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	<title>Refugees Archives | World Vision</title>
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		<title>Ending hunger together: How World Vision and WFP reach the world’s hungriest people</title>
		<link>https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/ending-hunger-together-with-world-food-programme</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sevil Omer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:58:43 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Disaster Relief]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.worldvision.org/?p=113694</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>For over 30 years, World Vision and the World Food Programme have partnered to fight global hunger, reaching tens of millions of children with meals, support, and opportunities to thrive.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/ending-hunger-together-with-world-food-programme">Ending hunger together: How World Vision and WFP reach the world’s hungriest people</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/ending-hunger-together-with-world-food-programme">Ending hunger together: How World Vision and WFP reach the world’s hungriest people</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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		<title>Middle East crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</title>
		<link>https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/middle-east-crisis</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sevil Omer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 13:19:28 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Disaster Relief]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.worldvision.org/?p=99407</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Children in the Middle East are enduring the devastating impacts of armed violence, hunger, psychosocial distress, and disrupted education. Learn how World Vision is supporting affected communities and remains committed to serving the most vulnerable children and families, even in the most dangerous places. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/middle-east-crisis">Middle East crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
]]></description>
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<html><body><p>For children in conflict-affected areas of the Middle East, the sounds of armed violence have become a tragic regular reality. Schools that once provided hope and stability are now closed, with classrooms turned into makeshift shelters. Thousands of displaced families face uncertainty every day.</p>
<h2 id="faqs">Middle East crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</h2>
<p>Explore facts, and frequently asked questions about the crisis in the Middle East, and learn how you can help impacted communities.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="#facts">Fast facts: Middle East crisis</a></li>
<li><a href="#children">How is the Middle East crisis affecting children?</a></li>
<li><a href="#world">What is World Vision doing to help impacted families in the Middle East?</a></li>
<li><a href="#help">How can I help the children and families affected by the crisis in the Middle East?</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="facts">Fast facts: Middle East crisis</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>In Lebanon:</strong>
<ul>
<li>More than 4 million people need humanitarian assistance.</li>
<li>Over 80% of Lebanon&rsquo;s population lives in multidimensional <a href="/sponsorship-news-stories/global-poverty-facts">poverty</a>, struggling to access basic needs.</li>
<li>In some areas of <a href="/our-work/country-profiles/lebanon">Lebanon</a>, half of children under age 2 experience severe food poverty.</li>
<li>Over 300 schools have been damaged from conflict.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>West Bank</strong>:
<ul>
<li>About 14,000 children are displaced.</li>
<li>Many schools in the West Bank are open only three days a week.</li>
<li>Health clinics are open just one day a week, with limited access to healthcare personnel and essential supplies.</li>
<li>3 million children are at risk as the crisis worsens.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px"><a href="#top">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<h2 id="children">How is the Middle East crisis affecting children?</h2>
<p>Every child deserves to feel safe, to learn, and to grow up healthy. Right now, violence, <a href="/christian-faith-news-stories/what-does-bible-say-about-poverty">poverty</a>, and failing services are stealing those basic rights from far too many children. In some regions of Lebanon, more than half of children under 2 face severe food poverty, while nationwide nearly a third of children under 18 had just one meal or none the day before.</p>
<p>In the West Bank, frequent service interruptions mean that children often go without regular schooling or healthcare. Many experience stress, fear, and uncertainty about the future. When the basic structures that protect childhood break down, children lose the stability and opportunity that every young person deserves.</p>
<p>Children in Lebanon and the West Bank are growing up amid conditions that threaten their health, learning, and security. Families are struggling to find enough food, and many can no longer afford diverse or nutritious meals. In some regions of Lebanon, more than half of children under age 2 are affected by severe food poverty. Across the country, more than a third of children have one or fewer meals a day.</p>
<p>Education has also been disrupted. In the West Bank, many schools operate only three days a week, leaving children without consistent learning or the structure and stability that classrooms provide. Healthcare facilities are open one day a week, leaving communities vulnerable to illnesses with limited access to healthcare professionals and essential supplies.</p>
<p>The loss of essential needs such as food, safety, and stability places significant psychological strain on children, compounding the effects of ongoing conflict.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The conflict is impacting children caught in this cycle of violence, hunger, and displacement. Behind each statistic is a story &mdash; stories of children and the families who want to keep them safe &mdash; enduring unimaginable fear, trauma, and loss,&rdquo; says Margaret Schuler, senior vice president of International Programs for World Vision.</p>
<p>Such experiences can shape how children grow, learn, and dream long after the crisis ends.</p>
<p style="font-size: 13px"><a href="#top">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<h2 id="world">What is World Vision doing to help impacted families in the Middle East?</h2>
<p>World Vision is working in both Lebanon and the West Bank to meet urgent needs while helping families recover and rebuild stronger communities for the future.</p>
<p>In Lebanon, World Vision reached over 589,000 people, including more than 217,000 children, through programs focused on <a href="/our-work/education">education</a>, protection, <a href="/our-work/clean-water">water, sanitation, and hygiene</a>, food security, and cash assistance.</p>
<ul>
<li>10.2 million meals delivered to families in need</li>
<li>24,700 blankets distributed</li>
<li>61,000 hygiene kits distributed</li>
<li>11,600 children received psychosocial support</li>
<li>934 shelters rehabilitated, including schools, homes, and health care centers, to help ensure dignified living conditions and access to essential services.&#8203;</li>
</ul>
<p>In the West Bank, World Vision has reached more than 1 million people, including 430,000 children. The response includes five key components: <a href="/our-work/disaster-relief">emergency aid</a> for communities affected by violence and displacement, mental health and psychosocial support, and protection initiatives that strengthen first responder capacity and improve access to <a href="/our-work/health">health</a> services and education.</p>
<ul>
<li>10,700 people received cash or voucher assistance, allowing families to meet their most urgent needs</li>
<li>35,000 children have access to <a href="/child-protection-news-stories/world-vision-west-bank-children">safe play and recreation areas</a> where they can connect and play with others</li>
<li>28,000 children are participating in social and emotional learning activities that help build confidence and coping skills</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px"><a href="#top">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<h2 id="help">How can I help the children and families affected by the crisis in the Middle East?</h2>
<p>Now more than ever, children in Lebanon and across the Middle East need our help. Every child deserves to feel safe, to learn, and to grow up healthy. Right&nbsp;now,&nbsp;violence, poverty, and failing services are stealing those basic rights from far too many children.&nbsp;&#8203;Our staff and those we serve deeply appreciate the <a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/peace-earth-pray-conflict-hot-spots">continued prayers of our donors and partners</a>. Gifts to support these and other urgent relief efforts can be made to our <u><a href="https://donate.worldvision.org/give/disaster-relief">Disaster Relief Fund</a>.</u></p>
<p style="font-size: 13px"><a href="#top">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><em>&nbsp;Amy Van Drunen of World Vision in the United States contributed to this article.&nbsp;</em></p>
</body></html>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/middle-east-crisis">Middle East crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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		<title>How the Church can help end extreme poverty</title>
		<link>https://www.worldvision.org/charitable-giving-news-stories/how-the-church-can-help-end-extreme-poverty</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Corey Grant]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:40:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Charitable Giving]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.worldvision.org/?p=113489</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Discover how the Church can help end extreme poverty — through action, compassion, and a gospel-driven mission to work for lasting change.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/charitable-giving-news-stories/how-the-church-can-help-end-extreme-poverty">How the Church can help end extreme poverty</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
]]></description>
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			<p>Poverty is a social sickness that we can&rsquo;t seem to cure. Even Jesus said, &ldquo;The poor you will always have with you&rdquo; (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2026%3A11&amp;version=NIV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew 26:11, NIV</a>). We wonder,<em> if the poor will always be with us, what&rsquo;s the point in addressing poverty at all?</em></p>
<p><a href="/sponsorship-news-stories/global-poverty-facts">Poverty</a> is both as ancient as pharaohs and as modern as smartphones. No matter any shift in politics, economics, or philosophy, poverty remains. Its very persistence can lull us into complacency. We can easily choose inaction from a deep sense of helplessness.</p>
<p>But if we could do something to address the issue of injustice in the world, would we? And why would we?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-WYb0T512g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Pierce</a>, founder of World Vision, once said, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t fail to do something just because you can&rsquo;t do everything.&rdquo; Many followers of Jesus have dedicated their lives to eradicating poverty. But for many of us, it can often be a little too easy to stay comfortable in our church communities &mdash; praying for the world&rsquo;s needs but failing to follow prayer with action.</p>
<p>We may feel confident in our understanding of the gospel of Christ. We believe Jesus was born, lived, died, and was resurrected to reconcile us to God and bring us new life. While these truths are central to our faith, when we look to the teachings of Jesus, we may encounter a question: <em>Does our response to poverty point to a missing component in our understanding of the gospel?</em></p>
<p><a href="/christian-faith-news-stories/rich-stearns-leadership-timeline">Rich Stearns</a>, World Vision president emeritus, addresses this piercing question in his book, <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hole-Our-Gospel-Expect-Changed/dp/0849947006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hole in Our Gospel</a>.</em> His premise is that if we claim to follow Jesus &mdash; the One who fed the hungry, healed the broken, and called the poor &ldquo;blessed&rdquo; &mdash; but ignore the suffering of His people, then we&rsquo;re preaching an incomplete gospel.</p>
<p>But let us address the elephant in the room. There is no need to pack your bags for a guilt trip. Nor is there a reason to beat ourselves up. Rather, this is a call to arms &mdash; compassionate, Jesus-filled arms &mdash; that are ready to do the gritty, holy work of justice. It&rsquo;s about waking up as the Church and doing good, hard, and healing work. Because poverty is not just a social issue &mdash; it&rsquo;s a gospel issue.</p>
<p>The Church has the power to respond to <a href="/economic-empowerment-news-stories/what-is-extreme-poverty-and-how-can-we-end-it">extreme poverty</a>. Even more, how our congregations respond to the call of the gospel can rewrite the course of history.</p>
<figure id="attachment_113500" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113500" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-113500 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="Large group of people stand in a long line outside a brick building on a clear morning, some wrapped in blankets." width="1200" height="808" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24142701/D400-2403-046.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24142701/D400-2403-046-640x431.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24142701/D400-2403-046-200x135.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24142701/D400-2403-046-356x240.jpg 356w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24142701/D400-2403-046-841x566.jpg 841w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24142701/D400-2403-046-1129x760.jpg 1129w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24142701/D400-2403-046-850x572.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24142701/D400-2403-046-1140x768.jpg 1140w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24142701/D400-2403-046.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113500" class="wp-caption-text">Mount Moriah Baptist Church distribution (&copy; 2025 World Vision/photo by World Vision Staff)</figcaption></figure>
<h2>How does poverty happen?</h2>
