Australian Red Cross is scaling up a flexible disaster response model across the Asia-Pacific, enabling faster, locally led action to protect water security and public health during extreme weather events.
The approach, backed by funding from the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has supported National Red Cross Societies across the Pacific and Timor-Leste in responding to floods, drought, and disease outbreaks linked to recent El Niño conditions.
Rather than relying on fixed disaster thresholds, the funding mechanism is designed to be activated by emerging needs, allowing local responders to mobilise within days and intervene before water-related crises escalate.
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How El Niño exposed water and health vulnerabilities
From 2023 to 2024, El Niño-driven climate variability intensified both rainfall extremes and prolonged dry periods across the Pacific, placing pressure on drinking water supplies, sanitation systems and public health services.
In Fiji, unusually heavy rainfall disrupted normal seasonal patterns in early 2024, increasing exposure to contaminated water sources. The Ministry of Health recorded rising cases of leptospirosis and dengue across multiple regions, including Kadavu, Nadi and Tavua.
Fiji Red Cross Society activated the flexible fund within 48 hours, deploying volunteers to deliver hygiene education, disease prevention guidance and practical sanitation support directly to households. More than 13,000 people across 107 communities were reached within weeks, helping reduce the spread of waterborne disease during peak risk periods.
Drought response highlights dependence on rainwater systems
At the same time, the Marshall Islands faced a contrasting challenge. From late 2023 through early 2024, ten atolls experienced little to no rainfall, with some communities enduring up to six months without rain.
With around 80 per cent of households on outer islands reliant on rainwater harvesting for drinking water, prolonged drought rapidly depleted household storage. Water rationing became widespread, increasing the risk of hygiene-related illness.
Marshall Islands Red Cross Society initially responded through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ Disaster Relief Emergency Fund, distributing water containers and maintaining reverse osmosis units. Additional support from the Australian Red Cross enabled the response to continue beyond immediate relief, including the installation of new reverse osmosis systems capable of producing up to 500 gallons of potable water per day.
mergencto water y raonse to long-term water resilience
Australian Red Cross said the strength of the model lies in its emphasis on preparedness, local leadership and early intervention, particularly where water access is the critical vulnerability.
The original Pacific-focused mechanism has since transitioned into a broader Asia-Pacific Response Fund, providing flexible financing for National Societies responding to climate-driven risks, including dengue outbreaks in Kiribati, Tuvalu and Samoa since mid-2025.
A Marshall Islands Red Cross representative said the funding approach allows smaller, remote communities to receive timely support. “Access to this fund means that we can support smaller communities and make sure no one is left behind,” they said.
As climate variability continues to reshape water availability across the region, Australian Red Cross said community-led, water-focused preparedness will remain central to reducing disaster impacts and safeguarding public health.