Introduction
Humanitarian crises affect millions of people worldwide, from natural disasters and conflicts to pandemics and food insecurity. Effective response to emergencies requires joint effort across local, national and international levels – and from individuals.
Here we explore the different types of crises, how individuals can support humanitarian response, and the role Emergency Action Alliance (EAA) plays in providing humanitarian aid.
Contents
- Understanding humanitarian crises
- Types of humanitarian crises
- Global response and coordination
- The role of Emergency Action Alliance
- How you can help
- Why your support matters
- Case studies of impact
Understanding Humanitarian Crises
Humanitarian crises encompass a wide range of urgent needs arising from various causes including:
- Natural disasters
- Climate change
- Conflict and war
- Health emergencies
- Food and water insecurity
Sometimes there can be multiple simultaneous emergencies such as a natural disaster taking place in an area that is affected by conflict and war, creating even greater devastation and complexity. These are known as Complex Humanitarian Emergencies (CHEs).
Humanitarian aid provides life-saving assistance both during and immediately after an emergency. The benefits of humanitarian aid are significant and an absolute necessity for safeguarding the welfare of humanity.
Natural Disasters
Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and wildfires can strike without warning, leaving devastation in their wake. These events can:
- Displace communities: natural disasters often force people to leave their homes, creating immediate needs for temporary shelter, food, and medical care.
- Destroy infrastructure: roads, schools, hospitals, and other critical infrastructure can be heavily damaged or destroyed, hindering recovery efforts.
- Trigger secondary crises: for instance, flooding can lead to waterborne diseases, while earthquakes can cause landslides.
Conflict and War
Armed conflicts and wars are major humanitarian crises that result in severe human suffering. The impacts include:
- Forced migration: conflicts often lead to large-scale displacement, with millions of refugees seeking safety across borders.
- Human rights violations: War zones are frequently sites of human rights abuses, including violence against civilians, recruitment of child soldiers, and sexual violence.
- Economic collapse: prolonged conflicts can devastate local economies, leading to poverty and food insecurity.
Health Emergencies
Health emergencies, such as pandemics and epidemics, place immense pressure on healthcare systems and pose serious risks to global health. Key aspects include:
- Overwhelmed healthcare systems: hospitals and clinics can become overwhelmed with patients, leading to shortages of medical supplies and personnel.
- Vulnerable populations: elderly individuals, children, and those with pre-existing conditions are particularly at risk during health crises.
- Long-term consequences: health emergencies can have lasting effects, including increased mortality rates and long-term health complications.
Food and Water Insecurity
Food and water insecurity are critical humanitarian issues that arise from a combination of complex factors including natural disasters, conflict, economic and political instability, and social inequities.
Some of the main challenges are:
- Malnutrition: lack of access to nutritious food leads to malnutrition, particularly affecting children and pregnant women.
- Disease: unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation contribute to the spread of diseases like cholera and dysentery.
- Economic impact: food insecurity often exacerbates poverty, as families spend more income on basic necessities.
- Climate change: puts pressure on already stressed food systems affecting production, availability and transportation.
Food security is a fundamental human right that ensures individuals have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food, to lead active and healthy lives. Unfortunately, many regions around the world face chronic food insecurity including Africa.
Global Response and Coordination
Effective humanitarian response requires coordinated efforts at local, national, and international levels when an emergency strikes. Key players include:
- International organisations: organisations like the United Nations and World Health Organization play crucial roles in coordinating global response efforts and providing aid.
- Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs): NGOs often operate on the front lines, delivering emergency relief and long-term support to affected communities.
- Governments: national governments are responsible for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery within their borders, often in collaboration with international partners.
- Private sector: businesses and corporations can contribute through corporate fundraising initiatives, donations, and logistical support.
The Role of Emergency Action Alliance
As a coalition of leading Australian charities that collaborate to respond swiftly to global crises EAA can play a key role in effective humanitarian response. By pooling resources and expertise to run a centralised appeal, we make it easier for Australians to know how to help. Our members can then provide efficient, effective aid where it’s needed most.
- Emergencies our member organisations may respond to include:
- Disaster response: delivering immediate relief in the aftermath of natural disasters.
- Healthcare support: providing medical supplies and healthcare services during health emergencies.
- Food and water aid: ensuring access to nutritious food and clean water in affected areas.
- Long-term recovery: supporting communities in rebuilding and recovering post-crisis.
How You Can Help Support Humanitarian Causes
There are many ways individuals can have a tangible impact in assisting humanitarian causes and response to emergencies.
1. Donate Now
Financial contributions are the most direct way to support humanitarian causes. Your donations enable Emergency Action Alliance members to respond quickly and efficiently to crises. Every dollar counts and can make a significant difference in the lives of those affected by emergencies.
2. Get Involved
Organise fundraising events, runs, or online campaigns to raise funds for EAA. Helping with local fundraising events, your time and skills can have a profound impact financially and also spreads awareness about humanitarian issues.
Schools & Team Fundraisers
There are many ways schools and groups can run fundraisers including:
- Gold coin mufti day
- Crazy hat day
- Art auction
- Facebook fundraisers
- GoFundMe fundraiser
Trusts, Foundations & Major Gifts
When major disasters take place, many family trusts and foundations make a decision to contribute to the emergency response.
