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Disaster Relief

Disaster Relief

When disaster strikes, local Compassion staff are often the first to respond.

Give to help children and families devastated by disasters

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There is no such thing as disaster insurance when you live in poverty.

Why Disaster Relief is so important

Disaster frequency

In the past 30 years, the frequency and impact of natural disasters has quadrupled

From 2000-2012 1.2 million have been killed by natural disaster

From 2000-2012 1.2 MILLION have been killed by natural disaster

People affected by natural disaster

The number of people affected globally by natural disasters has risen by an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 per decade since the early 1970s

Low-income countries affected by disasters

It is estimated that since 1980, low-income countries accounted for only 9 percent of global disasters but 48 percent of global-disaster reported fatalities. This is due to the fact that developing countries often suffer from poor physical infrastructure and lack systems to cope with weather-related events, such as drought and flooding

Sources: Child Fund; APPS; UNISDR; World Bank

When earthquakes cause buildings to crumble and floods sweep everything away, it is children who are the hardest hit. Their most basic needs are threatened, and every sense of protection and security is stripped away.

Through our generous supporters, local churches and Compassion staff are often the first to respond when disaster strikes. Compassion works to assist in the relief and rehabilitation that is vital for restoring children and families in our programs after a disaster. Support is provided on two fronts:

  • Relief activities include the provision of emergency food and water, temporary shelters, personal items, cooking utensils, trauma counselling and spiritual support.
  • Rehabilitation activities include clothing and school supplies, replacing household items, restoring livelihood items and continued counselling and support, if needed.

Your support allows effective and quick response when disaster threatens the safety and stability of Compassion assisted children and their families.

To stay up to date on current natural disasters and crises, please see our crisis reports page.

For every $1 donated

80% goes to program, 20% to administration

80%

Program development and delivery

80% goes to program, 20% to administration

20%

Administration and fundraising costs

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Disaster Relief Stories

Feature Story
25 Jun, 2020

Four Ways COVID-19 Will Undo Child Development Progress

Millions of children have escaped poverty in the past few decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to undo much of that progress. So what are the risks that children face—and how can we respond?.. Read more

07 May, 2020

Born in Quarantine: 5 Beautiful Photos of Newborns Around the World

Quarantine comes with many challenges—especially if you're about to deliver a baby! Find out how these five beautiful newborns were brought into the world during the COVID-19 pandemic... Read more

17 Apr, 2020

How Do Pandemics Affect the Poor?

For the children and their families living in poverty, social distancing and access to medical care can be difficult. This means that during a pandemic, the poor are unevenly affected and among the most vulnerable. .. Read more

FAQs

  • Can I sponsor a specific mother and child in Compassion Mums and Babies?

    While you can now sponsor a child from age one through Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program, we cannot offer one-to-one sponsorship of mums and babies before a child's first birthday. Compassion Mums and Babies provides urgent survival support for young families in crisis situations. In a child's first year of life, Compassion staff are focused on helping babies survive and families adjust to life with their new arrival. Once the critical first year is over, Compassion staff can turn their attention to child development and establishing the invaluable one-to-one sponsorship relationships that help children grow in confidence and have hope for their future.

    Donations of any amount to Compassion Mums and Babies are graciously received. You will be providing young families with critical support during the vulnerable prenatal months and first year of life.

    Alternatively, Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program is specifically designed for one-to-one sponsorship, offering children and sponsors the opportunity to benefit from a two-way relationship.

    You can:

    • Give to Mums and Babies
    • Sponsor a child
    • Learn more about the Child Sponsorship Program
  • Where does Compassion Mums and Babies operate?

    Compassion Mums and Babies works in over 25 developing countries to prevent premature death, secure good health and enable positive development in the youngest, most vulnerable children.

    Mums and Babies always operates through a survival project at the Compassion centre in local communities. It is the first phase of our holistic child development model. From age one, children will transition from Mums and Babies into the Child Sponsorship Program.

    You can

    • Give to Mums and Babies
    • Learn more about the Child Sponsorship Program
  • What is Critical Needs?

    The effects of poverty are devastating and affect every area of a child's life. Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program sets the foundation for life-changing opportunities for every registered child. But every child will, at some point, require help beyond sponsorship's reach.

    Critical Needs provides the additional support necessary for Compassion assisted children to be released from poverty in Jesus' name. Through Critical Needs, supporters like you who are passionate about particular issues, such as safe water, or caring for mothers and babies, can help children most in need worldwide, or support specific projects in vulnerable communities. There are nine Critical Needs areas that you can choose to support, each area addressing an essential aspect of a child's health and development.  

    The nine Critical Needs are:

    • Water and Sanitation
    • Mums and Babies
    • Health
    • Education and Training
    • Infrastructure
    • Highly Vulnerable Children
    • Income Generation
    • Disaster Relief
    • Where Most Needed

    Because we believe that poverty is best addressed through the transformation of the individual child, Critical Needs provides support alongside Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program, not as stand-alone community development activities.

  • Why does the cost to support an entire Mums and Babies survival project vary between countries?

    The care that families receive from Mums and Babies is specific to them, and differs between countries based on children’s needs and the availability and accessibility of government or other support services. This means the cost to support an entire Mums and Babies survival project also varies between countries ($15,000 - $25,000 per year), and has been determined by the price of local services, families' specific needs and currency conversions.

    For example, in Thailand, free universal healthcare is available to families—but not always accessible, especially in remote areas. Instead of replacing existing services, your support empowers Compassion staff to assess and meet each family’s individual and most urgent needs. For children in Thailand, this includes providing educational and health support to increase rates of breastfeeding, helping to prevent undernutrition and stunting for newborns.

    You can support Mums and Babies for $12 per month or another amount of your choosing. You can also give through a one-off financial contribution. These contributions are pooled to support mothers and babies all around the world.

    If you are interested in supporting an entire Mums and Babies survival project, please contact us.

    You can:

    • Give to Mums and Babies
    • Contact us for more information
  • What is Mums and Babies?

    Compassion Mums and Babies gives young children critical support during the vulnerable prenatal months and first year of life. It cares for mums and their little ones in their own homes, the centre of their lives.

    Combining Compassion’s expertise and the local church’s loving support, Mums and Babies aims to prevent premature death, secure good health and enable positive development for babies and their mothers in over 25 developing countries.

    Your support provides:

    Home-based care for mothers and babies, with perinatal specialists visiting families monthly to offer healthcare, education and emotional support.

    Advocacy for mums to ensure they are treated fairly by local services and can access the essential support they need to thrive, including medical care and birth attendants.

    Community support networks that bring mothers together to combat isolation, learn new ways of earning an income and provide each other with long-term support.

    Compassion centres, where mothers can always turn for support, learning opportunities and expert advice on how to monitor their child’s healthy development.

    When a child turns one year old, the focus shifts from survival to early childhood development, and the child is eligible to join Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program while continuing to receive personalised home-based care until age three.

    You can:

    • Give to Mums and Babies
    • Learn more about Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program
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compassion@compassion.com.au
1300 22 44 53

30 Warabrook Boulevard,
Warabrook NSW 2304 Australia

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Compassion Australia
ABN: 67 001 692 566
Authorised to fundraise in NSW (CFN/10658), VIC (FR0010734), QLD (CH1569), SA (CCP2632), TAS (F1A-208) and WA (20740). No authority to fundraise is required in the ACT or NT.