<p>People often misunderstand poverty. In his book, Stearns writes, &ldquo;Each of us brings different associations to the word <em>poverty</em> based on our past understandings and misunderstandings.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s tempting to reduce poverty to a simple economic issue &mdash; a lack of money, food, housing, or access to clean water. And while these are real and urgent needs, they only scratch the surface. Poverty is not just about empty wallets or bare cupboards. It&rsquo;s about something deeper: a rupture in how things were meant to be. Poverty is the hum of brokenness under the noise of the world.</p>
<p>Many people mistakenly assign fault as well, beyond confusing what poverty is. Some believe poverty is caused by laziness, irresponsibility, or a failure to work hard enough. Others believe it&rsquo;s solved with a job, a budget, or a new policy. These assumptions are clean, simple &mdash; and erroneous. They ignore the complexities of trauma, war, injustice, <a href="/refugees-news-stories/uprooted">displacement</a>, generational loss, and spiritual trauma or confusion. They miss the fact that a person can work three jobs and still not afford to live. They treat poverty like a math equation, assuming it has a simple, one-step solution. But Stearns tells us:</p>
<blockquote><p>
&ldquo;Poverty is extremely complex. Picture the poor caught in a spiderweb of interwoven causes that trap them hopelessly while the marauding spiders of hunger, war, disease, ignorance, injustice, natural disasters, and exploitation prey upon them unrestrained.&rdquo;
</p></blockquote>
<h2>What about extreme poverty?</h2>
<p>Extreme poverty is the most severe form of poverty, involving the acute deprivation of basic human needs. The technical definition of extreme poverty is living on less than <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/september-2025-global-poverty-update-from-the-world-bank--new-da" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$3.00 per person per day</a>. According to the latest data, about 8.5% of people globally are estimated to be living in extreme poverty. That&rsquo;s nearly 700 million people.</p>
<figure id="attachment_113501" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113501" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-113501 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="People sit on wooden benches inside a decorated church, listening to speakers at the front near an altar and cross." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24143213/W395-0386-002.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24143213/W395-0386-002-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24143213/W395-0386-002-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24143213/W395-0386-002-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24143213/W395-0386-002-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24143213/W395-0386-002-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24143213/W395-0386-002.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113501" class="wp-caption-text">Bineneza Church of Uganda (&copy; 2025 World Vision/photo by Brian Jakisa Mungu)</figcaption></figure>
<h2>How does the Church view poverty?</h2>
<p>Poverty reflects the world&rsquo;s brokenness. From a Christian perspective, it can be seen as an extended consequence of sin &mdash; reflecting broken relationships between humans and God, humans and one another, and humans and creation. When Adam and Eve turned from God, their relationships with Him, with one another, with the land, and even with themselves were torn. Poverty is the lingering aftershock of that tearing. It shows up in <a href="/hunger-news-stories/world-hunger-facts">hunger</a> and homelessness, yes &mdash; but also in loneliness, powerlessness, and hopelessness. It is not just the absence of material things; it is the absence of <em>shalom</em> &mdash; God&rsquo;s wholeness, His peace, His intended design.</p>
<p>The good news is that God did not stay distant from this pain. Jesus entered it. He was born into poverty. Instead of being wrapped in royal silk, Christ was clothed in rags and lay on straw. He walked among the outcast, the beggar, the widow, the orphan. He told stories where the poor were heroes and the last were first. And He declared that in His kingdom, the poor in spirit &mdash; those who know their need &mdash; <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205%3A3&amp;version=NIV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are blessed</a>. Not pitied. Not blamed. But blessed.</p>
<p>The Church is called to see poverty through this lens. Not as something &ldquo;other people&rdquo; experience, but as something we are all touched by in one form or another. Material wealth does not mean spiritual wholeness. A person can be surrounded by abundance and still live in spiritual poverty. Conversely, a person in rags may possess a faith that could move mountains.</p>
<h2>Defining poverty</h2>
<p>So, what is poverty? Among the many complexities contributing to it, it is a crack in the foundation of creation. It is a distortion of God&rsquo;s image, a symptom of the fall. Enter Jesus, who came not only to forgive sins but to also restore what was lost. To bind up the brokenhearted. To bring good news to the poor. To lift the lowly and invite them to the banquet in the kingdom of God, where there is more than enough for everyone.</p>
<p>To address poverty, then, one is not merely called to give, but to enter into relationship. To recognize Christ in the face of the hungry, the unhoused, the overlooked. To listen before we speak, to serve without superiority, to give without expecting return. It is to partner with God in the holy, hard, beautiful work of restoration.</p>
<h3>Global hunger crisis</h3>
<p>The global <a href="/hunger-news-stories/5-worst-spots-hunger">hunger</a> crisis isn&rsquo;t just a logistics problem; it&rsquo;s a moral emergency. The Church, with its vast reach and even deeper calling, holds a powerful key to closing the door on extreme poverty. As St. Thomas Aquinas put it, &ldquo;He who is dying of hunger must be fed rather than taught.&rdquo; Before we offer sermons, we must offer sustenance. People don&rsquo;t have mental space for spiritual conversations or practices when they&rsquo;re in survival mode. A woman may not have time to go to church if she&rsquo;s <a href="/clean-water-news-stories/walk-water-6k">walking 6 kilometers each day</a> to provide water for her family. A child may not feel comfortable going to Sunday school if they&rsquo;re dirty from lacking clean water in which to bathe. But when we can meet physical needs &mdash; through food distributions, agricultural training, or other forms of support &mdash; we show Christ&rsquo;s love and create space for spiritual needs to be met as well.</p>
<h3>What does Scripture say about poverty?</h3>
<p>The Bible talks about poverty and caring for the poor a lot. In fact, <a href="/christian-faith-news-stories/what-does-bible-say-about-poverty">Scripture mentions</a> the subject more than 2,000 times. From the thundering prophets of the Old Testament to the quiet wisdom of the book of James, God makes one thing painfully clear: We can&rsquo;t claim to know Him if we ignore the people He is forever pursuing.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%201%3A17%20&amp;version=NIV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaiah 1:17</a> says, &ldquo;Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.&rdquo; <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%201%3A27%20&amp;version=NIV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James 1:27</a> keeps it uncomfortably simple: &ldquo;Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress&hellip;&rdquo;</p>
<p>We cannot forget <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2015%3A11&amp;version=NIV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deuteronomy 15:11</a>: &ldquo;There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.&rdquo; God is not simply giving us a heads-up that poverty exists; He&rsquo;s giving us a path forward, calling us to open our hands, our hearts, our homes.</p>
<p>Jesus, too, had many words on the matter. He fed the hungry, touched the untouchables, and made room at His table for the folks nobody else wanted to invite. In <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%204%3A18&amp;version=NIV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Luke 4:18</a>, Jesus gives His personal mission statement: &ldquo;The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Notice that Jesus said <em>good</em> news. Not &ldquo;okay news.&rdquo; Not &ldquo;news you can ignore.&rdquo; <em>Good news</em>! And if our gospel isn&rsquo;t good news for the poor, then maybe it&rsquo;s not the gospel at all.</p>
<p>Stearns says, &ldquo;Being a Christian, or follower of Jesus, requires much more than just having a conversion experience or affirming a statement of belief.&rdquo; In other words, faith without action is incomplete. It&rsquo;s faith that&rsquo;s missing the point. If our gospel has a hole where justice, compassion, and action should be, then it&rsquo;s time to get out the needle and thread and start patching up the missing pieces.</p>
<p>Further in <em>The Hole in Our Gospel</em>, Stearns says: &ldquo;It is crystal clear from Scripture that God loves the poor while hating their poverty, the man-made actions that contribute to it, and the apathy of the &lsquo;well-off&rsquo; who allow it to persist.&rdquo;</p>
<figure id="attachment_113502" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113502" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-113502 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A man wearing glasses and a microphone headset smiles and claps while speaking on stage beside a large screen." width="1200" height="801" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24144112/D400-2351-237.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24144112/D400-2351-237-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24144112/D400-2351-237-200x134.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24144112/D400-2351-237-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24144112/D400-2351-237-848x566.jpg 848w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24144112/D400-2351-237-1140x761.jpg 1140w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24144112/D400-2351-237-850x567.jpg 850w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24144112/D400-2351-237.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113502" class="wp-caption-text">Pastor Glenn Packiam at World Vision&rsquo;s 2025 Pastor&rsquo;s Gathering (&copy; 2025 World Vision/photo by Amy Van Drunen)</figcaption></figure>
<h3>Church solutions to end extreme poverty</h3>
<p>An anonymous writer once crafted an imaginary conversation with a friend. &ldquo;Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it,&rdquo; he imagined saying to a friend. The friend responded, &ldquo;Well, why don&rsquo;t you ask Him?&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Because I&rsquo;m afraid He would ask me the same question.&rdquo;</p>
<p>An honest look will reveal the Church has sometimes been like that one friend who says, &ldquo;Let me know how I can help!&rdquo; &mdash; and then disappears faster than snickerdoodles at the school bake sale. <a href="https://davidjoannes.com/shocking-stats-on-missions-giving/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to a 2001 study</a>, Christians make up 33% of the world&rsquo;s population, receive 53% of the world&rsquo;s annual income, and spend 98% of their wealth on themselves. Only .01% of all Christian giving is directed toward mission efforts. While this study is over 20 years old, its findings are just as striking to us today.</p>
<p>If generosity is an indicator of our involvement, then this data suggests that the Church is taking a back seat in kingdom work. But when the Church <em>does</em> show up, the results are nothing short of miraculous.</p>
<p>For more than 75 years, World Vision has been witnessing this firsthand. Today, local churches around the globe have become centers of transformation through faith-driven partnerships. Not because they have big budgets, significant donations, or flashy programs, but because they understand that loving their neighbors means taking action, and doing more than offering thoughts and prayers.</p>
<p>Churches are uniquely positioned to help end extreme poverty because they are embedded in communities all over the world. The local body of Christ is rooted, trusted, and consistent. That kind of presence can&rsquo;t be bought or manufactured. It&rsquo;s cultivated through years of weddings, births, baptisms, graduations, funerals, prayer meetings, potlucks, neighborhood walks, and of course weekly Sunday gatherings.</p>
<p>In many parts of the world, the local church is the most stable and reliable institution around. Schools may close. Clinics may run out of medicine. Governments may overlook the needy. But the church doors stay open. That consistency makes <a href="/tags/church">churches powerful partners</a> in long-term efforts to alleviate poverty.</p>
<p>World Vision&rsquo;s model leans into this strength. We listen. We learn. And we walk alongside churches already doing the work, helping equip them with training, tools, and support to amplify their impact.</p>
<p>From tiny villages in Malawi to megachurches in California, congregations are taking on the giants of hunger, disease, lack of education, and hopelessness. Not because they have the answers, but because they are asking the question from those wristbands of another era: <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/defense-wwjd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What would Jesus do</a>?</p>
<p>Let&rsquo;s not forget that spiritual poverty often walks hand-in-hand with physical need. Churches don&rsquo;t just deliver aid &mdash; they help foster hope. They carry the message that each person is made in the image of God, loved beyond measure, and not forgotten.</p>
<p>Stearns wrote, &ldquo;If your personal faith in Christ has no positive outward expression, then your faith has a hole in it.&rdquo; But the good news is that the Church can be the holy patch that mends that tear. And the better news? The more we patch, the more we resemble Christ.</p>
<p>This is kingdom work, no doubt about it. It&rsquo;s justice with hands and feet. It&rsquo;s the Church waking up, standing tall, and proclaiming to a weary world: <em>You are not alone. We see you. And we&rsquo;re coming alongside with the reminder that Jesus is here.</em></p>
<p class="p1"></p><div class="btn-container btn-center"><a class="vc_general btn btn-primary btn-normal btn-classic btn-color-primary" data-gtm="true" data-internal-promotion="false" data-btn-region="" href="https://www.worldvision.org/church/programs" title="">Programs for The Church</a></div>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>The power of Church generosity</h2>
<p>Local and global giving is essential in the effort to end extreme poverty. Churches can designate funds to support global partners, adopt struggling communities, or respond to emergencies and support long-term needs through trusted organizations like World Vision. But generosity doesn&rsquo;t stop with collection baskets. It means organizing food drives, supporting local shelters, and remembering that &ldquo;love thy neighbor&rdquo; includes both the family next door and the child in another nation. Stearns wrote in <em>The Hole in Our Gospel</em>,</p>
