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A map with Myanmar and Thailand highlighted, and an earthquake symbol on Myanmar

How you can help those affected by the Myanmar-Thailand earthquake

On March 28, a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand, killing over 3,500 people, injuring over 5,000 more, and destroying critical infrastructure including airports and dams. Unfortunately, the death toll is only expected to rise as the situation is assessed and heavy rains threaten to bring landslides. While we cannot yet count the total devastation of this earthquake, people now are in urgent need of shelter, clean water, medical care, food, and more. Charity partners in the region have quickly mobilized to provide lifesaving support. Many of our partners were already in the region before the earthquake, providing aid…

Shonda Scott, Manager of U.S. Emergency Response distributes boxes of hygiene kits. They’ll be distributed to individuals in need throughout Buncombe County, North Carolina, including individuals living in tents, who have been displaced due to Hurricane Helene. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024 (Photo/Mike Demas)

Become a partner in disaster relief with Americares

Even before Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm on September 26, Americares had launched a response. Before the storm, Americares emergency experts reached out to more than 360 partner clinics with offers of assistance, and in the days that followed, they shipped more than 16 tons of medicine and medical supplies, installed water purification systems, and deployed a mobile medical unit and mental health teams to restore health services and address trauma and loss from the storm. This rapid response was made possible through the support of corporate partners in the Americares Emergency…

Direct Relief medical aid arrives on Maui following the devastating wildfires on August 8, 2023.

The road to recovery: four charities responding to large-scale disasters

In today’s fast-paced media landscape, headlines can shift daily. In most cases we see a disaster unfold in the news and an influx of generosity follows – which is amazing! However, the needs of a community devastated by disaster long outlive its time in the limelight. Luckily, many of our charity partners work behind the scenes helping disaster-affected communities around the world achieve resilience long after the headlines fade. Below, you’ll learn how four of our charity partners – Direct Relief, International Relief Teams, Project HOPE, and Mercy Corps – have made an incredible impact in response to emergencies in…

Photo by Javier Galeano for Project HOPE, 2019. Photo by Javier Galeano for Project HOPE, 2019.

The quiet before the storm: 8 charities preparing for severe hurricane season

Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, the impacts of hurricane season are upon us. Hurricane Helene has devastated the American Southeast, and to support relief and recovery efforts we’ve launched the Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief Fund. Experts predict this will be one of the most severe hurricane seasons on record. As we brace for potential storms, the urgency to prepare has never been greater. At Global Impact, we stand alongside our esteemed Charity Alliance members who are poised to lead the charge in hurricane response. These organizations are not just leaders in their fields; they are the frontline heroes we trust to bring…

Americares’ response to severe floods this year

Thirty-two million people around the world were affected by floods last year, and this year, experts are predicting harsher and more frequent storms. From South America to Asia to the U.S., the world has already seen its fair share of deadly floods in 2024, impacting hundreds of thousands of people. Wondering how you can help those affected by severe floods? Our partner Americares is on the front lines of disaster response across the globe, providing critical aid like relief supplies, water filtration systems, health care, and mental health and psychosocial support training. By donating to Americares in your workplace giving…

Direct Relief's Jeffrey Samuel and Rita Tshimanga visit Uganda Nurses and Midwife Union in Kampala, Uganda. Shown here is a Direct Relief mid-wife kit

Empower your workforce during disaster season with Direct Relief

As the United States braces for an unprecedented disaster and hurricane season, the need for preparedness and informed response has never been more critical. This year, experts predict stronger and more dangerous storms, which could harm both communities and businesses. In the face of such threats, effective disaster response and humanitarian aid are crucial. The World Bank estimates that natural disasters cause an average of $165 billion in damage annually, affecting millions of people. Humanitarian organizations are essential providing rapid, targeted assistance to those in need. As one of the leading humanitarian organizations, Direct Relief improves the health and lives…

Images

$35 provides diapers and baby formula for an infant in an SOS family for one week, supporting early health and comfort.

$40 delivers a month’s worth of clean drinking water to a family in an SOS-supported community, protecting children from waterborne illness.

$100 covers school supplies and tuition for a child for one academic term, giving them the tools to learn, grow, and thrive.

$250 supports trauma-informed care and mental health services for a child recovering from conflict or family separation.

$500 equips a family in crisis with emergency shelter, hygiene kits, and food for two weeks, helping them stabilize and rebuild.

$1,000 trains a caregiver in family strengthening and child protection practices, creating a safe, nurturing home for children at risk of losing parental care.

EduCare: Enhancing Resilience and Education in Vulnerable Communities

Thanks to donors like you, Rahaf was able to find healing through joining a mind-body skills group. “I found comfort,” she shared. Eventually, she learned new ways to cope with her trauma and was even able to do things on her own, without feeling the need to cling to her mother.

