There are hundreds, if not thousands of disaster relief organizations around the world. Millions of people are dislocated yearly from one disaster or another and turn to these organizations for help.
These organizations work beyond measure to provide aid to communities and people around the world through health, food, relocation, and much more. The various organizations across the globe cover a broad scope of works from helping to prepare for a potential disaster, assisting during the event, and supporting the rebuilding process in the aftermath.
10 Worldwide Disaster Relief Organizations
However, though they go beyond what many persons see as possible, these organizations are still human-run operations. Persons working or volunteering with these charitable groups show humanitarianism while putting their own lives at risk to help.
Each year, billions of dollars are donated to these disaster relief groups to carry out their works in hundreds of different countries. The provision of essential survival items like food, water, medication, and clothing are among their top priorities. Do you wish to donate but not sure who to contact? Listed below are 10 of these international relief programs you can contribute to or volunteer with:
All Hands Volunteers
The mission of All Hands Volunteers is to provide the short-term and long-term needs of persons affected by a natural disaster. They have been in operation for years and have assisted disaster-affected communities in various countries across the world.
To work as effectively as they always do, they communicate with local authorities and community members in helping to build and re-build disaster-resilient homes, schools, and other infrastructure. Their work never ends, and within the last 15 years, the All Hands Volunteers have changed the lives of over 1.1 million people worldwide.
Direct Relief
Direct Relief International has been providing disaster relief assistance to people and communities in over 70 countries. They have been in existence since 1945 and founded by an Estonian immigrant, William Zimdin, to the US. Over the years, the non-profit organization grew and thus prompted various name changes, which still didn’t change the mission of the foundation.
Their core belief is to “improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies by mobilizing and providing essential medical resources needed for care”. They work with local authorities in international countries in finding ways to provide health care services to remote areas.
World Vision International
World Vision International is a Christian-based humanitarian group that is committed to helping and changing the way people live after enduring a disaster or emergency. They have labeled their organization as a non-denominational group that has attracted volunteers of different beliefs on a single cause for good.
They train and dispatch local volunteers who provide emotional, physical, and psychological assistance to those in need. The organization has expanded its reach to various countries and has provided basic survival necessities, especially to people in “hard to reach areas.”
International Federation of Red Cross
No list of disaster relief organizations would be complete without them. The American Red Cross is one of the longest-serving humanitarian groups around the world. Their mission is to provide disaster relief, emergency assistance, and disaster preparedness education. Known as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, this group serves more than 160 million people worldwide through their 192-member National Societies every year.
Since its inception over 100 years ago, the charitable organization has been providing impartial services to vulnerable people and communities. It various local teams assist, before, during, and after an emergency or disaster. Their services are almost not limited, and their developmental programs help millions of people each year.
Salvation Army
This organization is also one of the largest non-profit humanitarian institutions in the world. Their scope of works covers feeding, providing shelter, counseling, providing medical assistance, and resource distribution.
The Salvation Army is over 154 years old and is still serving more than 200 million people each year through its 131 country assistance program. The group does not focus on impartiality such as race, color, or politics but is working to change the lives of local and international communities a day at a time.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Founded in 1991, the OCHA has since established workers and volunteers in over 60 different countries. Their mission is to aid in the strengthening of local communities worldwide that are affected by emergencies and disasters. The organization provides resources that include funding, advocacy, developments, and other disaster-relief assistance.
International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG)
INSARAG is a worldwide organization that provides search and rescue mission services to countries around the world. They are a network formed by various countries to assist in disaster search and rescue operations as well as providing resources to enhance the lives of people and communities worldwide.
The group also offers educational support for rescue teams worldwide in being able to respond to the aftermath of infrastructural-damaged regions.
Project Hope
Disaster and emergencies have no base on which they need to operate and can affect every area of one’s life. Since established, Project Hope has joined forces with thousands of volunteers around the world in helping to provide quality healthcare services to those in struggling countries.
Thinking healthcare should be a free opportunity, the founders of this humanitarian organization realized that small and under-developed countries struggled to provide this basic life necessity to their people, even in the case of an emergency or a disaster. Project Hope also offers other resources and an educational platform for spreading information about protecting one’s health.
Episcopal Relief and Development
The Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) organization has been providing disaster, and emergency relief services to over 40 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Middle East, and the U.S. ERD operates under the Episcopal Church but does not limit their provision of services to only those in their faith.
They join forces with local Anglican and related organizations to provide resources for those in need and also to develop the community by extension. Since their establishment in 1940, they have helped in enhancing the way people live positively.
World Emergency Relief (WER)
World Emergency Relief is an international body that has been helping to change the lives of disaster-affected persons worldwide. They have partnered with other organizations to collect resources and dispatch teams to different countries. The mission of WER is to provide a positive impact on the lives of families and local communities in countries struggling to rebuild after an emergency or disaster.
Disaster relief organizations help millions each year, and your support is what they ask in continuing to impact the lives of those displaced in natural disasters. You can donate in cash or kind or contact their offices to find out how you can volunteer.
