Emergencies can leave entire communities in urgent need of assistance to survive and recover. They often threaten efforts to improve a community’s health and advance its social and economic well-being.
Rapid assistance can save lives during an emergency. That’s why we help effective relief agencies and local organizations respond quickly to people’s most pressing needs in challenging conditions. The relief agencies we support:
- deliver food and clean water
- improve sanitation
- provide medical attention and shelter
- prevent or minimize outbreaks of disease
- support livelihoods through cash-for-work programs
The relief agencies we support have extensive experience and local relationships. They deliver help within days—when needs are most crucial and an immediate response can make the greatest impact. We also fund organizational capacity-building and explore learning opportunities to reinforce emergency response capabilities.
We've provided emergency assistance to:
People affected by the global food crisis: We have supported Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps, Oxfam America, and the World Food Programme in responding to hunger, malnutrition, and poverty caused by rising food prices. These organizations are delivering nutritious food to those most in need and providing opportunities for families to increase their food production or boost their incomes so they can purchase food.
People in Sri Lanka and Pakistan displaced by political unrest and violence: We supported the International Rescue Committee and Lutheran World Relief in responding to the humanitarian crises in Sri Lanka and Pakistan that displaced over half a million people. Both organizations and their partners provided medical assistance, food, protection, education, and other critical needs to alleviate the suffering of internally displaced populations.
Victims of the earthquake in Haiti: We supported the work of Catholic Relief Services and Partners in Health to meet immediate needs for food, clean water, sanitation, and shelter. Both organizations had a strong presence on the ground and worked quickly to get aid to the victims. We also funded the efforts of Mercy Corps to provide psycho-social support to children affected by the earthquake and promote healing and resiliency through community revitalization activities.
Communities affected by Typhoon Ketsana in the Philippines and Vietnam: We supported the efforts of World Vision and CARE in responding to Typhoon Ketsana in the Philippines and Vietnam, respectively. These organizations provided food, health, protection, cash-for-work, and other critical relief to meet both the immediate and long-term needs of the victims.
A consortium of leading humanitarian aid organizations: We supported CARE—on behalf of Catholic Relief Services, the International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam Great Britain, Save the Children US, and World Vision International—in implementing an emergency capacity-building initiative that increases coordination and effectiveness in global emergency response at the country, regional, and headquarters levels.
Next: How You Can Help