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World Emergencies

Support our work in emergencies today.
Donate now

World Emergencies

Support our work in emergencies today.
Donate now

Where World Vision is responding


Ukraine crisis: Children and families fleeing violence in Ukraine need care and protection urgently. You can help provide families searching for safety with essentials such as hygiene kits and safe spaces where children can receive psychosocial support.

East Africa emergency (including South Sudan): A complex hunger crisis driven by drought, conflict and political instability has left over 28 million people, including 17.5 million children, across Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda in need of life-saving assistance. Inter-communal conflict has been the largest driver of displacement. In South Sudan, a food crisis caused by conflict and political instability has resulted in more than one million people seeking refuge in Uganda.

Syria crisis: After almost 11 years of war, more than half of Syria’s population has been forced to flee their homes. More than 6.2 million people are currently displaced inside Syria and a further 5.7 million have sought refugee outside Syria, predominantly in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. ISIL have officially been defeated in Syria and Iraq, however conflict continues across Syria, with airstrikes intensifying in March 2019. Currently, 13.1 million people within Syria need assistance, including 5 million children.


Natural disasters and emergencies can devastate the communities they hit, and the speed of a response can be – literally – a matter of life and death.

World Vision’s priority is to save lives, and often the first response is to distribute a range of items such as shelter kits, food, clean water and hygiene products.

Our work focuses on children, especially those left vulnerable because they have lost parents or carers, or have been left homeless.

Whenever possible we integrate our emergency relief responses with our development and advocacy activities, to ensure communities receive long-term support – such as income-generating projects – as they recover.

Different types of emergencies

World Vision responds to two main types of emergency: 

  • Rapid-onset disasters: earthquakes, cyclones, floods and tsunamis
  • Slow-onset disasters: droughts, famine, conflict and war

In large responses, World Vision coordinates with the United Nations and other aid agencies to avoid duplication and make sure there are no gaps in the response.

Partners

We are part of the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP), a five-year (2017-2022) partnership between the Australian Government and NGOs. The aim of the AHP is to save lives, alleviate suffering and enhance human dignity in the face of conflict, disasters and other humanitarian crises.

In the AHP, World Vision partners with Habitat for Humanity Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), CBM Australia and Field Ready. 

Through the AHP, World Vision has received funds for humanitarian activities in Mozambique, Bangladesh (Rohingya crisis), Indonesia, Vanuatu, South Sudan and Nepal.

The AHP's "Disaster READY" program supports Pacific communities and governments to better prepare for and respond to disasters. The program places specific emphasis on the inclusion of women, disabled people and faith-based organisations in disaster preparedness.

Within this regional program, we are implementing preparedness activities together with our Pacific-based partners in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Timor-Leste.

How do we judge the need of an emergency?

Our staff are trained in rapid assessment in the aftermath of a disaster to capture the immediate needs of affected populations. Based on the core humanitarian principles, aid is given based on needs and recognising the rights of all people affected by disaster and conflict. These include the right to receive humanitarian assistance and the right to protection and security.

We ensure that those affected by disasters are involved from the beginning and work with communities and local authorities to build back better and increase their resilience to future disasters.

Who is most affected by emergencies?

Poorer communities and countries aren’t the only ones hit by disasters, but they have fewer resources and less-robust infrastructure with which to deal with them. Australia is known as a country of terrible extremes and we’ve lived through some devastating emergencies, including floods and bushfires. But we have well-trained and resourced emergency services, some of the world’s best hospitals and doctors, stable governments and countless other factors that help contribute to minimising the impact of emergencies and speeding up recovery.

Not every country is so lucky, and when emergencies hit there is little room for error, as:

  • Population pressures force people to live in unplanned communities with little or no infrastructure.
  • Many people live in risk-prone areas, such as earthquake zones and floodplains.
  • When people can’t afford proper building materials, houses are structurally unsound or unsafe. 

Being prepared and having strategies in place to respond to emergencies is just one way World Vision helps people most in need.

Previous emergency responses

2005

  • Boxing Day Tsunami - India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand
  • Bucaramanga Floods - Colombia
  •  Kashmir Earthquake Relief - India

 

2006

  • Horn of Africa drought 
  • Jogja Earthquake - Indonesia
  • Andhra Pradesh Floods - India
  • Mala Cyclone - Myanmar
  • Dili Relief - East Timor
  • Mudslide response - Philippines

2007

  • Mozambique Floods Response
  • Iraqi Refugee Crisis
  • Solomon Islands Earthquake support
  • Earthquake emergency intervention - Peru

2008

  • Mozambique Flood Response
  • China Snowstorm Response
  • Cyclone Nargis - Myanmar
  • India Tsunami Rehabilitation

2009

  • Sri Lanka Crisis 
  • Cyclone Aila - Bangladesh
  • Ketsana Floods - Philippines
  • Sumatra Earthquake - Indonesia
  • Samoa Tsunami

2010

  • Haiti Earthquake
  • Chile Earthquake
  • Pakistan Floods
  • Haiti Cholera Outbreak
  • Merapi Volcano Eruption - Indonesia

2011

  • Christchurch Earthquake - New Zealand
  • Japan Earthquake & Tsunami
  • China Floods
  • Horn of Africa Hunger response
  • Pakistan Monsoon Floods
  • Philippines Typhoons
  • Syria Crisis

2012

  • Child Friendly Space for Internally Displaced Children - Pakistan
  • Syria Crisis
  • West Africa Food Crisis

2013

  • Sindh Measles Outbreak - Pakistan
  • Return & resettlement of Internally Displaced People - Haiti
  • Syria Crisis
  • Angola Cholera Response
  • Sudan Flood Response
  • Somalia Polio Response
  • Typhoon Haiyan - Philippines

2014

  • South Sudan Emergency
  • Kakuma Emergency Education - Kenya
  • Syria Crisis
  • Gaza Crisis
  • Somalia response
  • Ebola Outbreak - West Africa
  • Typhoon Hagupit - Philippines

2015

  • Cyclone Pam - Vanuatu
  • Nepal Earthquake
  • Syria Crisis
  • South Sudan Emergency
  • Ebola Outbreak - West Africa
  • India, Myanmar Floods
  • El Niño response

2016

  • Syria Crisis
  • South Sudan Emergency
  • El Niño
  • Ebola Outbreak
  • Zika Virus

Be a change maker. Support our work in emergencies. Donate now

World Vision Australia is a Christian organisation that works with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.

Where the funds go

83.8% of total funds received go to field programs and advocacy work – helping families and communities. Read more

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