Red Cross in Germany says donations plummeting despite global crises

The German Red Cross (DRK) has received a dramatic reduction in donations in 2024 compared to last year, its president said, despite numerous crises around the world.

So far, the charity has received €40 million ($41 million) compared to €99 million in 2023, DRK President Gerda Hasselfeldt told the Saturday edition of the Rheinische Post newspaper.

"We are seeing a significant decline, which concerns me in view of the humanitarian situation worldwide," she said.

Hasselfeldt attributed the comparatively higher donations in the previous year to the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and neighbouring Syria, among other problems. More than 60,000 people were killed in the quakes in February 2023.

After a comparatively restrained year for donations in 2024, the DRK chief is now hoping for more in 2025 "to be able to help as many people as possible."

Of the donations in 2024, €10 million went to Ukraine. “This winter will be the hardest for the population so far, also because large parts of the infrastructure have been destroyed,” said Hasselfeldt.

The DRK has adjusted its aid accordingly and is now also delivering mobile boilers.

The DRK president described the situation in the Gaza Strip as "catastrophic." She said, "There is a lack of reliable access to people in need of help, both in terms of delivering goods across the borders and within the Gaza Strip."