IFRCs GO Platform
The IFRC has a permanent seat on the Global Wash Cluster Strategic Advisory Group and the WASH Interagency Working Group.
We also regularly work with academics and other partners on WASH research and innovation so we can keep improving our work in both emergency and non-emergency settings.
Use the Compendium of Water Supply Technologies in Emergencies for a comprehensive and structured decision support tool, including detailed information on key decision criteria for all tried and tested emergency water supply technologies, and information on key cross-cutting issues.
Looking for practical tools for water testing, treatment or distriubution?
Visit our ToolboxSign up to receive updates from the IFRC WASH unit here, or contact us for more information
