Disaster Preparedness and Response

Many of the communities we serve are in geographical hotspots where large-scale natural disasters like floods and typhoons strike with alarming frequency. Others are located in closely packed urban landscapes and squatter villages, where shoddy construction and overcrowding create the potential for devastating fires.

How We Help
We’ve developed a multi-level approach to disaster response. Our efforts in this area include:

• Relief supplies: Our local staff and volunteers distribute emergency water and food to families in the immediate aftermath of the disaster through our Lifeline Food program.
• Preparedness training: We offer disaster-preparedness training and emergency drills for volunteers and youth through groups like the Youth Health Corps.
• Family assistance: For families trying to recover from disasters or reeling from family crises, we offer food aid and funds to assist in rebuilding their homes. In some situations in which large numbers of our program participants have been displaced by natural disasters, we’ve constructed housing for families.
• Community aid: Our community centers in and around disaster areas become relief distribution centers where any member of the community can come to receive medical attention or basic relief supplies. We’ve also partnered with Planet Water Foundation to bring portable emergency water systems to our community centers in the Philippines.

MORE OF THE STORY
For decades, Children International has been providing relief to families affected by natural and manmade disasters in communities around the world. Our strong presence in the Philippines, where disastrous typhoons are common, and in communities in India, Africa and Latin America, where shacks made from flammable materials are crisscrossed with illegal wiring which leads to frequent fires, has put us at the center of hundreds of disasters. Our response to these tragedies runs the gamut from disaster preparedness and response training to immediate relief for victims to helping rebuild homes and communities in the months and years following the event.