Current emergencies

What do we do in emergencies?

Disasters have a devastating and long-term impact on the communities they affect.  People may lose their homes, loved ones and livelihoods.  They are left to rebuild their lives from scratch, often with few resources and little support.

We respond to emergencies in the short term by providing food, water, shelter and medicines.  We also support people to recover their emotional wellbeing following disasters in which they may have lost everything.  But long after the TV cameras have left, we continue to work closely with communities to help them rebuild their lives and reduce their vulnerability to future disasters.  Our emergency responses focus on:

• Promoting the rights of women and developing their leadership potential.  Read a communique from our panel discussion on women's leadership in humanitarian crises, held in January 2011
• Helping communities rebuild their livelihoods and start earning an income once again
• Minimising distress by supporting the emotional recovery of survivors
• Assuiring the safety and dignity of people affected by disasters – particularly women – by protecting their civil, political, social and economic rights
• Reducing the risk of future disasters by helping people prepare for, mitigate and prevent disasters, and supporting communities to adapt to the effects of climate change

Our work is underpinned by international legal frameworks and standards, including the Code of Conduct for International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief, and the Sphere Standards.