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Disaster Relief

Disaster Relief

When disaster strikes, local Compassion staff are often the first to respond.

Give to help children and families devastated by disasters

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There is no such thing as disaster insurance when you live in poverty.

Why Disaster Relief is so important

Disaster frequency

In the past 30 years, the frequency and impact of natural disasters has quadrupled

From 2000-2012 1.2 million have been killed by natural disaster

From 2000-2012 1.2 MILLION have been killed by natural disaster

People affected by natural disaster

The number of people affected globally by natural disasters has risen by an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 per decade since the early 1970s

Low-income countries affected by disasters

It is estimated that since 1980, low-income countries accounted for only 9 percent of global disasters but 48 percent of global-disaster reported fatalities. This is due to the fact that developing countries often suffer from poor physical infrastructure and lack systems to cope with weather-related events, such as drought and flooding

Sources: Child Fund; APPS; UNISDR; World Bank

When earthquakes cause buildings to crumble and floods sweep everything away, it is children who are the hardest hit. Their most basic needs are threatened, and every sense of protection and security is stripped away.

Through our generous supporters, local churches and Compassion staff are often the first to respond when disaster strikes. Compassion works to assist in the relief and rehabilitation that is vital for restoring children and families in our programs after a disaster. Support is provided on two fronts:

  • Relief activities include the provision of emergency food and water, temporary shelters, personal items, cooking utensils, trauma counselling and spiritual support.
  • Rehabilitation activities include clothing and school supplies, replacing household items, restoring livelihood items and continued counselling and support, if needed.

Your support allows effective and quick response when disaster threatens the safety and stability of Compassion assisted children and their families.



See your latest impact through Disaster Relief

See how your generosity changed the lives of children this year.
Download our Disaster Relief Impact Report.

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Disaster Relief Stories

Feature Story
25 Jun, 2020

Four Ways COVID-19 Will Undo Child Development Progress

Millions of children have escaped poverty in the past few decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to undo much of that progress. So what are the risks that children face—and how can we respond?.. Read more

07 May, 2020

Born in Quarantine: 5 Beautiful Photos of Newborns Around the World

Quarantine comes with many challenges—especially if you're about to deliver a baby! Find out how these five beautiful newborns were brought into the world during the COVID-19 pandemic... Read more

17 Apr, 2020

How Do Pandemics Affect the Poor?

For the children and their families living in poverty, social distancing and access to medical care can be difficult. This means that during a pandemic, the poor are unevenly affected and among the most vulnerable. .. Read more

FAQs

  • How does Critical Needs work with Child Sponsorship?

    Critical Needs and the Child Sponsorship Program work side-by-side to equip Compassion's local church partners with the resources to provide holistic support and long-term, customised solutions for children, their families and communities. While the Child Sponsorship Program connects one child with one sponsor, Critical Needs giving is not directed to one child, but provides essential support to thousands of Compassion registered children when they need it most. Every child will benefit from Critical Needs during their time in Compassion’s program, as sponsorship funds alone are not sufficient to cover the varied and often urgent needs of the children we support.

    You can choose to support children globally through Critical Needs or fund an entire project in a specific community. These projects are both reactive and proactive and could include water filters to provide safe water to a community, reconstruction of homes after natural disasters, or income generating activities for adolescents and children's caregivers. The right assistance is identified and provided by the local church in partnership with Compassion.

    You can:

    • Give to Critical Needs
    • Sponsor a child
  • Where does Compassion Mums and Babies operate?

    Compassion Mums and Babies works in over 25 developing countries to prevent premature death, secure good health and enable positive development in the youngest, most vulnerable children.

    Mums and Babies always operates through a survival project at the Compassion centre in local communities. It is the first phase of our holistic child development model. From age one, children will transition from Mums and Babies into the Child Sponsorship Program.

    You can

    • Give to Mums and Babies
    • Learn more about the Child Sponsorship Program
  • Can I give to Critical Needs if I do not sponsor a child?

    Yes, you can give to Critical Needs if you do not sponsor a child. Critical Needs is essential to overcoming obstacles for children living in poverty and your donation to Critical Needs will go towards helping thousands of children. Choose an area of need that you are most passionate about meeting, and then all you need to do is decide whether your donation is a once-only or a recurring gift. Thank you for your partnership to share a hope more powerful than poverty!

    You can:

    • Give to Critical Needs
    • Sponsor a child
  • How much does it cost to give to Mums and Babies?

    You can give to Mums and Babies for $12 per month or another amount of your choosing. You can also give through a one-off financial contribution. These contributions are pooled to support mothers and babies all around the world. As a Mums and Babies supporter, you will receive updates containing highlights, stories and statistics.

    You can also fund an entire Mums and Babies survival project, or launch a survival project in a new community. The cost to support an entire survival project varies by country, between $15,000 and $25,000 per year. Please contact us to discuss these options further.

    You can:

    • Learn more about Mums and Babies
  • What is Compassion's Highly Vulnerable Children fund?

    Compassion's Highly Vulnerable Children fund offers a lifeline to children in Compassion's programs facing unthinkable hardship and living in high-risk situations.

    This includes: children who have been orphaned (or youth-headed households), children whose primary caregiver is incapacitated, children who have suffered abuse or exploitation, and children with special needs.

    Together with the local church, Compassion identifies children in highly vulnerable situations and provide them with specialised care and assistance to ensure they are stabilised and can continue to participate in Compassion's program.

    Examples of help given to these children can include: immediate housing arrangements, trauma counselling, nutritional support and provision of every day needs, legal assistance and renovations to structures and shelters.

    The Highly Vulnerable Children fund goes beyond the response of sponsorship to ensure children are kept safe and continue to be given opportunities to grow and develop without facing immediate risks to their safety and well-being.