How does disaster relief work

During a crisis, people need help to stay safe, no matter their nationality, cultural background or citizenship status.

When an emergency strikes, the Red Cross will deliver help to whomever needs it. As part of its humanitarian mission, the American Red Cross will feed, shelter, provide emotional support and other assistance without regard to race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or citizenship status.

The Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency, and individuals who have disaster-caused needs do not need to be American citizens to access our services. Red Cross workers will not question individuals about their citizenship status, nor will they request birth certificates, immigration papers, passports, social security cards or similar documents that could be interpreted as being used to identify the nationality or immigration status of people seeking assistance.

If federal, state or local authorities make a request to enter a shelter for the purpose of looking for undocumented shelter residents, the Red Cross will not grant them permission unless provided with a subpoena or court order. The Red Cross may disclose information about shelter residents at the request of law enforcement, if the disclosure is necessary to avert a threat, or protect the health or safety of shelter occupants, another person or the community. The Red Cross is a safe and secure place for everyone in need after a disaster.

Lifesaving Blood. Training Services. Military Families. International Services. The Red Cross honors donor intent and all donations earmarked for Disaster Relief will be used to help people affected by disasters, big and small. The Red Cross keeps our expenses low and an average of 90 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in delivering care and comfort to those in need. About Us. Disaster Relief. Disaster Relief Disaster Relief. All day, every day, wherever someone needs us All day, every day, wherever someone needs us.

Need Help Now? We respond to an emergency every 8 minutes. Play Video. We're there when people need us most Our purpose is to meet the immediate disaster-caused needs of individuals, families, and communities. Explore how we respond to disasters big and small, across the country. Images and accounts of distress fill TV screens and airwaves.

If the emergency remains in the news for more than a week or two, it seems like long-term coverage. Generally, though, mass media cover only the first phase of a disaster, whereas the long-term disaster-response work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief UMCOR unfolds over several phases and can last months or even years.

Different agencies may call these phases by different names, but their fundamental elements and contexts are the same. Each disaster is a unique event that requires careful assessment.

And because relief and recovery may take a long time, it is import to create a strategic plan of response to identify and help the most vulnerable and severely affected people.

So, in its initial response, UMCOR conducts needs assessments and gathers information as soon as possible to determine the available resources, partners, and assets of the affected communities.

Yet there are several phases that unfold as communities begin to rebuild their lives after disasters. In general, the initial search and rescue phase can last for hours or even days after the disaster. The time immediately following the event requires a fast response in order to save lives in imminent danger. Within a few days, that phase has usually passed and the work turns toward providing support to the survivors.

However, in the case of Hurricane Katrina in , the search and rescue phase stretched out for weeks. While people were trapped in their houses, surrounded by flood water, many either had some access to food and drinking water or had neighbors who shared their emergency supplies. This enabled survivors to sustain themselves for a longer time before rescuers reached them. UMCOR does not become involved in rescue operations. Local authorities and trained, professional emergency-response teams do this work.

Meeting basic needs simply to keep people alive, the emergency relief phase begins in the immediate aftermath of a disastrous event. People need food, water, shelter, and medicines. Those with severe injuries need urgent medical help. After an initial assessment of the situation and the needs of affected communities, UMCOR works with partners and supports churches that are already on the ground. Emergency relief can go on for a very long time or can end fairly quickly.

It depends on the nature of the emergency and the resources at hand. The length of time it takes to recover depends on the magnitude of the disaster, the preparedness of the country, the vulnerability and accessibility of the affected location, and the resources that are immediately or locally available.

In relatively prosperous countries like Chile or Japan, for example, communities and government structures may be better prepared for emergencies than they are in under-resourced countries like Haiti. In Haiti, the relief phase following the earthquake lasted for most people well into the second year. In these contexts, we provide emergency relief that includes things like:. Your help to provide emergency food, water, medicine, shelter and other supplies to children and families will bring much needed hope and quick relief during extreme hardship.

Provide life-saving essentials such as nutritious food, clean water, sanitation, shelter and basic household items and more. Together with your support, we are bringing about real change for children, families and communities in more than 50 countries.

From Canada to the world. With love. Home Our Work Disaster Relief. Humanitarian aid: what you need to know. Haiti Earthquake Emergency relief and rebuilding. Rohingya refugees struggle to rebuild after massive fire leaves thousands homeless. Our approach What does World Vision do when disaster strikes? When disaster strikes, World Vision is the first in and the last out. We first respond with life-saving emergency aid, and then we stay for the long term to help families recover and rebuild.

Within 24 to 72 hours of the disaster: Our global rapid response team is on the ground, making assessments and beginning to provide emergency relief. Within 72 hours of the disaster: Our pre-positioned relief supplies are loaded up, transported, and distributed from local and international warehouses.

For the first week after a disaster: We continuously distribute emergency aid and relief to affected residents.

Over the first month: We continue to work to help families stabilize.