<blockquote><p>
&ldquo;This gospel&mdash;the whole gospel&mdash;means much more than the personal salvation of individuals. It means a social revolution.&rdquo;
</p></blockquote>
<p>To revolutionize a broken world, we have to take Sunday morning sermons into the streets. We have to take the love we preach and put it on the road &mdash; into villages, towns, deserts, and urban centers. We must offer hope in every place where hope is gasping for breath.</p>
<p>Ending extreme poverty is possible.</p>
<figure id="attachment_113506" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113506" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-113506 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A family of five stands outside their home, with the parents holding two young children while another child stands in front." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164601/W087-0752-037.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164601/W087-0752-037-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164601/W087-0752-037-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164601/W087-0752-037-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164601/W087-0752-037-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164601/W087-0752-037-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164601/W087-0752-037.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113506" class="wp-caption-text">Innocent, a farmer, breeder, and entrepreneur, stands with his family in the Democratic Republic of Congo. After receiving World Vision training in agriculture and livestock, he has built opportunities that allow him to provide for his family and community by raising a variety of animals, including chickens, goats, ducks, pigs, turkeys, and more. (&copy; 2025 World Vision/photo by Rodrigue Harakandi)</figcaption></figure>
<p>When faced with such a persistent problem, it&rsquo;s easy to feel powerless. But we must remember: it is possible to end extreme poverty &mdash; maybe even in our lifetime! <a href="https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/ending-poverty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Recent history provides the proof</a>. The percentage of the world&rsquo;s workers living in extreme poverty recently fell by half, from 14.3% in 2010 to 7.1% in 2019. Humanitarian organizations were even working toward the goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. Unfortunately, <a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/what-is-coronavirus-facts">COVID-19</a> happened. In 2020, the percentage of people living in extreme poverty rose for the first time in two decades.</p>
<p>Rather than being disheartened, we can find motivation.</p>
<p>In just five years, together with partners and donors, World Vision has impacted the lives of over 200 million vulnerable children by tackling the root causes of poverty. This is compelling evidence that the mission is not only possible, but progress is happening right now.</p>
<h2>Christian response to poverty</h2>
<p>Extreme poverty isn&rsquo;t just about money. It&rsquo;s about powerlessness. It&rsquo;s about being told you don&rsquo;t matter. It&rsquo;s about hearing &ldquo;no&rdquo; in every language &mdash; no food, no school, no doctor, no future.</p>
<p>But the Church knows a better Author. One who turns &ldquo;no&rdquo; into &ldquo;yes&rdquo; and &ldquo;not yet&rdquo; into &ldquo;watch what I can do.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The Church&rsquo;s response to extreme poverty helps us all understand what it looks like to follow Jesus. It&rsquo;s not reserved for missionaries in distant lands. It&rsquo;s for every believer who&rsquo;s ever uttered the prayer, &ldquo;Lord, here am I. Send me.&rdquo; And sometimes, the sending looks like writing a check. Sometimes it looks like sponsoring a child. And sometimes it looks like speaking up, advocating for needs to be met.</p>
<p>Jesus didn&rsquo;t pass the poor on His way to somewhere more important. He stopped. He healed. He listened. He told stories that flipped the long-standing tables of power.</p>
<p>This is the model.</p>
<p>The Church&rsquo;s response to extreme poverty must be steeped in both prayer and action. It must be as local as your own zip code and as global as God&rsquo;s kingdom. It must challenge comfort and invite community. It may be inconvenient and unglamorous, but it&rsquo;s always wildly beautiful.</p>
<p>Because here&rsquo;s the thing about serving the poor: You&rsquo;ll find Jesus there. In the tears. In the resilience. In the joy that makes no economic sense.</p>
<p>If you want to meet Christ, follow Him into the margins. If you want to be the Church, feed His sheep. Clothe His children. Defend His beloved. Not just in theory &mdash; but in sweat, in sacrifice, in solidarity.</p>
<p>Let&rsquo;s fill the hole in our gospel. Let&rsquo;s be a Church that doesn&rsquo;t just believe, but becomes. Becomes the good news for those who&rsquo;ve only known hard times.</p>
<p>Because when we respond to poverty with love, justice, and unshakable faith, we don&rsquo;t just change the world, we reveal the kingdom of Jesus.</p>
<figure id="attachment_113505" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113505" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-113505 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A woman in a pink shirt holds a large plastic bag of food supplies while sitting outdoors under a tree." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164457/W155-0171-018.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164457/W155-0171-018-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164457/W155-0171-018-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164457/W155-0171-018-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164457/W155-0171-018-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164457/W155-0171-018-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/09/24164457/W155-0171-018.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113505" class="wp-caption-text">Nelly is one of 605 families who were equipped with a food kit in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The kits contained rice, canned beans, canned vegetables, and bedding. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Susana Garcia)</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Specific ways to get involved</h2>
<p>The work of alleviating poverty is both deeply spiritual and surprisingly practical. When churches commit to action, they ignite hope. And when that hope spreads, lives change. Here are some meaningful ways that churches can make a difference in the fight against poverty.</p>
<h3>Emergency response</h3>
<p>When disaster strikes, poverty digs in, and its roots in communities become that much deeper. But the church has the power to interrupt this cycle. By supporting <a href="/our-work/disaster-relief">emergency response programs</a>, congregations extend Christ&rsquo;s compassion in the most urgent moments, providing food, shelter, and safety that protect families from slipping further into hardship. When communities recover faster and stronger, children can return to school, parents can rebuild livelihoods, and hope rushes in where despair once threatened. In <a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/disaster-response-to-lasting-change">responding to crisis</a>, the Church becomes a living answer to prayer &mdash; and a vital partner in breaking poverty&rsquo;s grip on our world.</p>
<h3>Partnering with a development organization like World Vision</h3>
<p>World Vision offers congregations a variety of meaningful ways to come alongside children and families in need. One of the most personal and transformative ways is through <a href="/sponsor-a-child">child sponsorship</a>. Through sponsorship church members are connected directly with a child, providing not just resources but relationships that transform lives &mdash; both there and here. But that&rsquo;s only the beginning. Some churches choose to focus on hunger relief, others on <a href="/our-work/education">education</a>, <a href="/clean-water-news-stories/global-water-crisis-facts">clean water</a>, or <a href="/our-work/health">health</a> initiatives. Still others prefer the broad impact of giving to the <a href="https://donate.worldvision.org/give/world-vision-fund-home">World Vision Fund</a>, which strengthens every sector of the work and helps families lift themselves out of poverty for good. However a church chooses to partner, each gift becomes a living expression of faith &mdash; turning Sunday lessons into change in real communities, in real time.</p>
<h3>Economic empowerment</h3>
<p>Access to <a href="/our-work/economic-empowerment">economic tools, training, and opportunities</a> can have a huge impact on a <a href="/economic-empowerment-news-stories/irresistible-one-familys-journey-to-change">family&rsquo;s ability</a> to provide for themselves not just today, but over time, through generations. Christians can support microfinance initiatives, vocational training programs, and savings groups that help families lift themselves out of poverty. Imagine believers helping a single mother in Rwanda start a bakery. Or enabling a <a href="/economic-empowerment-news-stories/yessica-honduras-new-view-when-looks-in-mirror">farmer in Honduras</a> to finally afford tools. This is more than what many would call charity. It&rsquo;s a way of actually coming alongside people and working to equip them with the tools needed to write a different life story.</p>
<h3>Advocacy</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.worldvisionadvocacy.org/">Advocacy</a> may not sound as directly impactful as other solutions, but it is every bit as vital. Churches can raise their voices on behalf of those whose voices are being drowned out by injustice. That might mean hosting an advocacy Sunday, where members sign petitions or write to their elected officials about legislation that affects global poverty. It might mean educating the congregation on <a href="/health-news-stories/what-you-need-to-know-about-pepfar-program">how policies affect access to food, healthcare, and education</a>. When the Church speaks truth to power, it echoes the prophets of old &mdash; and makes a real difference today.</p>
<p>In fact, some of the greatest societal shifts in history have been sparked by a <a href="/christian-faith-news-stories/prayer-for-justice-healing-using-scriptures">praying</a>, persistent Church. Christians like William Wilberforce fueled the abolition of slavery, refusing to let injustice hide behind polite silence. The U.S. Civil Rights Movement moved to the rhythms of gospel hymns and sermons from pulpits that proclaimed freedom in Jesus and freedom on earth. More recently, World Vision&rsquo;s work combating the <a href="/health-news-stories/hiv-and-aids-facts">HIV and AIDS crisis</a> in Africa was driven by churches who said, &ldquo;This is our issue, too.&rdquo; When faith communities stood up &mdash; advocating for prevention, care, and compassion, change occurred.</p>
<h3>Investing in education</h3>
<p><a href="/our-work/education">Education</a> has long been a cornerstone of the Church&rsquo;s anti-poverty efforts. <a href="/ignite/our-story/">Christian schools</a> have provided literacy and vocational skills to marginalized communities, opening pathways out of poverty. Today, Christian organizations continue to invest in schools, vocational training, and scholarships, recognizing education as a powerful tool for empowerment and self-sufficiency.</p>

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<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/charitable-giving-news-stories/how-the-church-can-help-end-extreme-poverty">How the Church can help end extreme poverty</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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		<title>Ukraine crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</title>
		<link>https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/ukraine-crisis-facts-faqs-and-how-to-help</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sevil Omer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 08:45:17 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Disaster Relief]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.worldvision.org/?p=80299</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>As the war in Ukraine continues to cause devastation and displacement, over 6.8 million refugees — primarily women and children — have sought safety worldwide. Children continue to experience disruptions in their education and lack safe and stable environments. Learn more about the conflict in 2025 and what World Vision is doing to help people affected by the Ukraine crisis. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/ukraine-crisis-facts-faqs-and-how-to-help">Ukraine crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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			<p>The intensification of the war in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, has deeply affected a generation of the country&rsquo;s population: its children. Many have lost family members and loved ones, been injured, or faced drastic disruptions to their lives. Forced to leave their homes and communities, unable to attend school, and living in unsafe environments, children continue to experience challenges no one should have to face. Their needs are expected to become even more pressing with the continuation of harsh conditions, as over 2,400 children have been killed or injured since the escalation, averaging <a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/average-least-16-children-killed-or-injured-ukraine-every-week-escalation-war-nears" target="_blank" rel="noopener">16 child causalities per week</a>.</p>
<h2 id="faqs">Ukraine crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</h2>
<p>Find answers to frequently asked questions about the war in Ukraine, and learn how to help children and their families.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="#fast-facts">Fast facts: Ukraine crisis&nbsp;</a></li>
<li><a href="#latest">What is the current situation in Ukraine?</a></li>
<li><a href="#people">How many people are affected by the war in Ukraine?</a></li>
<li><a href="#what">What are the widespread impacts of the crisis in Ukraine?</a></li>
<li><a href="#children">How are children being impacted by the war in Ukraine?</a></li>
<li><a href="#response">What&rsquo;s World Vision doing to help people affected by the war in Ukraine?</a></li>
<li><a href="#reach">How many people has World Vision helped since the start of the war in Ukraine?</a></li>
<li><a href="#help">How can I help people impacted by the crisis in Ukraine?</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="fast-facts">Fast facts: Ukraine crisis</h2>
<ul>
<li>The conflict in Ukraine has displaced over 3.5 million people within the country and forced over&nbsp;<a href="https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine?utm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6.8 million to leave the country</a> as of January 2025.</li>
<li>The need for humanitarian assistance will remain substantial in 2025, with an estimated 12.7 million requiring humanitarian aid and protection, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR).</li>
