10 Of the Best Worldwide Disaster Relief Organizations

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.

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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.”

direct relief organization

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.

10 Worldwide Disaster Relief Organizations helicopter rescue

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.

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United States Disaster Relief Organizations That Help

The United States is lauded by hundreds of countries globally for their continued assistance to under-developed and developing countries with enhancement resources. They are base for thousands of charitable and disaster-relief organizations that change the lives of people and communities around the world in a positive way.

Disaster Relief Organizations

These disaster relief organizations are based on the core belief that ” life changed can make society a better place.” For years, they have been working with national and international groups to assist in emergency-struck areas as well as people living in remote areas.

We have listed a few of these organizations that have helped and are still helping with the kind support they receive from donors across the world.

United States Disaster Relief Organizations That Help

FEMA

Guided under the management of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been working to impact the lives of locals who have been affected by one or more disasters. They are the coordinating body that oversees the assessment and provision of resources to affected areas in aiding in restoring the location.

They have also extended their hand to other countries in providing training, education conferences, and resources to effectively manage how teams operate during and after a disaster. Their international reach also provides survival resources for local people and communities.

Disaster Relief Organizations: SBP

The SBP is a disaster relief organization that was founded by Liz McCartney and Zack Rosenburg in March 2006. They started the group after they had successfully served in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The mission soon spread to other parts of the country.

In a report dated August 2017, the disaster relief organization has rebuilt over 1,200 homes and provided additional resources to needy persons. The team has been working endlessly to help shape lives a day at a time, and with partnerships from Toyota and Americorps (volunteer assistance), they have gone to multiple states and impacted the lives of thousands. CNN and former president, Barack Obama, lauded their charitable services.

The National Organization for Victim Assistance

The National Organization for Victim Abuse (NOVA) is on a mission to changing the lives of those surrounded by crime and abuse-related crises. Since their establishment, they have provided multiple resources and services to victims, including skill-based training, advocacy, and more.

NOVA has partnered with numerous agencies in offering counseling and re-intervention services for dispatched youths who have been a victim of circumstance and abuse. The team is bent on maintaining professionalism and trust among those they assist and also helps to break the barriers of vulnerable people in their reach.

AmeriCares

AmeriCares was founded in 1979 and is a non-profit organization that provides disaster-relief and health services to struggling and vulnerable people across the country. They have been providing emergency response to medical needs and providing efficient healthcare to persons not only in the US but also around the world.

Since its inception, it has helped millions with affordable health services (including free resources) in over 164 countries. Their mission is to provide the basic need for survival, especially to communities in impoverished countries. It has multiple organizational offices in countries such as Sri Lanka, Haiti, Japan, and India.

UNICEF

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is an agency overseen by the United Nations. They have been providing humanitarian services to millions of children in developing and under-developed countries globally. Established in 1946, the organization has been working to tackle the hunger and health crises in children and parents around the world.

They are striving to impact lives positively, especially to children of circumstances. The organization runs on donations received from private donors and governments in different countries. As of 2018, the organization received over $5.2 billion in contributions to carry out its various projects.

Disaster Relief Organizations: Team Rubicon

U.S. Marines William McNulty and Jacob “Jake” Wood founded Team Rubicon, which is a non-government disaster relief organization. The group provides disaster relief services around the world through assistance from veterans. Team Rubicon is on a mission to re-integrate the quality services of veterans to help impact the lives of civilians positively.

It all started after the Haiti earthquake when Wood and McNulty gathered a medical team to provide health services to those who suffered injuries. Also, they brought resources and funds they raised through friends and family in helping to provide the necessary support. The team’s mission is to continue assisting the less fortunate and those neglected by others.

CDS

Children Disaster Services (CDS) has been in operation since 1980 and has been positively impacting the lives of children who are affected by emergencies and disasters. The Foundation has been serving through shelters they set up across the nation to respond to cases of trauma, dislocation, vulnerable, and more.

The volunteering teams aid in providing reassurance to the children in letting them know everything will be alright. To date, they have provided emotional, psychological, and physical assistance to thousands of children.

FDS

Not all disaster-relief services provide “before disaster prepping activities,” but some do provide aid in the aftermath of an emergency. The Friends Disaster Service (FDS) is an organization that includes clean-up and restoration services to local communities affected by a disaster.

Over the years, they have assisted in rebuilding homes for the elderly, disabled, low-income earners, and uninsured survivors with no focus on race, faith, or political association. The team of volunteers who work across the U.S. uses St. Matthew 25:40 as their mission statement: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these you did for Me”. They complete all their missions and tasks under the banner of love, compassion, help, and restoration.

Samaritan’s Purse

Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian-based humanitarian aid group that focuses on changing the lives of individuals around them. They cater to the needs of the vulnerable and base their passion for helping on the Biblical story of The Good Samaritan.

The organization uses love and compassion to show its real act of kindness by providing resources to people and communities globally. Samaritan’s Purse was established in 1970 to meet the need for emergency cases in crisis areas through evangelism and development.

Disaster Relief Organizations: NECHAMA

NECHAMA is a Jewish-based disaster relief organization and volunteering group that works to change the way the world recovers from a natural disaster or emergency. They have been providing relief services and have impacted the lives of thousands across the country.

The team bases its mission on seven core factors that include: “Building Relationships, Acts of Lovingkindness, Charity/Justice, Love The Stranger, Don’t Stand Idly By, Compassion and Repairing The World.

These Disaster Relief Organizations need your help, so whether you can donate in cash or kind or by volunteering, they would appreciate it, and the lives you change will be grateful. 

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