Disaster Response

Global Disaster Relief

There are many professional relief organizations who employ highly trained experts to respond to global natural disasters and humanitarian crises. While several organizations will consider applications from qualified medical professionals wishing to contribute as volunteers, unrestricted financial donations are usually the fastest and most effective way to help.

This list of nonprofit first-responders, while not exhaustive, represents reputable organizations responding to disasters.

• CARE International is a leading humanitarian organization that responds to global emergencies and works to mitigate risk for future disasters. 
• Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams deliver emergency medical aid to people in crisis, with humanitarian projects in more than 70 countries. Their teams of doctors, nurses, logisticians, and other frontline workers are often among the first on the scene when peoples’ lives are upended by conflict, disease outbreaks, or natural or human-made disasters. 
• International Medical Corps relieves the suffering of those affected by conflict, disaster and disease, often in difficult and dangerous environments. They have deployed mobile medical units and a field hospital to provide care to families affected by the earthquakes in Venezuela, and are providing lifesaving supplies for the health system. 
• Malteser International is helping secure everyday supplies for refugees, such as medicines, cots, blankets, food, and cash. You can donate here. 
• Oxfam America is a global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger and injustice. As one of 17 members of the international Oxfam confederation, they work with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting solutions. Oxfam saves lives, develops long-term solutions to poverty and campaigns for social change. 
• Save the Children works in more than 100 countries, doing whatever it takes — every day and in times of crisis — to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. 
• UNICEF responds to hundreds of emergencies in the world's worst places to be a child. Right now, UNICEF is delivering critical aid to Gaza's children — therapeutic food for those who are malnourished, safe drinking water, mental health support and cash assistance — while maintaining its steadfast support for children most in need worldwide. 
• The UN Refugee Agency is providing humanitarian assistance on the ground in Ukraine as well as working with neighboring countries to keep borders open for refugees. Donations provide them with shelter, food, water, blankets, and medical supplies. *Donations are being matched up to $1 million. 

Other Ways to Help

Humanity Road delivers disaster preparedness and response information to the global mobile public before, during and after a disaster. Providing aid information helps individuals survive, sustain and reunite with each other and with their pets. Humanity Road strives to close the disaster communications gap through process improvement, collaboration, partnerships, education and training.