<li>The war has sparked economic shocks and disruption with global ramifications, impacting people in poverty and contributing to an escalating global hunger crisis.</li>
<li>Children are among the most affected: As of early 2023, 5.3 million children were facing educational barriers, with 3.6 million impacted by school closures. And within months of the start of the conflict <a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/war-ukraine-pushes-generation-children-brink-warns-unicef" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.5 million were at risk of mental health issues</a>&nbsp;such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.</li>
<li>In response to the war, <strong>World Vision has reached over 2.26 million people</strong> in Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, and Georgia with lifesaving aid, shelter, child protection programs, and other essentials as of November 2024.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<figure id="attachment_105722" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-105722" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-105722 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A winter scene in Dnipro, eastern Ukraine, with people bundled in coats crossing a city street amid snow flurries." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/11/14111122/W397-0203-005.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/11/14111122/W397-0203-005-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/11/14111122/W397-0203-005-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/11/14111122/W397-0203-005-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/11/14111122/W397-0203-005-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/11/14111122/W397-0203-005-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/11/14111122/W397-0203-005.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-105722" class="wp-caption-text">Faced with extreme winter conditions in Ukraine, many towns and villages across the region have been without electricity due to snowstorms. Many Ukrainians rely on generators to stay warm, but those without access to alternative power sources face even greater challenges. In partnership with Aktion Deutschland Hilft and NGO &ldquo;Girls,&rdquo; World Vision delivered 500 kits in Dnipro and Kharkiv oblasts, each containing a hat, scarf, warm socks, thermos, and power bank to help those in need. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Laurentia Jora)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="latest">What is the current situation in Ukraine?</h2>
<p>The situation in Ukraine remains dire due to ongoing hostilities since February 2022, resulting in widespread displacement and increased humanitarian needs, especially during the winter months.</p>
<p>War-affected areas face severe food security challenges as continued air strikes and bombings have caused extensive damage. <a href="https://www.wvi.org/newsroom/ukraine/ukrainians-face-harsh-winter-amid-ongoing-attacks-energy-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Millions of people are living in damaged buildings without basic necessities</a> like electricity, water, or heat. Access to essential services such as food, healthcare, education, and protection remains a daily struggle for many.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We heavily rely on humanitarian aid now. I&rsquo;m displaced &mdash; again. I had to leave my home in Donetsk Oblast when life there became unbearable. For two years, we lived without light, water, or heating. We were not living &mdash; we were just surviving,&rdquo; said Iryna, 64.</p>
<p>The ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure across Ukraine have left many without power, heating, and water as the country prepares for winter, with temperatures expected to drop below zero degrees.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I came to Zaporizhzhia, which is now just 35 kilometers from the frontlines. It&rsquo;s a city crowded with displaced families like mine, who&rsquo;ve fled the fighting. I&rsquo;m a pensioner, and my allowance isn&rsquo;t enough to cover basic food costs, let alone anything else. This winter terrifies me. I&rsquo;m scared of being left without heat again, of freezing, of not being able to cook or afford food and medicine. I don&rsquo;t know how I&rsquo;ll make it through.&rdquo;</p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
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<figure id="attachment_91705" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-91705" style="width: 1280px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-91705 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. Dressed in winter gear, the father embraces his two children while the mother holds a baby." width="1280" height="725" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/06/W251-0056-013-e1685713071534-1280x725.jpg 1280w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/06/W251-0056-013-e1685713071534-1536x870.jpg 1536w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/06/W251-0056-013-e1685713071534-640x363.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/06/W251-0056-013-e1685713071534-200x113.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/06/W251-0056-013-e1685713071534-360x204.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/06/W251-0056-013-e1685713071534-850x482.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/06/W251-0056-013-e1685713071534-1140x646.jpg 1140w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/06/W251-0056-013-e1685713071534.jpg 1587w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/06/W251-0056-013-e1685713071534-1280x725.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-91705" class="wp-caption-text">Ivan and Elena, along with their three children, Peotr, Ivan, and Violeta (shown left to right), have resettled in Moldova after their home in southern Ukraine was destroyed by bombing. However, Ivan struggled to find work in a region with limited job opportunities. World Vision&rsquo;s partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), local officials, and Moldovan host families provide financial aid and housing to Ukrainian refugees like Ivan. But both refugees and host families are feeling financial pressure as the conflict continues. World Vision is also supporting Ivan&rsquo;s host, Petru, and other host families with resources to cover the costs of supporting refugees. (&copy; 2023 World Vision/photo by Laurentia Jora)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="people">How many people are affected by the war in Ukraine?</h2>
<p>According to the United Nations (U.N.), 12.7 million people will need humanitarian aid and protection in 2025. In addition to the approximately 6.8 million refugees living outside Ukraine, millions more are still displaced within the besieged nation.</p>
<blockquote><p>
&ldquo;When the entire building shakes from a rocket that has just destroyed several houses in your neighborhood, and you have no heat, no water, no gas &nbsp;&mdash; &nbsp;you&rsquo;re sitting in the dark, sometimes with no contact with the outside world because there&rsquo;s no connection &mdash; you pray once again just to survive the day, hoping to see your loved ones one more time,&rdquo; said Svitlana, 61, from Marinka, Donetsk oblast.
</p></blockquote>
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<figure id="attachment_99458" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-99458" style="width: 1178px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-99458 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A young girl with blue eyes in a pink hooded sweatshirt glances sideways as a boy appears in the background." width="1178" height="726" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/05/20121646/W251-0091-003-e1716270020355.jpg 1178w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/05/20121646/W251-0091-003-e1716270020355-640x394.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/05/20121646/W251-0091-003-e1716270020355-200x123.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/05/20121646/W251-0091-003-e1716270020355-360x222.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/05/20121646/W251-0091-003-e1716270020355-850x524.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/05/20121646/W251-0091-003-e1716270020355-1140x703.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1178px) 100vw, 1178px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/05/20121646/W251-0091-003-e1716270020355.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-99458" class="wp-caption-text">Diana and her brother Kostea (shown at ages 1 and 2, respectively) take part in a child-focused psychological support session in Moldova. After the 2022 escalation of the war in Ukraine, their mother, Anna, sought safety for her family in Moldova. Through a program by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), Anna and her children have accessed psychological support to help cope with the trauma of war and displacement. World Vision, in partnership with organizations like the DEC, has supported over 42,000 people with mental health and psychosocial support services in Moldova as of November 2024. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Dan Munteanu)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="what">What are the widespread impacts of the crisis in Ukraine?</h2>
<p>One of the bloodiest conflicts in Europe since World War II, this war has devastated the lives of Ukrainian children and families but has also caused economic disruptions that impact people living in poverty far beyond Eastern Europe. The crisis continues to pose a threat to regional stability and has significantly increased humanitarian needs, particularly during the winter months amid non-stop destruction.</p>
<p>U.N. agencies have observed a dramatic increase in global hunger, which was already on the rise, as conflict has complicated the delivery of crucial food exports from Ukraine.</p>
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<figure id="attachment_88677" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-88677" style="width: 1620px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-88677 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A Ukrainian mother lifts the hood of a new jacket over her son&rsquo;s head as he zips up the winter coat" width="1620" height="1080" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W397-0104-016.jpg 1620w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W397-0104-016-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W397-0104-016-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W397-0104-016-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W397-0104-016-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W397-0104-016-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W397-0104-016-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W397-0104-016-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1620px) 100vw, 1620px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W397-0104-016.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88677" class="wp-caption-text">In Chernivtsi, Ukraine, Lyudmyla, a mother of five, helps her son with a new winter coat. The family received help staying warm in the winter because of a World Vision&ndash;supported cash assistance program that helps families pay for coats, shoes, and other necessities. (&copy; 2022 World Vision/photo by Oleksandra Shapkina)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="children">How are children being impacted by the war in Ukraine?</h2>
<p>The war in Ukraine has had a <a href="/about-us/media-center/world-vision-reports-on-what-three-years-of-war-have-cost-ukrainian-children">devastating impact on children</a>, with over 2,400 killed or injured since the conflict escalated in February 2022, an average of 16 child casualties every week, <a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/average-least-16-children-killed-or-injured-ukraine-every-week-escalation-war-nears" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to UNICEF</a>.</p>
<p>Millions of children are caught in relentless hostilities, displacement, and shortages of essential resources like water, electricity, and healthcare. In areas directly affected by armed violence, nearly 3 million people urgently need access to warmth, clean water, and medical care. At the same time, widespread attacks have damaged schools, hospitals, and vital infrastructure, deepening the crisis.</p>
<p>Children continue to endure immense psychological trauma, often spending hours in basements during air raid sirens, while 1.7 million lack access to safe water, and 3.4 million are without proper sanitation, increasing their risk of disease.</p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #333333;">&ldquo;I woke up hearing the bombs dropped in our small village located near Borodyanka,&rdquo; said Nina, who with her two sisters, endured shelling in northwest Kyiv, one of the first areas to be hit by airstrikes in late February 2022. Bombings forced the local school to shutter. The family, terrified of the fighting, stayed inside their home for one month. &ldquo;It was a terrible time. During my visit with our next-door neighbors, we were all crying,&rdquo; added Oksana, Nina&rsquo;s sister. </span></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="color: #333333;">World Vision&rsquo;s programming through a local partner helped support children like Nina and her sisters with ongoing psychosocial care in Borodyanka.</span></p>
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<figure id="attachment_94486" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-94486" style="width: 1280px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-94486 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A young blonde girl faces the camera, seated in a learning space. She&rsquo;s wearing headphones, and an open laptop sits before her." width="1280" height="853" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W322-0186-005-1280x853.jpeg 1280w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W322-0186-005-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W322-0186-005-640x427.jpeg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W322-0186-005-200x133.jpeg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W322-0186-005-360x240.jpeg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W322-0186-005-850x567.jpeg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W322-0186-005-1140x760.jpeg 1140w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W322-0186-005.jpeg 1620w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W322-0186-005-1280x853.jpeg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-94486" class="wp-caption-text">Emilia (pictured at 7), a Ukrainian refugee, finds solace and learning opportunities at World Vision&rsquo;s Happy Bubble, a Child-Friendly Space, in Romania. In response to the crisis in Ukraine, we establish safe and nurturing environments like Happy Bubble, supporting impacted children and their families. (&copy; 2023 World Vision/photo by Laurentia Jora)</figcaption></figure>
<h2></h2>
