Best International Committee of the Red Cross Podcasts (2025)

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Evidence from the Frontline: Mental Health in Crisis Affected Contexts, episode 2: Child Friendly Spaces 45:27

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1d ago45:27

45:27

Do Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) really improve children’s mental health? Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS) are safe, structured places established quickly in emergencies where children can play, learn, and receive psychosocial support, to promote protection and wellbeing. In this second episode, Sarah Harrison, Acting Director of the Red Cross Red Crescen…

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If the Humanitarian System is “Broken,” What's the Fix? 46:00

7d ago46:00

46:00

Disclaimer: The advice, opinions and statements contained in this podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ICRC. What are the principles guiding humanitarians in their work? And do they need a refresh? Today on the podcast, we learn more about the principles guiding humanitarian action. Then we meet Dr. Paul S…

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Evidence from the Frontline: Mental Health in Crisis Affected Contexts, episode 1: Self-Help Plus 54:44

21d ago54:44

54:44

How do we adapt an evidence-based mental health intervention for different communities in crisis-affected settings? In this first episode Sarah Harrison, Acting Director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement MHPSS Hub, interviews Ken Carswell a Mental health Specialist from WHO and Lidiia Kasianchuk a psychologist from Ukraine with experience of i…

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Humanity @ War: Using AI in Armed Conflict 18:37

28d ago18:37

18:37

Disclaimer: The advice, opinions and statements contained in this podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ICRC. Does artificial intelligence make wars better or worse? That was the provocative question we asked participants at an AI Expo hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project earlier this summer. S…

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Teaser: New podcast series coming up 1:37

27d ago1:37

1:37

In this short teaser, Acting Director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement MHPSS Hub Sarah Harrison introduces a coming podcast series on the Heartbeat of Humanity channel. The six-episode podcast series is called Evidence from the Frontline – mental health in crisis affected contexts and it is produced in a collaboration between the MHPSS Hub an…

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Regional trainings in Africa and the Americas 41:17

29d ago41:17

41:17

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Communications Officer Jesper Guhle interviews MHPSS specialists Cátia Matos and Guleed Dualeh about the first regional MHPSS trainings conducted by the Red Cross Red Crescent MHPSS Hub. These two trainings, one in Kenya and one in Paraguay, mark a paradigm shift for the MHPSS Hub and Cátia and Guleed expla…

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Beyond the Forecast: American Red Cross on the Hurricane Front Lines 21:07

2M ago21:07

21:07

Disclaimer: The advice, opinions and statements contained in this podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ICRC. Today we’re doing something different on the podcast. We’re going to hear from our colleagues at the American Red Cross about their disaster relief response efforts in times of hurricanes. Experts w…

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MHPSS in the Africa region 30:05

2M ago30:05

30:05

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, through four interviews, Communications Officer Jesper Guhle explores the MHPSS programmes and services provided by Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies across the African region. Interviewees: Serah Kalumbilo, Zambia Red Cross Society Ernest P. Nyame Annan, Ghana Red Cross Society Omar Sheikh Mohamud,…

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Inside Sport Coach+: The role of sport in youth mental health 58:17

3M ago58:17

58:17

In this episode we will talk about the Sport Coach+ initiative implemented in a partnership between the MHPSS Hub and the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF). The initiative aims to create trauma informed and healing centered sports environments for young athletes between the ages of 10 and 24 with a focus on those with a background of displacement. Th…

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Humanitarian Update from Syria 34:03

3M ago34:03

34:03

After 14 years of registering more than 35,000 people as missing, the International Red Cross can finally bring some solace to families on the fate and whereabouts of their missing loved ones in Syria. We sit down with the head of the Syria delegation, Stephan Sakalian, to talk about how the International Committee of the Red Cross is working to pr…

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Who needs further support following a natural hazard? 15:02

4M ago15:02

15:02

This episode of Heartbeat of Humanity is the fourth and last episode in a mini-series about the mental health of children and young adults in the contexts of emergencies or conflict with child and adolescent psychiatrist Brett McDermott. In this episode, MHPSS Adviser Arz Stephan talks to Brett about who among children and adolescents - or people i…

