The IFRC’s Middle East and North Africa regional office works in support of 17 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the region. Through its country cluster support teams and country offices, it provides coordination, financial and technical support for disaster operations and longer term development programmes throughout the region.
Latest news from Middle East and North Africa
Beirut, 4 September 2020: One month after the devastating port explosions in Beirut, the humanitarian needs of the survivors remain unmet and are growing every day. The horrific disaster on 4 August killed at least 190 people, injured some 6,500 others …
The Lebanese Red Cross is working around the clock to support hundreds of thousands of people affected by Tuesday’s disaster at the Port of Beirut, with medical treatment, shelter and psychological support. The National Society deployed Emergency Medic …
Hundreds of Lebanese Red Cross emergency medical personnel and 75 ambulances are still at the scene of yesterday’s devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut, looking for survivors and rushing injured people to hospital for life-saving treatment. More …
Photo: IFRC MENA Regional Director ElSharkawi signs the status agreement with the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic Op-Ed by Dr. Hossam ElSharkawi, IFRC MENA Regional Director, Twitter @Elsharkawi They were perhaps two thousand stranded Syria retu …
Randa El Ozeir: It’s always been about people. When you see your friend dying before your eyes, no words can be big and expressive enough to capture the intensity of shock and sadness that wraps your whole body and mind. That was exactly what happened …
- Regional Director: Dr Hossam Elsharkawi
Country cluster support offices
- North Africa (Tunis): Iliana Mourad
- GCC (Dubai): Dr. Fawzi Amin
Country offices:
- Iraq (Baghdad): Farid Aiywar
- Iran (Tehran): Davood Pourkhanali
- Jordan (Amman): Muftah Etwilb
- Lebanon Cristhian Cortez Cadoza
- Libya (Tunis): Stefano Cordella
- Palestine (Ramallah): John Entwistle
- Syria (Damascus): Andrei Engstrand-Neacsu
- Yemen (Sana’a): Ruben Romero
Recent press releases
Recent documents
Ongoing crises
Syria crisis
The crisis in Syria has already continued for over six years, and humanitarian needs have continued to grow. With an estimated 13.5 million people in need, Syria has become the defining humanitarian emergency of recent times.
Iraq
Responding to the current humanitarian crisis around Mosul, Iraqi Red Crescent Society has mobilized its human and financial resources and prepared food items that would meet the needs of more than one million displaced people.
Yemen
Decades of unrest and conflict in Yemen have escalated in recent years. Since March 2015, over 3 million Yemenis have been forced to flee their homes, and at least 80 per cent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance.
Migration: North Africa
The ongoing crises in the Middle East and in some parts of Africa have led to unprecedented displacement. National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in MENA are over-burdened as a result of high levels of humanitarian need
Regional support
In the MENA region, the IFRC focuses its efforts on enabling National Societies to better deliver their services to people in need in their countries, and where relevant, to facilitate their partnerships with other National Societies.
Technical assistance and guidance in key areas are provided by the regional team and country/multi-country cluster teams where appropriate. Experts in a broad range of relevant operational and development areas work with National Societies to strengthen their work.