<figure id="attachment_88678" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-88678" style="width: 1280px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-88678 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A young boy in a tan sweatsuit and a woman with long brown hair play with toys." width="1280" height="853" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W322-0147-009-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W322-0147-009-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W322-0147-009-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W322-0147-009-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W322-0147-009-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W322-0147-009-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W322-0147-009-1140x760.jpg 1140w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W322-0147-009.jpg 1620w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W322-0147-009-1280x853.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88678" class="wp-caption-text">Yullia and her son, Marat (pictured at 3), play at World Vision&rsquo;s Child-Friendly Space at Romexpo. For more than 30 years, World Vision has been active in Romania and currently supports refugees from Ukraine as well as host communities and institutions with 19 partners in 10 municipalities. (&copy; 2022 World Vision/photo by Christopher Lete)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="response">What&rsquo;s World Vision doing to help people affected by the war in Ukraine?</h2>
<p>Since the onset of the conflict, World Vision has consistently delivered lifesaving aid, shelter, child protection services, and other essentials to support the most vulnerable people. We are bringing our global expertise and local partnerships to respond to the war in Ukraine and throughout impacted regions.</p>
<p>Operating across every administrative region, known as oblasts, in Ukraine, World Vision collaborates with trusted local and international partners &mdash; including the WFP and UNICEF &mdash; to assist communities affected by the war. We&rsquo;ve also implemented a cash assistance program managed by partners in Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, and Georgia.</p>
<p>In response to the harsh winter, we launched a comprehensive five-month winterization program, running from November 2024 through March 2025. This includes:</p>
<ul>
<li>Cash assistance: Offering financial support to displaced communities affected by the conflict by helping them cover heating costs; purchase winter clothing, firewood, and coal; and pay utility bills.</li>
<li>Essential supplies: In partnership with local organizations, we&rsquo;re distributing generators, heaters, and power banks to families and shelters in frontline areas.</li>
<li>Winterization kits: These kits, containing thermal blankets, hygiene items, portable gas stoves, and gas cylinders, help families endure the freezing temperatures.</li>
</ul>
<p>Our efforts seek to provide immediate relief and enhance resilience for those most vulnerable to the challenges of winter.</p>
<p>Alongside immediate relief, we are also focused on long-term support through educational programs for children and adults, psychosocial and child protection services, livelihood support, and more, aiding communities build resilience and recover from crisis.</p>
<blockquote><p>
&ldquo;This winterization kit is crucial for families living close to the frontlines.&nbsp;These communities are hanging by a thread &mdash; with shattered windows, half-destroyed buildings, and entire neighborhoods in ruins. On top of that, energy plants are being targeted, leaving families without gas, heating, or water. Power outages are constant, making it nearly impossible to stay warm, boil water, or prepare food,&rdquo; said Yurii Bezkorovainyi, director of Will Help Together, World Vision&rsquo;s partner in Ukraine responsible for distributing the kits in frontline areas.
</p></blockquote>
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<figure id="attachment_83832" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-83832" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-83832 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt='Team sets up tables in front of a trailer that says "free connectivity" and has logos for World Vision, N50, and ComputerAid' width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/internet-access-to-Ukrainians-in-Bucharest.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/internet-access-to-Ukrainians-in-Bucharest-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/internet-access-to-Ukrainians-in-Bucharest-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/internet-access-to-Ukrainians-in-Bucharest-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/internet-access-to-Ukrainians-in-Bucharest-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/internet-access-to-Ukrainians-in-Bucharest-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/internet-access-to-Ukrainians-in-Bucharest.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-83832" class="wp-caption-text">Staff from World Vision, Computer Aid, and Geeks Without Frontiers set up a mobile CommsHub at Romexpo in Bucharest, Romania. The mobile hub helps refugees connect to the internet to gather information and services, plan their onward journeys, and communicate with loved ones who are still in Ukraine. (&copy; 2022 World Vision/photo by Brianna Piazza)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="reach">How many people has World Vision helped since the start of the war in Ukraine?</h2>
<p>We&rsquo;ve been responding since the first week of the crisis. As of 2025, our staff have provided essentials for approximately 2.26 million people across the region. Here are some highlights:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>In Ukraine</strong>, our efforts have supported over 1,35 million people, nearly half of whom are children.</li>
<li><strong>In Romania</strong>, we&rsquo;ve assisted more than 351,700 people with aid, including food, shelter, protection resources, and education and hygiene kits.</li>
<li><strong>In Moldova</strong>, over 510,320 people have been reached through our programming. We continue to support Moldovan families hosting refugees in 17 districts through our partnership with WFP.</li>
<li><strong>In Georgia</strong>, we&rsquo;ve helped support over 39,600 people with education, child protection, and programming, including vouchers for food, hygiene, clothing, and pharmacy costs.</li>
</ul>
<figure id="attachment_94485" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-94485" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-94485 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="Adorned with a red rose wreath, a blonde woman proudly lifts a hexagon-shaped box filled with dried fruits." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W251-0077-004.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W251-0077-004-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W251-0077-004-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W251-0077-004-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W251-0077-004-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W251-0077-004-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/01/W251-0077-004.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-94485" class="wp-caption-text">Olga, a Ukrainian refugee and mother of two, showcases her traditional fruit confectionery, pastillas, at Eco-Local Farmers Market in Moldova in December 2023. Following a month-long training program, the &ldquo;Treats from Ukrainian Artisans&rdquo; event opened opportunities for refugees like Olga to exhibit and sell their unique products, promoting cultural exchange and community unity. Supported by World Vision and partners WeWorld and Katalyst Kitchens, the initiative aims to foster self-reliance, social integration, and entrepreneurship among refugees in Moldova. (&copy; 2023 World Vision/photo by Eugene Combo)</figcaption></figure>
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<h2 id="help">How can I help people impacted by the crisis in Ukraine?</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="/refugees-news-stories/pray-refugees-disaster-survivors">Pray</a>:</strong> Join us in praying for the most vulnerable communities affected by the war in Ukraine.</li>
<li><strong><a href="https://donate.worldvision.org/give/disaster-relief">Give</a>:</strong> Become a vital partner in World Vision&rsquo;s work to deliver help and hope to refugees and displaced children and families.</li>
</ul>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/ukraine-crisis-facts-faqs-and-how-to-help">Ukraine crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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		<title>How to prepare for an emergency</title>
		<link>https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/how-to-prepare-for-an-emergency</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sevil Omer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:32:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Disaster Relief]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.worldvision.org/?p=112409</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Be ready before emergencies strike. Learn how to pack an emergency kit, create a household plan, and prepare spiritually, with help from World Vision.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/how-to-prepare-for-an-emergency">How to prepare for an emergency</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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<html><body><p>Imagine having only minutes to decide what to take and what to leave behind. Your home, your school, your community &mdash; lost in an instant. For millions, this isn&rsquo;t just a worst-case scenario; it&rsquo;s reality.</p>
<p>Emergencies rarely come with a warning. They strike fast &mdash; with the roar of wildfire, the jolt of an earthquake, or the silence that follows lost communication. Whether it&rsquo;s a natural disaster, a power outage, or a humanitarian crisis, having a plan ready can mean the difference between chaos and calm.</p>
<p>Emergency preparedness isn&rsquo;t about fear. It&rsquo;s about responsibility, not just for ourselves but also for our loved ones, our neighbors, and our most vulnerable community members. We&rsquo;ve seen firsthand how small steps taken before a disaster can save lives and bring hope back.</p>
<p>Proverbs 27:12 tells us,&nbsp;&ldquo;The prudent see danger and take refuge.&rdquo;&nbsp;As people of faith, we prepare not out of fear, but out of love for our families, for our neighbors, and for those God calls us to serve.</p>
<p>To prepare for an emergency, you&rsquo;ll need to make a plan for your household, build an emergency supply kit with food and water, and stay informed about risks in your area. You&rsquo;ll also need to store important documents, medications, and contact info, and you&rsquo;ll want to practice your plan regularly and keep your kit updated. Preparation can save lives and reduce panic.</p>
<h2 id="guide">Emergency preparedness guide</h2>
<p>Let&rsquo;s walk through, step-by-step, on how to prepare for a disaster or emergency so you can be ready, equipped, and empowered. In this guide, you&rsquo;ll discover:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="#matters">Why emergency preparedness matters</a></li>
<li><a href="#plan">How to create an emergency plan and supply kit</a></li>
<li><a href="#spiritual">Make a spiritual readiness plan</a></li>
<li><a href="#respond">Ready to respond: How World Vision helps during emergencies</a></li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<figure id="attachment_100304" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-100304" style="width: 1198px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-100304 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A man in a hard hat carries a young girl with a pacifier and life vest through floodwaters, with a rescue team and boat behind them." width="1198" height="628" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24122803/W045-0068-011-e1756152967667.jpg 1198w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24122803/W045-0068-011-e1756152967667-640x335.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24122803/W045-0068-011-e1756152967667-200x105.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24122803/W045-0068-011-e1756152967667-360x189.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24122803/W045-0068-011-e1756152967667-850x446.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24122803/W045-0068-011-e1756152967667-1140x598.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1198px) 100vw, 1198px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24122803/W045-0068-011-e1756152967667.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-100304" class="wp-caption-text">Driven by El Ni&ntilde;o, torrential rains flooded Brazil&rsquo;s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, in May 2024. During the devastation, rescue scenes like this one unfolded across the region. World Vision responded by supporting 70,000 households, including 200,000 children, with essentials and shelter kits. (&copy; 2024 Photo by Alencar da Rosa | Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="matters">Why emergency preparedness matters</h2>
<p>Disasters come in many forms: <a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/hurricane-facts">hurricanes</a>, <a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/floods-facts-faqs-how-to-help">floods</a>, <a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/earthquake-tsunami-facts">earthquakes</a>, <a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/wildfires-facts-faqs-how-to-help">wildfires</a>, armed conflict, <a href="/health-news-stories/how-help-communities-prevent-treat-infectious-diseases">pandemics</a>, and more. Emergencies can unfold without warning, leaving little time to act.</p>
<p>Preparedness saves lives and reduces suffering. Children, the elderly, and people with disabilities are especially at-risk during emergencies. Having a plan helps protect the most vulnerable. Proverbs 27:12 reminds us:&nbsp;&ldquo;The wise see danger and take cover.&rdquo;</p>
<p>A frequent sentiment after a disaster is wishing one had done things differently or been more prepared.</p>
<figure id="attachment_112421" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-112421" style="width: 1407px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-112421 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A young man in a white T-shirt stands in front of a blue house with white trim." width="1407" height="857" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25130931/D400-2399-278-e1756163933843.jpg 1407w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25130931/D400-2399-278-e1756163933843-1280x780.jpg 1280w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25130931/D400-2399-278-e1756163933843-640x390.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25130931/D400-2399-278-e1756163933843-200x122.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25130931/D400-2399-278-e1756163933843-360x219.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25130931/D400-2399-278-e1756163933843-850x518.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25130931/D400-2399-278-e1756163933843-1140x694.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1407px) 100vw, 1407px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25130931/D400-2399-278-e1756163933843.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-112421" class="wp-caption-text">(&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Laura Reinhardt)</figcaption></figure>
