Disaster Relief

Cause Overview

Disaster relief in the international community involves both emergency operations as well as emergency preparedness to help people in need cope with natural or man-made disasters. Typical disaster relief activities include mitigation and preparedness, emergency response and long-term recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Disaster mitigation and preparedness programs seek to minimize the risk of disasters and to develop plans for affected areas should disaster strike. Disaster response involves an immediate response to effectively assess and stabilize essential activities, including food and nutrition needs, health care and community infrastructure rebuilding (homes, schools, health clinics, etc.) as well as life necessities (water containers, cooking utensils, blankets, soap and other hygiene items). Long-term recovery efforts start when the immediate threat to human life subsides and the rebuilding process to restore all affected areas to their previous state begins. This includes both rebuilding physical infrastructure and rehabilitating livelihoods.

Source: Catholic Relief Services