ICRC team delivering relief items

ESA and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) to harness space technology for humanitarian assistance worldwide. The partnership will combine ESA's space expertise with ICRC's humanitarian reach to develop space-enabled solutions that can help protect and assist communities affected by disasters and conflicts across Europe and beyond.

In humanitarian crises – particularly within fragile, conflict-affected contexts – ensuring accurate information and resilient communication is a huge challenge for organising relief efforts. The partnership between ESA and ICRC aims to develop a space-enabled system that integrates satellite and terrestrial data sources while processing this data into actionable information in real-time. This allows first responders and humanitarian workers to stay informed and respond swiftly, no matter where they are.

Satellites will keep humanitarian teams connected even when ground networks fail or are unavailable, while Earth observation capabilities allow teams to monitor developing situations and identify areas needing urgent assistance. This integrated approach ensures that critical information reaches those who need it, enabling them to make informed decisions even in the most challenging environments.

The partnership is linked to ESA's Civil Security from Space (CSS) programme and builds on existing successful collaborations with various Red Cross National Societies. It also supports ESA's Rapid and Resilient Crisis Response (R3) accelerator, which aims to ensure inclusive and easy access to space-enabled solutions to support all phases of crisis management, including in humanitarian operations.