<p>&ldquo;I wish before the hurricane, I had known not to underestimate the power of the floodwaters and the storm,&rdquo; said Mateo Magana (pictured above) of Swannanoa, North Carolina.</p>
<p>On September 26, 2024, <a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/hurricane-helene-facts-faqs-how-to-help">Hurricane Helene</a> &mdash; a catastrophic Category 4 storm &mdash; roared ashore in Florida and devastated North Carolina. It destroyed Mateo&rsquo;s home, where he lives with his grandparents.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If I could go back, I would definitely have a bag ready and packed,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#guide">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<h2 id="plan">How to create an emergency plan and supply kit</h2>
<p>Being prepared and self-sufficient is crucial, as disasters in the U.S. can overwhelm emergency services. It&rsquo;s essential for households to be able to sustain themselves for at least 72 hours.</p>
<p>This three-day standard, recommended by FEMA and the American Red Cross, aligns with global best practices, emphasizing the importance of readiness regardless of where a disaster occurs.</p>
<figure id="attachment_112418" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-112418" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-112418 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="An aid worker oversees packaged bottled water and boxes filled with hygiene supplies." width="1200" height="676" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25125827/W037-0044-006.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25125827/W037-0044-006-640x361.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25125827/W037-0044-006-200x113.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25125827/W037-0044-006-360x203.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25125827/W037-0044-006-850x479.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25125827/W037-0044-006-1140x642.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/08/25125827/W037-0044-006.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-112418" class="wp-caption-text">In Bosnia and Herzegovina, World Vision supported communities affected by floods in three cities by distributing essential items, including food and hygiene supplies. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Tahir &#381;ustra)</figcaption></figure>
<p>In Europe, the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_856" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Union</a> has recently adopted a similar strategy. In March 2025, the EU urged its 450 million citizens to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-commission-urges-stockpiling-emergency-supplies-2025-03-26/#:~:text=The%20strategy%20focuses%20on%20improving,%2C%20radio%2C%20cash%20and%20medication." target="_blank" rel="noopener">stockpile essential supplies to last at least 72 hours</a>. This recommendation is part of the EU&rsquo;s Preparedness Union Strategy, which aims to enhance resilience against emerging threats such as extreme weather, cyberattacks, and geopolitical tensions.</p>
<p>Mike Bassett, World Vision&rsquo;s U.S. Programs emergency response manager, has responded to U.S. disasters for nearly 10 years &mdash; from the devastation of <a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/2017-hurricane-harvey-facts">Hurricane Harvey in 2017</a> to the Central Texas flooding in July 2025.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When a family is prepared for disaster, they are protecting the most important thing, the lives and safety of their family,&rdquo; he explains. &ldquo;I have heard numerous times from survivors of a disaster say, &lsquo;I am just thankful we are safe; things can be replaced, lives can&rsquo;t.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
<p>Here are the steps you can take to make your emergency plan and supply kit.</p>
<h3>1. <a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Know your risks</strong></a></h3>
<ul>
<li>Learn what disasters are most likely in your area.</li>
<li>Sign up for local <a href="https://www.ready.gov/alerts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emergency alerts</a> and weather apps.</li>
<li>Prepare for specific threats like earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, or fires.</li>
</ul>
<h3>2. <a href="https://www.ready.gov/plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Create a household emergency plan</strong></a></h3>
<ul>
<li>Select two designations to meet in case not everyone is home when the disaster occurs: a nearby location near your home, one outside your neighborhood. List contact numbers and create a phone tree.
<ul>
<li>Keep printed contact cards in wallets, backpacks, and vehicles.</li>
<li>Save contacts on all family devices and back them up in cloud storage.</li>
<li>Choose an out-of-area contact to help relay messages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Decide how you&rsquo;ll communicate if phones go down.
<ul>
<li>Use walkie-talkies for short-range family communication</li>
<li>Keep a better-powered radio with extra batteries to receive emergency updates</li>
<li>Install <a href="https://www.fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/mobile-products#download" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the FEMA</a> and <a href="https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/mobile-apps.html?srsltid=AfmBOorjCp95vZYoWYzISWkfI_7Sp5ES508nk36XnHUo1GVKrTN_w5pG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Red Cross</a> apps for alerts that may still reach you even if your network is busy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Plan for evacuation routes and shelter options.</li>
</ul>
<h3>3. <a href="https://www.ready.gov/kit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Build an emergency kit</strong></a></h3>
<ul>
<li>Tailor your kit for your household&rsquo;s needs and store it in a grab-and-go backpack or waterproof container.</li>
<li>Use this checklist for basic supplies to <a href="https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/ready_supply-kit-checklist.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">build a survival kit</a> for each member of your household:</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>1 gallon of water per person, per day (3-day minimum)</li>
<li>Non-perishable food (3-day minimum supply, per person)</li>
<li>Manual can opener</li>
<li>First aid kit (basic items):
<ul>
<li>Adhesive bandages (various sizes)</li>
<li>Sterile gauze pads and adhesive tape</li>
<li>Antiseptic wipes or solution</li>
<li>Tweezers and travel-sized scissors</li>
<li>Pain relievers (acetaminophen or ibuprofen)</li>
<li>Allergy medication (antihistamines)</li>
<li>Gloves (disposable)</li>
<li>Any personal prescription medications</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Flashlight and extra batteries</li>
<li>Copies of IDs, insurance policies, and medical records</li>
<li>Personal hygiene items (toilet paper, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste)</li>
<li>Extra clothes and sturdy shoes (suitable for walking over rubble or flooded areas)</li>
<li>Emergency shelter:
<ul>
<li>Blankets or sleeping bags (pack separately, if needed, near go bag)</li>
<li>Tent or tarp for emergency shelter</li>
<li>Rain ponchos or waterproof covering</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Paper maps of your local area</li>
<li>Cell phone charger and power bank</li>
<li>Whistle to signal for help</li>
<li>Cash in small bills</li>
<li>For special consideration:
<ul>
<li>Supplies for pets, babies, and elderly family members.</li>
<li>Extra items for medical, dietary, or mobility needs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>4. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/prepare-your-health/plan-ahead/stay-connected.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stay informed</a></h3>
<ul>
<li>Monitor local news and emergency broadcasts.</li>
<li>Follow trusted sources and authorities. For example:
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="https://www.fema.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal Emergency Management Agency</a> </strong>(FEMA) &ndash; U.S. disaster alerts and preparedness guidance</li>
<li><a href="https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.html?srsltid=AfmBOorBgQV6yBrZoKfQT4h5gu-d4kluVMKf4LHYSSx-XQ5os58CYMpd" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>American Red Cross</strong> </a>&ndash; Shelter information, disaster updates, and relief resources</li>
<li><strong><a href="https://www.weather.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Weather Service</a> </strong>(NWS) &ndash; <a href="https://www.weather.gov/alerts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Weather alerts</a>, warnings, and <a href="https://www.weather.gov/forecastmaps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecasts</a></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://www.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> </strong>(NOAA) &ndash; Severe weather and natural disaster monitoring</li>
<li><strong>Local government emergency management offices</strong> &ndash; City or county-specific alerts and instructions</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>5. <a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/make-a-family-emergency-plan#practice-your-plan-with-your-household" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Practice your plan</strong></a></h3>
<ul>
<li>Run regular emergency drills with all family members at least twice a year. Adjust and update contact information and locations, if needed.</li>
<li>Make it family-friendly and age-appropriate so children are not unnecessarily scared, while still learning what to do in an emergency.</li>
<li>Review and update your plan yearly. Make sure everyone in the family is informed and can articulate what the plan is.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>*Sources adapted from the U.S. government resources, including </em><a href="https://www.ready.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Ready.gov</em></a><em>, the </em><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</em></a><em>, and the </em><em>Federal Emergency Management Agency.</em></p>
<figure id="attachment_103360" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-103360" style="width: 1280px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-103360 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="Debris is piled near a damaged doorstep of a home on a sunny day. A car is turned on its side." width="1280" height="852" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/10151624/D400-2302-002-1280x852.jpg 1280w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/10151624/D400-2302-002-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/10151624/D400-2302-002-640x426.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/10151624/D400-2302-002-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/10151624/D400-2302-002-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/10151624/D400-2302-002-850x566.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/10151624/D400-2302-002-1140x759.jpg 1140w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/10151624/D400-2302-002.jpg 1623w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/10151624/D400-2302-002-1280x852.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-103360" class="wp-caption-text">Scene of destruction in Swannanoa, North Carolina, following Hurricane Helene in 2024. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Tom Costanza)</figcaption></figure>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#guide">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<h2 id="spiritual">Make a spiritual readiness plan</h2>
<p>In moments of fear or panic, God&rsquo;s word brings peace, so it can be wise to also create a spiritual readiness kit into your regular emergency kit. &nbsp;We encourage families to prepare holistically, combining physical safety with spiritual resilience. Being ready is an act of faith and love. God calls us to care for one another, especially in times of trouble. Jesus said,&nbsp;&ldquo;Love your neighbor as yourself.&rdquo;&nbsp;(Mark 12:31)</p>
<p>Bring faith into your emergency readiness:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Include scripture cards</strong> featuring verses of comfort, a children&rsquo;s Bible, and a prayer guide in your emergency kit. Verses of comfort can include:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote><p><em>&ldquo;God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble &ndash; Psalm 46:1</em><em>&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><em>&ldquo;So do not fear,&nbsp;for I am with you;</em><em>&nbsp;</em><em>do not be dismayed, for I am your God.</em><em> I will strengthen&nbsp;you and help&nbsp;you;&nbsp;I will uphold you&nbsp;with my righteous right hand. </em><em>&ndash; Isaiah 41:10</em></p>
<p><em>&ldquo;Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.&nbsp;I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled&nbsp;and do not be afraid. </em><em>&ndash; John 14:27</em></p></blockquote>
<ul>
<li><strong>Pray as a family</strong>&nbsp;during emergency drills.</li>
<li><strong>Encourage your church or ministry</strong>&nbsp;to develop a disaster response plan, so it may assist community members in the event of a disaster.</li>
<li><strong>Check in on vulnerable neighbors</strong>&nbsp;during storms or evacuations.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#guide">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<figure id="attachment_103150" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-103150" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-103150 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A woman stands with her arm around another woman who wipes her eyes. Boxes are stacked behind them." width="1200" height="798" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135225/Z628690.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135225/Z628690-640x426.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135225/Z628690-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135225/Z628690-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135225/Z628690-850x565.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135225/Z628690-1140x758.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135225/Z628690.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-103150" class="wp-caption-text">Pastor Gwen Jones from St. John Baptist Church in Arden, North Carolina, and Catherine Brazinski, senior area director of philanthropy at World Vision, share a moment during a distribution of disaster relief supplies for Hurricane Helene, which was supported by World Vision. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Tom Costanza)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="response">Ready to respond: How World Vision helps during emergencies</h2>
