GENEVA

As wildfires sweep across Europe amid a deadly heat wave, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is urging authorities to shift from reactive response to proactive preparedness.

"Heatwaves and wildfires are no longer isolated events; they are becoming the new reality for millions across Europe," Birgitte Bischoff Ebbesen, the IFRC regional director for Europe, said in a statement.

"Summer after summer, we're seeing preventable deaths, loss of livelihoods and impacts to people’s health. Heatwaves are becoming deadlier, fires more intense, and the people most at risk are often the least prepared," she said.

In Türkiye’s Aegean city of Izmir, wildfires have killed two people, while more than 100 homes have been damaged. On Greece’s Crete island, over 5,000 people, including tourists, have been evacuated. Fires have also forced evacuations in eastern Germany.

Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are providing essential aid, the statement underlined. In Greece, volunteers are supporting firefighters with first aid and care for evacuees. In Türkiye, Red Crescent teams are delivering food, water, and relief items. In North Macedonia, mobile teams are distributing hydration and sun protection to migrants amid extreme heat, it added.

The IFRC warned that this is only the beginning of a long, dangerous summer. "There is an urgent need to shift from reactive response to proactive preparedness," it said. "When we prepare better, we save lives."

It called on governments and communities to invest in early warning systems, health services, and climate adaptation to reduce the human toll of future disasters.