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Children and MHPSS: Getting through the first year after a natural hazard 24:11

4M ago24:11

24:11

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, MHPSS Adviser Arz Stephan talks to Brett McDermott about how parents and caregivers can help children get through the first year after a natural hazard. Brett is an Australian child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is head of Tasmania’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and professor at the Universi…

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The Future of U.S. Humanitarian Aid 29:55

4M ago29:55

29:55

It’s been a challenging time to be part of a humanitarian organization in the U.S. The terms: foreign assistance aid and foreign aid have been discussed a lot lately. But, what do they really mean? Can humanitarian aid to help people affected by conflict and violence—the work we do at International Committee of the Red Cross—really meet an America-…

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Helping children after a natural hazard: tips for parents and teachers 34:38

4M ago34:38

34:38

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, MHPSS Adviser Arz Stephan talks to Brett McDermott about how parents and teachers can help children after a natural hazard. Brett is an Australian child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is head of Tasmania’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and professor at the University of Tasmania. Brett has led…

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Mental health, natural hazards and children 23:20

4M ago23:20

23:20

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, MHPSS Adviser Arz Stephan talks to Brett McDermott about mental health, natural hazards and children. Brett is an Australian child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is head of Tasmania’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and professor at the University of Tasmania. Brett has led several post-disaster…

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Principles for prioritising & allocating humanitarian needs: A discussion with Hugo Slim 29:19

5M ago29:19

29:19

In this episode of 'A Matter of Priorities,' our host Alice Obrecht continues her conversation with Hugo Slim on his work with the Norwegian Center for Humanitarian Studies. The discussion focuses on more detailed principles for prioritising and allocating humanitarian resources, such as the principle of shared responsibility. He explores how geopo…

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A Brotherhood in Arms: The Red Cross Event that Brings Enemies Together 23:04

5M ago23:04

23:04

Since the beginning of time, war has been used as a tool to resolve disagreements. While countless numbers of civilians die in war, the cost of war only gets more expensive each year. In this episode, we look at one of the only programs on the globe that brings together adversaries and allies to talk through ways to reduce the costs of war—in treas…

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Digital MHPSS 23:58

5M ago23:58

23:58

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Monia Aebersold and Kristofer Vernmark explains the concept and the benefits of digital MHPSS and present the digital MHPSS toolkit availble on the MHPSS Hub website. Monia is the MHPSS Project Manager in charge of psychosocial support services at the Swiss Red Cross with 20 years of experience in the field…

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Feeling responsible for the safety of colleagues in a shrinking humanitarian space: the MHPSS Specialist 34:41

6M ago34:41

34:41

In this third and final episode in a podcast series about ‘feeling responsible for the safety of colleagues in a shrinking humanitarian space’ MHPSS Hub, Senior Communication Officer, Villads Zahle interviews Team Lead for the Technical Unit at the MHPSS Hub, Sarah Harrison. Almost 300 aid workers were killed in 2024 – the largest number in history…

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Resetting humanitarian needs: A discussion with Hugo Slim 25:13

6M ago25:13

25:13

In this episode of 'A Matter of Priorities,' as the sector as a whole looks at a 'humanitarian reset,' our host Alice Obrecht delves into the definition of a humanitarian need with Hugo Slim and how these boundaries might be redefined. The episode features insights from Hugo Slim, a senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, who discusses …

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Feeling responsible for the safety of colleagues in a shrinking humanitarian space: the Crisis Communicator 26:22

6M ago26:22

26:22

In this second of three episodes in a series about ‘feeling responsible for the safety of colleagues in a shrinking humanitarian space’ MHPSS Hub, Senior Communication Officer, Villads Zahle interviews former Communication Team lead for a large humanitarian INGO, Iben de Neergaard. Almost 300 aid workers were killed in 2024 – the largest number in …

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Feeling responsible for the safety of colleagues in a shrinking humanitarian space: the Security Adviser 34:45