<p>At World Vision, we believe preparation is an act of love. We help families before, during, and after disasters to stay safe, recover faster, and hold onto hope. Isabel Gomes oversees World Vision&rsquo;s emergency responses worldwide &mdash; from conflicts and refugee movements to devastating natural disasters. With decades of experience, <a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/5-essential-lessons-weve-learned-responding-to-earthquakes">she knows what it takes</a> to reach vulnerable communities quickly and effectively.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen firsthand how preparedness changes everything. In the chaos of an emergency, it&rsquo;s the difference between despair and survival,&rdquo; Gomes said. &ldquo;What makes our humanitarian responses truly powerful is our local teams &mdash; they know the communities, they understand the needs, and they&rsquo;re often the first to act. We prepare not just with supplies, but with compassion and trust &mdash; because every life we reach matters deeply.&rdquo;</p>
<p>For World Vision, responding immediately has been a daily reality &mdash; a commitment rooted throughout the history of our work, and continues to guide us. Scripture calls us to welcome the stranger, to stand with the displaced, to love our neighbors as ourselves. World Vision is often among the first to respond when disaster strikes. In 2024 alone, we responded to 87 disasters and humanitarian crises across 65 countries, supporting over 35 million people in emergencies.</p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s <a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/how-where-world-vision-responding-disasters">how we help</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Respond within 24 to 72 hours with emergency relief supplies</li>
<li>Distribute food, clean water, hygiene kits, and shelter</li>
<li>Provide child protection services and trauma counseling</li>
<li>Support long-term recovery and community rebuilding</li>
</ul>
<p>Thanks to decades of experience, World Vision is uniquely positioned to respond swiftly and compassionately &mdash; delivering hope when it&rsquo;s most needed.</p>
<p><em><a href="/our-work/disaster-relief">Learn more about our disaster relief work.</a></em></p>
<figure id="attachment_103152" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-103152" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-103152 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A woman stands with her back to the camera, facing a group gathered inside a gym. Boxes and piles of relief supplies are on the gym floor." width="1200" height="798" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135257/Z628819.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135257/Z628819-640x426.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135257/Z628819-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135257/Z628819-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135257/Z628819-850x565.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135257/Z628819-1140x758.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/10/07135257/Z628819.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-103152" class="wp-caption-text">On October 5, 2024, World Vision staff and volunteers from St. John Baptist Church in Arden, North Carolina, coordinated a distribution of disaster relief supplies for Hurricane Helene survivors. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Tom Costanza)</figcaption></figure>
<p>You can help by taking the next step with us:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/pray-disaster-survivors#:~:text=Merciful%20Counselor%2C%20we%20grieve%20with,to%20find%20refuge%20in%20You.">Pray</a> </strong>for impacted families worldwide</li>
<li><strong><a href="https://donate.worldvision.org/give/disaster-relief">Give now</a> </strong>to help people affected by disasters.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#guide">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
</body></html>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/how-to-prepare-for-an-emergency">How to prepare for an emergency</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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		<title>Afghanistan crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</title>
		<link>https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/afghanistan-crisis-facts</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sevil Omer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Sep 2025 15:19:55 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Disaster Relief]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.worldvision.org/?p=78249</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Children and families in Afghanistan are facing a growing humanitarian crisis, the result of decades of conflict, chronic poverty, and natural disasters. Learn how World Vision is responding — and how you can support families caught up in the crisis.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/afghanistan-crisis-facts">Afghanistan crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
<html><body><p>Children and families in Afghanistan are facing a deepening humanitarian crisis due to decades of conflict, chronic poverty, and recurring natural disasters, including severe flooding and powerful <a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-earthquake-jalalabad-52d1948cde125c9ca8a01ebda08e7919" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earthquakes</a> &mdash; the deadliest in recent years. These events underscore the enduring hardships in Afghanistan against a backdrop of widespread hunger, a collapsing health system, devastation to schools, and the destruction of family livelihoods.</p>
<h2 id="top">Afghanistan crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</h2>
<p>Explore facts about Afghanistan and frequently asked questions about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, and learn how to help Afghan children and their families.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="#fast-facts">Fast facts: Afghanistan crisis</a></li>
<li><a href="#quake">What&rsquo;s the latest on the recent earthquake in Afghanistan?</a></li>
<li><a href="#cause">What&rsquo;s the current humanitarian situation in Afghanistan?</a></li>
<li><a href="#hunger-crisis">What are the reasons behind Afghanistan&rsquo;s hunger crisis?</a></li>
<li><a href="#afghan-children">In what ways are Afghan children impacted by the crisis?</a></li>
<li><a href="#girls-women">How is the crisis impacting Afghan girls and women specifically?</a></li>
<li><a href="#where">Where is World Vision working in Afghanistan?</a></li>
<li><a href="#number">How many people has World Vision supported in Afghanistan?</a></li>
<li><a href="#help">How can I help Afghan children and their families?</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="fast-facts">Fast facts: Afghanistan crisis</h2>
<ul>
<li>Afghanistan is currently facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, worsened by two <a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-earthquakes-bacc4c96b7a07b5d7d397bee9eb9d3c8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">devastating earthquake events in 2022</a> and 2023.</li>
<li>The landlocked country has been entangled in conflict, drought, extreme poverty, and natural disasters.</li>
<li>The October 2023 earthquakes, including the 6.3 magnitude quake, caused 2,000 deaths and left over 4,000 people injured and 1,400 people displaced in Herat Province in western Afghanistan.</li>
<li>More than half of Afghanistan&rsquo;s population, approximately 23.7 million people, is expected to need humanitarian assistance in 2024, as reported by UNHCR.</li>
<li>According to the <a href="https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/afghanistan-emergency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Food Programme </a>(WFP), 12.4 million Afghans face acute food insecurity, with 1 in 4 unsure of where their next meal will come from.</li>
<li>The WFP reports that acute malnutrition rates are exceeding emergency thresholds in&nbsp;25 out of 34&nbsp;Afghan provinces, with&nbsp;nearly half of children under 5&nbsp;and&nbsp;a quarter of pregnant and breastfeeding women&nbsp;needing urgent nutrition support in the next 12 months.</li>
<li>Heavy rainfall and flash floods struck northeastern Afghanistan in early May 2024, impacting 21 districts across Badakhshan, Baghlan, and Takhar provinces. The devastation claimed the lives of an estimated 180 people and injured 280.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#top">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<figure id="attachment_113041" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113041" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-113041 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="Children walk along a narrow path through the ruins of a destroyed house, with crumbled buildings and scattered rubble." width="1200" height="674" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/09/16095722/W005-0482-055.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/09/16095722/W005-0482-055-640x359.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/09/16095722/W005-0482-055-200x112.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/09/16095722/W005-0482-055-360x202.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/09/16095722/W005-0482-055-850x477.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/09/16095722/W005-0482-055-1140x640.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/09/16095722/W005-0482-055.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113041" class="wp-caption-text">Children navigate the rubble of their neighborhood in Kunar province, Afghanistan, after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck on August 31, 2025. (&copy; 2025 World Vision)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="quake">What&rsquo;s the latest on the recent earthquake in Afghanistan?</h2>
<p>On August 31, 2025, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighboring Nangarhar Province, further devastating communities already facing years of conflict, hunger, and previous disasters. Early reports indicate that the quake caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure, with casualties and injuries still being assessed. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-earthquake-kunar-e994a151eabef436809e588eeb0ef527" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The death toll has surpassed 1,400.</a></p>
<p>This quake follows a series of deadly earthquakes in 2022 and 2023, including the October 2023 6.3 magnitude quake that killed 2,000 people in Herat Province. Earthquakes of this scale highlight Afghanistan&rsquo;s vulnerability to natural disasters and the urgent need for humanitarian support.</p>
<p>World Vision is responding by working with local partners to provide emergency assistance, including food, water, shelter, and child protection services.</p>
<blockquote><p>&ldquo;We are greatly saddened by the news of today&rsquo;s earthquake and the apparent loss of hundreds of lives. We lived through the 2023 Herat Earthquake, and the effects are still being felt today. We know that the most at-risk people, the people who will pay the highest price, will include children and their families, so World Vision will bring our experience and resources to bear upon this new crisis with the steadfast support of our World Vision partnership,&rdquo; said Thamindri De Silva, National Director for World Vision in Afghanistan.</p></blockquote>
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<figure id="attachment_101559" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-101559" style="width: 960px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-101559 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="Aerial view of the landscape with muddy waters encroaching on structures following a flood." width="960" height="540" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15170311/W005-0376-013.jpg 960w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15170311/W005-0376-013-640x360.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15170311/W005-0376-013-200x113.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15170311/W005-0376-013-360x203.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15170311/W005-0376-013-850x478.jpg 850w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15170311/W005-0376-013.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-101559" class="wp-caption-text">Unusually heavy rainfall in early May 2024 has caused severe flooding across Afghanistan, leading to numerous deaths and extensive damage to property, livestock, and crops. More than 500,000 people have been affected, with significant consequences in the provinces of Badghis (pictured above), Ghor, Herat, and Faryab. (&copy; 2024 World Vision staff)</figcaption></figure>
<h2></h2>
<h2 id="cause">What&rsquo;s the current humanitarian situation in Afghanistan?</h2>
<p>The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains dire, with widespread poverty affecting 48% of the population. Natural disasters and economic instability have exacerbated the country&rsquo;s vulnerabilities. Millions of Afghans face acute malnutrition and starvation, as the struggling economy fails to support basic necessities.</p>
<p>Women and girls are particularly impacted, facing restrictions on education and employment, which has led to increased child marriage, adolescent childbearing, and mental health issues.</p>
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<h2 id="hunger-crisis">What are the reasons behind Afghanistan&rsquo;s hunger crisis?</h2>
<p>The hunger crisis in Afghanistan is driven by a combination of factors including economic collapse, ongoing conflict, natural disasters, and displacement. Decades of conflict have disrupted agricultural production and displaced millions of people, while natural disasters like droughts and floods have further reduced food availability. Rising food prices and poor access to humanitarian aid have worsened the situation, leaving millions, especially children and vulnerable communities, facing severe hunger and malnutrition.</p>
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<figure id="attachment_83386" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-83386" style="width: 1620px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-83386 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A child in her mother&rsquo;s arms eats a packet of food. They both wear colorful headscarves. " width="1620" height="1080" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W005-0221-007.jpg 1620w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W005-0221-007-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W005-0221-007-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W005-0221-007-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W005-0221-007-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W005-0221-007-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W005-0221-007-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W005-0221-007-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1620px) 100vw, 1620px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/04/W005-0221-007.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-83386" class="wp-caption-text">A child eats a packet of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), a powerful, proven treatment for malnutrition, at a World Vision&ndash;supported health and nutrition program in Afghanistan. (&copy; 2022 World Vision)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="afghan-children">In what ways are Afghan children impacted by the crisis?</h2>