Emergency Action Alliance takes the confusion out of knowing which organisation to support. When you contribute to the Emergency Action Alliance appeal your support will go only to our members who are on the ground responding to the emergency.
3. Workplace Fundraising Initiatives
You can encourage your employer to support emergencies through corporate social responsibility initiatives and employee dollar-matching. EAA has some great tools for organising your own corporate fundraiser. Get in touch with us via email and we can help you set up your own custom fundraising page!
Some corporate initiatives include:
- Matched giving
- Good2Give pre-tax employee contributions
4. Stay Informed And Educate Others
Staying informed about humanitarian causes is vital for effective support and advocacy. Here are some ways to stay updated:
- Follow reputable sources of information: regularly check updates from trusted organisations like the United Nations, WHO, and EAA member organisations.
- Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media to stay updated on crises and our response efforts.
- Engage with educational content: read articles, watch documentaries, and attend webinars to deepen your understanding of humanitarian issues.
- Join community discussions: participate in local and online forums to discuss humanitarian causes and share knowledge with others.
By understanding the complexities of humanitarian causes and the global response efforts, you can better appreciate the importance of supporting these causes and take informed action to make a difference.
Why Your Support Matters
Humanitarian aid saves lives and restores hope. By supporting Emergency Action Alliance, you are contributing to a global effort to alleviate suffering and rebuild communities. Your involvement ensures that we can continue to deliver critical aid swiftly and effectively.
By supporting humanitarian causes, you are not just helping those in immediate need; you are contributing to a global effort that promotes resilience, recovery, and hope for a better future.
Conclusion
Supporting humanitarian causes is a powerful way to make a real difference in the world. Whether through donations, volunteering, fundraising, advocacy, or corporate support, every action counts. Join us at Emergency Action Alliance in our mission to provide lifesaving aid and long-term support to those in need.
Together, we can create a better world.
Case Study: Ukraine Emergency
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, over 5.8 million Ukrainians have fled into neighbouring countries in Europe, seeking safety, protection and assistance. Another 5.1 million were internally displaced within Ukraine, while others were trapped, unable to escape as the war raged around them.
Emergency Action Alliance launched an appeal for the emergency in late March 2022 including a large televised Concert for Ukraine which drove over half a million dollars in donations on the first night. A total of $4.35 million was raised for the emergency allowing our member organisations to help over 62,000 people.
Learn more about our Ukraine Emergency Appeal.
Case Study: Turkiye and Syria Earthquakes
In February 2023 EAA launched an appeal for the Turkiye and Syria Earthquakes. The appeal raised over $2.3 million. The focus of funds were on core relief activities including provision of shelter, medical, health, and psychosocial support, water and sanitation, and child protection.
How donations to EAA helped during the earthquakes
Learn more about our Turkiye Syria Earthquake Appeal.
Case Study: Hunger Crisis in the Horn of Africa
In September 2022 Emergency Action Alliance (EAA) launched a centralised appeal for the Hunger Crisis Emergency in the Horn of Africa. The hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa is a hidden catastrophe. More than 61 million people across the region do not have enough to eat or drink and more than 11.5 million children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition.
The Australian Government announced a contribution of $5 million to the Appeal with an additional $88,000 raised by the Australian public with the support of our media partners ABC and SBS.
Learn more about our Hunger Crisis Appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why does Emergency Action Alliance exist?
A: We operate an extremely cost-effective model, where instead of each member running their own fundraising campaigns, a single centralised appeal is run – saving time, money and precious resources that members can instead use to carry out their vital work. The model is flexible to make sure over the course of an emergency situation the funds are getting to where they are needed most.
Q: How do you know this charity model works?
A: Our structure is a tried and tested model that has seen great success around the world. Emergency Action Alliance is part of a global alliance of similar humanitarian coalitions called the Emergency Appeals Alliance. These alliances share best practices and learn from each others’ successes.
Q: What is EAA doing to guarantee continuous impact?
A: Every time we run an appeal, we will learn from that experience and we will draw those learnings into improving the performance of future appeals.
Q: How are funds distributed to members fairly?
A: We use a formula to allocate funds between the charities according to their capacity to help. This means donations are put to the best possible use to help those in need.
Q: How is EAA’s team structured?
A: We are governed by a Board of Directors and sitting under the Board are three committees;
Audit, Finance and Risk Committee manages governance and compliance.
Allocation Committee determines the distribution of funds.
Appeal Committee monitors emergencies and initiates an appeal against our criteria.
Learn more about who we are.
Q: How are the charity members selected to be a part of EAA?
A: Each of our member organisations has a specific role to play, for example to support people with disability, to focus on women and children, or to offer psychosocial support. Each member must be a member of ACFID (Australian Council for International Development), DFAT Accredited, adhere to the commitments of the Core Humanitarian Standard, be a member of the FIA, and agree to comply with EAA member Terms and Conditions and Grant Terms and Conditions.
Q: What is the process to set up an appeal and distribute funds?
A: A Board meeting is set up within 24 hours of the emergency, then a decision to run an appeal is made within 48 hours after that. The charity members are told that we’re running an appeal and responding members submit a Statement of Capacity outlining how they are responding to the crisis. Within 3 days of a rapid onset emergency we aim to have an appeal live. We run a centralised appeal for two weeks and typically by the end of the fourth week the distribution of funds begins. Funds are only distributed to members responding to the emergency.
