Thanks to the generosity of New Zealand Red Cross donors, $150,000 raised through our Middle East Humanitarian Crisis Appeal has been distributed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), helping deliver vital humanitarian assistance to people impacted by conflict in the region.

When Cyclone Ditwah battered Sri Lanka in late November 2025, it unleashed chaos - more than 3,000 landslides and rapid floods swamped 20 out of 25 districts, from tea-covered highlands to lowland rivers. 

Civilians across the Middle East are facing devastating humanitarian consequences from ongoing conflict. Red Cross Red Crescent teams continue to respond as humanitarian needs rise in Lebanon.

New Zealand Red Cross is deeply concerned by the recent escalation of hostilities in parts of the Middle East, as well as rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In recent days, intense monsoon rains and a series of powerful storms have caused widespread flooding and landslides across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. Rivers have burst their banks, entire neighbourhoods have been destroyed, and families have had to flee at short notice as water levels rose rapidly. Tragically, more than 1,400 people have lost their lives, with many still unaccounted for and millions affected across the region.