6M ago34:45

34:45

In this first of three episodes in a series about 'feeling responsible for the safety of colleagues in a shrinking humanitarian space' MHPSS Hub, Senior Communication Officer, Villads Zahle interviews Danish Red Cross, Senior Security Adviser, Sabina Brimson. Almost 300 aid workers were killed in 2024 – the largest number in history. Additionally, …

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Digital Dilemmas 2.0: Deepfakes 20:45

6M ago20:45

20:45

In this Digital Dilemmas 2.0: Deepfakes episode, we take a look at two poignant questions: “How do we distinguish truth from manipulation? Who owns the truth?“ We tour a deepfake exhibit created by the ICRC and L'École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) at the United Nations. Then, we zoom out and look at how dissemination of harmful narrati…

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Humanitarian Dispatch from the Congo: Violence Grips Goma 20:15

7M ago20:15

20:15

In a country of more than 100 armed groups, the Democratic Republic of Congo has one of the most protracted and forgotten conflicts in the world. In the latest Intercross episode, we ask what the recent hostilities that started around December mean for the more than 4.5 million people who have been forced to flee their homes? And what is the ICRC’s…

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2025 Trailer 0:36

8M ago0:36

0:36

We'll be back soon with new episodes. For now please like, follow, rate, review, and subscribe to Intercross wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow us on X @ICRC_dc Subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss an episode. See archived episodes, bonus materials, and additional information on our website.…

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The prioritisation challenge in focus: WFP 24:47

8M ago24:47

24:47

In this episode of A Matter of Priorities, our host Alice Obrecht takes a deep dive into the ripple effects of unprecedented budget cuts to the World Food Program (WFP). With a shortfall of over 50% in its 2023 budget, WFP faced its largest financial crisis in its 60-year history, forcing it to make drastic reductions in food and cash assistance ac…

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Working with children with missing family members 35:38

8M ago35:38

35:38

In this third and final episode of our miniseries on Ambiguous Loss, we dig deep with Roubina Tahmazian from ICRC into the critical yet often overlooked topic of children’s wellbeing in the context of families of the missing. Too often, the needs and emotional wellbeing of children are sidelined as families grapple with the uncertainty and challeng…

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The prioritisation challenge in focus: ICRC 18:15

8M ago18:15

18:15

In this episode of A Matter of Priorities, we explore the significant budget cuts faced by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and their far-reaching consequences. Established in 1863, the ICRC provides critical protection and assistance to people affected by armed conflict. However, in 2023, the organisation announced cuts amountin…

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Counting the uncountable 32:10

8M ago32:10

32:10

In this episode, we discuss the role of evidence in resource allocation decisions, focusing on the new Joint and Intersectoral Analysis Framework (GF 2.0). We explore how this approach aims to address flaws in traditional needs assessments and improve transparency in humanitarian responses. You can find more on the JIAF 2.0 here: https://knowledge.…

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Ambiguous Loss in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement 28:16

8M ago28:16

28:16

In this second episode in a three part miniseries about ambiguous loss, MHPSS Technical Advisor Arz Stefan talks to Dr. Maureen Mooney about operationalising ambiguous loss in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. Dr. Maureen Mooney is a clinical psychologist. She worked in the French Red Cross and the ICRC supporting the Restoring Family Links prog…

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Ambiguous loss 31:26

9M ago31:26

31:26

In this first episode in a three part miniseries about ambiguous loss, Red Cross Red Crescent Movement Hub MHPSS Technical Advisor Arz Stephan engages in a thought-provoking interview with Dr. Pauline Boss, an esteemed research therapist and author. Dr. Boss is widely recognized as a pioneering figure in the field of ambiguous loss, a concept she i…

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The ICRC Central Tracing Agency 16:27

10M ago16:27

16:27

Restoring family links has been at the heart of the ICRC's mandate since the organization's earliest days. ICRC researcher Cédric Cotter explains how the role of the ICRC Central Tracing Agency has evolved since the Basel Agency for the Franco-Prussian war in 1870. Dušan Vujašanin talks about the work and challenges of the most recent Central Traci…

International Committee Of The Red Cross Podcasts