IFRC Backs Drought Early Action in Guatemala, Honduras and Panama as El Niño Builds

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on 22 October that governments across Latin America and the Caribbean still have a window to put early warning systems, anticipatory action and emergency response mechanisms in place before the worst impacts of El Niño reach the most exposed communities. The statement, issued from Panama City, follows what the IFRC describes as the World Meteorological Organization's announcement of an intensifying El Niño that could persist until February 2027 and rank among the strongest events recorded since 1950.

The IFRC is calling for territory-specific strategies covering drought, extreme heat, wildfires and floods — hazards it says could be compounded by the combined effects of El Niño and the climate crisis. The federation singles out farming families, Indigenous communities, female-headed households, migrants and displaced people as groups whose preparedness it considers critical.

"El Niño may be historic, but its consequences are not set in stone. A weather phenomenon turns into a disaster when it reaches a farming family with no water reserves, an indigenous community where warnings arrive too late, or people who do not know what to do if wildfires approach their homes; we can still make a difference," said Loyce Pace, IFRC Regional Director for the Americas. She added that forecasts are already available and that what is needed is broader collaboration with governments, humanitarian agencies and scientific institutions to convert expertise and funding into practical measures.

Where the money is going

The IFRC says its regional plan anticipates the pattern El Niño typically produces in the region: severe drought across the Central American Dry Corridor and northern South America, alongside heavy rainfall and flooding in the Andean countries, the Southern Cone and the Caribbean coast of Central America. Through its Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF), it reports supporting drought preparedness in Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia, multi-sectoral drought assessments in Honduras, and assistance to flood-affected communities in Bocas del Toro, Panama.

In Guatemala, according to the IFRC, the Guatemalan Red Cross activated its Early Action Protocol once risk thresholds were confirmed using technical data from meteorological authorities, with whom it holds an operational agreement. More than 296,000 Swiss francs from the DREF were allocated to reach over 10,000 people through multipurpose cash transfers, safe drinking water, water filters and storage systems in schools. The IFRC says families decide how to spend the cash — on food, medicine, savings or small businesses and crop production — with support prioritising children under five, persons with disabilities and people with underlying medical conditions.

Honduras assessments and Panama's two extremes

The IFRC reports that prolonged drought in Honduras is already affecting one million people, with a red alert active across 103 municipalities and a further 234 under various alert levels, together covering 80% of the national territory. The Honduran Red Cross, with DREF support, is carrying out door-to-door assessments with municipal authorities in Choluteca, Comayagua, El Paraíso, Francisco Morazán, La Paz and Valle, examining water, food security, health, livelihoods and protection needs. The federation notes that water scarcity or poorly stored water can trigger gastrointestinal and vector-borne illness, and that children sent to fetch water over long distances face a higher risk of leaving school. In the Central District, chemical and bacteriological water testing and fumigation campaigns are under way with municipal authorities in areas seeing rising dengue cases.

Panama, the IFRC says, is experiencing both extremes. Heavy rain caused widespread flooding in Bocas del Toro in early July and again in August; the Panamanian Red Cross is assisting 3,665 people with cash transfers, hygiene kits, clean-up campaigns and dengue prevention. In the Dry Arc provinces of Herrera, Los Santos and Coclé — also affected by a recent earthquake — rainfall deficits have disrupted planting cycles, cut yields and pushed up basic food prices, with more severe drought projected between October 2026 and March 2027. The government declared a national state of emergency on 25 August, according to the IFRC.

Spreading the methods

The IFRC says its investment in Early Action Protocols and the Preparedness for Effective Response (PER) approach has helped National Societies build operational capacity and map gaps, and that these methods are now being shared with governments. Working with the Coordination Center for the Prevention of Disasters in Central America and the Dominican Republic (CEPREDENAC) and national civil protection authorities, the federation is adapting PER for integration into national disaster risk management systems. It also reports anticipatory action initiatives in Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay covering drought, landslides and floods.

The full statement is available from the IFRC.