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Title: A baby gets checked with a stethoscope
Charity: Medical Teams International
Country: Ukraine
Photo Credit: Medical Teams International

Title: Marwa checks a patient’s blood pressure
Charity: Medical Teams International
Country: Sudan
Photo Credit: Medical Teams International

Title: Nutrition Assessment for Baby Ramadan
Charity: Medical Teams International
Country: Sudan
Photo Credit: Maram Abdallah

Title: U Sein Naing*, a Muslim man, age 58, with his wife, age 48, at their home, in Thae Chaung camp, Sittwe Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar.
Charity: International Rescue Committee
Country: Asia
Photo Credit: Shin Thandar for the IRC

Title: Americares distributes hygiene kits in Los Angeles, CA
Charity: Americares
Country: United States
Photo Credit: Mike Demas

Videos

Success Stories

UNICEF USA: UNICEF Acts Swiftly During Ceasefire to Address Huge Needs of Gaza’s Children

After 15 months of a devastating war, the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic in the Gaza Strip. Most children have lost access to quality health care, education, water and other vital services. Since the start of the war, UNICEF staff have remained on the ground, working with partners to provide safe drinking water to displaced families, treatment for severely malnourished children and medical supplies and vaccines for children in hospitals and shelters. Under the ceasefire, UNICEF is expanding existing services, while establishing new ones to reach families on the move. Urgent priorities include: Immunization Nutrition Health Water and Sanitation Family Reunification Humanitarian Cash Transfers Mental Health Support UNICEF has already reached millions in the Gaza Strip with lifesaving emergency assistance. According to UNICEF’s year-end situation report, UNICEF’s impact for children in Gaza over the past year includes: ensuring the provision of water for a monthly average of 1.8 million people, including…

Islamic Relief USA: Rahaf’s Story, Palestine

Rahaf is a 13-year-old girl living in the Maghazi Camp in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza. Her experience is like that of any child living through violence. In the first few days, she shared she’s never felt fear or panic like this before. Her and her siblings clung by their parents’ side as they listened to the sound of missiles. Fire from one of the missiles even managed to creep its way into their home. The family was eventually forced to flee to Rafah. Thanks to donors like you, Rahaf was able to find healing through joining a mind-body skills group. “I found comfort,” she shared. Eventually, she learned new ways to cope with her trauma and was even able to do things on her own, without feeling the need to cling to her mother.

Human Rights Watch: Impact in Malaysia

Some of Malaysia’s most precious rainforests and the Indigenous communities who live there will now be protected.  We partnered with Indigenous leaders and environmentalists in the state of Sarawak, home to 25 Indigenous peoples and most of Malaysia’s remaining rainforests, to document how laws and policies enable the takeover of Indigenous land by private companies, leaving communities displaced and destitute. We met with Malaysian officials, and we impressed our findings on European Union authorities, urging them to use their leverage.  On February 20, Sarawak announced the state will no longer issue provisional leases for oil palm plantations, specifically with the aim “to mitigate deforestation” and citing “international scrutiny, especially from the European Union.”   These “provisional leases” have been one of the most harmful weapons the Sarawak government has yielded against Indigenous peoples, as they do not require the state to survey the land before leasing it and can last up to 60 years. Our researchers met repeatedly…

MATTHEW 25: MINISTRIES: Long Term Disaster Response to the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine

We left our home on the day when it all started. There was an explosion in our town at 5AM. We saw unpleasant things happening outside when we looked through the widow. We have two small children and we didn’t hesitate to start packing our stuff because we didn’t know what was going on. We drove for a day without stopping except at gas stations. We drove because the fighting was almost behind us. We were going to our friends’ town, but they called us and said that is was restless there and that there were shootings. We were confused because we no longer knew where to go. I remembered that my cousin lived in that region. We asked her if it was possible for us to come to her because we were exhausted. We needed to rest because it had been very difficult to spend a day in the…

HUMANITY & INCLUSION: After land cleared of mines, Justiniano grows coffee farm

For 10 years, fear of the presence of landmines on his land prevented Justiniano, a farmer in the Nasa indigenous community in Colombia’s Inzá municipality, from expanding his coffee plantation. Humanity & Inclusion’s deminers spent five months inspecting and clearing explosives from Justiniano’s farm. Now, Justiniano can grow more coffee to support his family. HI’s mine action work in Colombia is supported by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement.

ALIMA USA: These Health Centers are Saving Us: Bringing care to those affected by conflict in Nigeria

“THESE HEALTH CENTERS ARE SAVING US” Bringing care to those affected by conflict in Nigeria The persistence of more than a decade of armed conflict in Nigeria has contributed significantly in deteriorating the country’s humanitarian situation, particularly in the Northeast. In Borno State, there are more than 1.3 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) . In Maiduguri, the State capital, 382,876 internally displaced persons were recorded. 273,159 are living in formal camps while 109,717 are living in informal camps. There is limited access to food, water, health care or sanitation. To help meet some of these displaced persons’ needs, ALIMA’s medical and nutritional teams provide them with lifesaving care, and to host community members, at five sites in the Maiduguri area, as well as at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. Continue reading to learn about ALIMA’s response, stories and photos of some of our patients and staff. A HOLISTIC APPROACH…