deliver immediate support

Save the Children responds quickly in an emergency to save lives and help families cope after a disaster.

Save the Children Australia is part of the International Save the Children Alliance, a group of Save the Children organisations that work in more than 100 countries around the world. Our staff are often already working in countries hit by an emergency and are trained to respond quickly to provide immediate help to children and families. We also stay long after the initial emergency to help communities rebuild and return to normal.

 In 2008, a severe cyclone struck Myanmar (Burma) and 30,000 people died or disappeared. More than one million people lost their homes.

Save the Children responded immediately with a 500-strong team. Within the first 10 days, the organisation reached more than 100,000 people with life-saving assistance. Within three months, Save the Children helped more than half a million people.

The cyclone destroyed more than half of the region’s schools. Within six months, Save the Children had improved the quality of education for more than 100,000 children with the construction of 350 temporary schools.

In December 2007, the organisation reacted swiftly to Cyclone Sidr, which hit Bangladesh and adversely affected 5.4 million people across 30 districts. Within a week, Save the Children helped more than 90,000 survivors, including tens of thousands of children, and provided them with basic necessities for survival. More than 200,000 families received help to rebuild their communities within six months.