<p>World Vision cares deeply about the needs and rights of children in Afghanistan, and we&rsquo;re very concerned about their situation. Today, 12.3 million children need lifesaving aid in Afghanistan, according to the U.N. Children&rsquo;s Fund (UNICEF). And <a href="https://www.unicef.org/afghanistan/nutrition#:~:text=Why%20we%20need%20to%20make%20a%20change&amp;text=Afghanistan%20has%20one%20of%20the,children%20under%20five%3A%2041%20percent.&amp;text=The%20rate%20of%20wasting%2C%20the,extremely%20high%3A%209.5%20per%20cent.&amp;text=One%20in%20three%20adolescent%20girls%20suffers%20from%20anaemia." target="_blank" rel="noopener">41% of Afghan children suffer from stunting</a> &mdash; being small for their age &mdash; a common and largely irreversible effect of malnutrition. This places Afghanistan among the countries with the highest rates of malnutrition for children under 5. Drought and displacement caused by recent conflict have made conditions worse.</p>
<p>Without peace and humanitarian access, Afghanistan&rsquo;s children are at significant risk of violence, neglect, abuse, exploitation, starvation, and worsening malnutrition. Situations like child marriage, child labor, family separation, and mass displacements &mdash; as families leave in search of food &mdash; are all likely to worsen. Already, parents in the most desperate situations are making the unimaginable decision to sell one daughter for dowry money so they can buy food for all their children.</p>
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<figure id="attachment_87267" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87267" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-87267 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A girl (face partially shown) sits near a man who has a microphone clipped to his olive-green shirt. His face is not shown." width="1920" height="765" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/10/W005-0272-003.jpg 1920w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/10/W005-0272-003-1280x510.jpg 1280w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/10/W005-0272-003-1536x612.jpg 1536w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/10/W005-0272-003-640x255.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/10/W005-0272-003-200x80.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/10/W005-0272-003-360x143.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/10/W005-0272-003-850x339.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/10/W005-0272-003-1140x454.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/10/W005-0272-003.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87267" class="wp-caption-text">The impact of child marriage can be devastating in Afghanistan, where an estimated 28% of Afghan women were married before the age of 18 in 2021. Hunger, chronic poverty, and mounting debt drove the parents of Maryam*, pictured at age 7, to sell their daughter for her dowry (the equivalent of $2,250) so they could buy food for their children. They&rsquo;re now praying they can pay the money back; otherwise, they must give Maryam to the man as soon as she turns 13. *Name changed to protect identity. (&copy; 2022 World Vision)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="girls-women">How is the humanitarian crisis affecting Afghan girls and women specifically?</h2>
<p>Restrictions on education and employment for women and girls have led to increased rates of child marriage, adolescent childbearing, and mental health issues. The<a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/in-focus/2024/06/afghanistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> lack of opportunities and rights for women</a> significantly contributes to the overall humanitarian crisis.</p>
<p>World Vision is also deeply concerned by the limitations placed on girls&rsquo; and women&rsquo;s access to education. Education is a fundamental right, including for adolescent girls and women. World Vision calls on the international community to make girls&rsquo; and women&rsquo;s access to education a key priority in their engagement in Afghanistan. The safety and well-being of our staff and the people we serve are our priority.</p>
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<figure id="attachment_101561" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-101561" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-101561 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A girl in a green veil and dress stands with her back to the camera looking at a memorial, a pole adorned with fabric and flowers." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15171810/W005-0404-019.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15171810/W005-0404-019-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15171810/W005-0404-019-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15171810/W005-0404-019-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15171810/W005-0404-019-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15171810/W005-0404-019-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2023/10/15171810/W005-0404-019.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-101561" class="wp-caption-text">Hayda, a 12-year-old from Herat Province, lost both a sister and brother in the devastating 2023 earthquake. World Vision is helping children like her with educational services and protection support in Afghanistan. (&copy; 2024 World Vision)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="where">Where is World Vision working in Afghanistan?</h2>
<p>In addition to the earthquake-devastated communities in Herat, we&rsquo;re also serving children and families in the northwestern provinces of Badghis, Faryab, and Ghor &mdash; over 4,184 villages combined. Through our long-standing partnership with local community leaders in Afghanistan for many years, we&rsquo;ve been able to respond to crises and equip these communities to create positive, sustainable change.</p>
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<h2 id="number">How many people has World Vision supported in Afghanistan?</h2>
<p>World Vision has supported millions of people with lifesaving aid across Afghanistan. Our efforts delivered food, cash, and livelihood assistance, ensured access to clean water and hygiene services, supported education, and extended vital protection programs. Working in 34 districts and more than 3,200 villages across Herat, Badghis, Ghor, Faryab, and Nangahar provinces, we delivered critical assistance to over 1.2 million people, nearly half of them children, in 2024.</p>
<p>These achievements were made possible through the generosity of our donors and the unwavering dedication of our staff. Together, we have positively impacted the lives of Afghan children, their families, and their communities, offering hope and support in challenging times.</p>
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<h2 id="help">How can I help Afghan children and their families?</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.votervoice.net/WV/campaigns/87567/respond"><strong>Raise your voice</strong></a><strong>:</strong>&nbsp;Join us in calling on Congress to help vulnerable, displaced Afghan families with basic needs and services through organizations committed to staying in Afghanistan &mdash; like World Vision.</li>
<li><a href="https://donate.worldvision.org/give/afghanistan-emergency-response"><strong>Give</strong></a><strong>:</strong> World Vision is committed to serving the people of Afghanistan for the long term. Your gift will help deliver essential aid to vulnerable children and families.</li>
</ul>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/afghanistan-crisis-facts">Afghanistan crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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		<title>Sudan crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</title>
		<link>https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/sudan-crisis-faqs</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sevil Omer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2025 09:24:58 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Disaster Relief]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.worldvision.org/?p=91262</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Since even before the conflict began on April 15, 2023, Sudan has faced a severe humanitarian crisis. To date, thousands of lives have been lost and 14.3 million people displaced, including 7 million children — the largest number of children displaced globally, as result of the conflict in Sudan. Ongoing violence is compounding an existing hunger crisis, endangering millions and threatening famine. Explore key crisis facts and how World Vision is responding to support impacted children, their families, and communities.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/sudan-crisis-faqs">Sudan crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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			<h2><strong data-renderer-mark="true">Famine conditions confirmed in North Darfur, Sudan. Help now:</strong></h2>
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<p>The conflict in Sudan has resulted in one of the world&rsquo;s most devastating humanitarian crises. Since fighting began in April 2023, 14.3 million people have been <a href="/refugees-news-stories/forced-to-flee-top-countries-refugees-coming-from">forced to flee</a> their communities, making this the largest displacement crisis globally. As armed violence continues, Sudan faces a severe hunger emergency and a <a href="/about-us/media-center/children-in-sudan-face-growing-danger-as-cholera-spreads-amid-funding-cuts-world-vision-warns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deadly cholera outbreak</a>, with children bearing the brunt of the suffering.</p>
<p>Hundreds of thousands of people in Sudan are facing life-threatening food shortages. <a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/famine-confirmed-sudans-north-darfur-confirming-un-agencies-worst-fears#:~:text=ROME%2FNEW%20YORK%2FPORT%20SUDAN,in%20Sudan's%20North%20Darfur%20Region." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Famine conditions have been confirmed</a> in a displacement camp in North Darfur that shelters an estimated&nbsp;400,000 people.</p>
<h2 id="faqs">&nbsp;Sudan crisis: Facts, <a href="/tags/faq">FAQs</a>, and how to help</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="#fast-facts">Fast facts: Sudan crisis</a></li>
<li><a href="#crisis">What is the current situation in Sudan?</a></li>
<li><a href="#famine">Is Sudan at risk of widespread famine?</a></li>
<li><a href="#hunger">What is the impact on women and girls?</a></li>
<li><a href="#impact">In what ways has the conflict in Sudan affected its people?</a></li>
<li><a href="#risks">How has the conflict impacted children in Sudan?</a></li>
<li><a href="#cholera">How is the cholera outbreak affecting Sudan&rsquo;s children and families?</a></li>
<li><a href="#response">How many people has World Vision supported in the crisis in Sudan?</a></li>
<li><a href="#world-vision">Where has World Vision worked in Sudan, and for how long?</a></li>
<li><a href="#how-help">How can I help children and families affected by the crisis in Sudan?</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="fast-facts">Fast facts: Sudan crisis</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Mass displacement:&nbsp;</strong>As of December 2024,&nbsp; <a href="https://sudan.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1606/files/documents/2024-10/sudan-and-neighbouring-countries_a-snapshot-of-ioms-crisis-response-q3-2024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">14.3 million people</a> have fled their homes due to the widespread violence in Sudan.</li>
<li><strong>Acute food insecurity:&nbsp;</strong>Over half the population of Sudan (24.6 million people) faced crisis or worse levels of food insecurity between December 2024 and May.</li>
<li><strong>Extreme hunger:</strong>&nbsp;Parts of North Darfur, including the Zamzam camp, south of El Fasher, are experiencing famine conditions.</li>
<li><strong>Risk of famine:</strong>&nbsp;The<a href="https://www.ipcinfo.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Integrated Food Security Classification</a> (IPC)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1159433/?iso3=SDN3rd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Famine Review Committee (FRC) warns</a> that other regions may face famine without swift humanitarian aid. Currently, at least 638,000 people are on the brink of famine.</li>
<li><strong>Health emergency:&nbsp;</strong>Disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, measles, and dengue fever, are rising due to disrupted health services.</li>
<li><strong>Education loss:&nbsp;</strong>With most schools closed or struggling to reopen,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/entire-generation-children-sudan-faces-catastrophe-war-enters-its-second-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than 90% of Sudan&rsquo;s 19 million school-aged children have no access to formal education</a>, jeopardizing their future.</li>
<li><strong>Humanitarian response:&nbsp;</strong>Since April 2023, World Vision has provided emergency assistance to more than 3.2 million people, primarily women and children, in Sudan and the region.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<figure id="attachment_100154" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-100154" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-100154 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A throng of women and children dressed in colorful garments and headscarves huddle beneath a concrete bridge. The sky is white." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18092439/D065-0165-079.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18092439/D065-0165-079-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18092439/D065-0165-079-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18092439/D065-0165-079-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18092439/D065-0165-079-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18092439/D065-0165-079-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18092439/D065-0165-079.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-100154" class="wp-caption-text">A spontaneous settlement of refugees from Sudan has formed near the border community of Adr&eacute;, Chad. On May 28, 2024, newly arrived women and children sought refuge from the oppressive heat beneath this concrete bridge connecting the two countries, waiting for their names and information to be recorded and health cards to be issued for the children. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="crisis">What is the current situation in Sudan?</h2>
<p>Since April 15, 2023, conflict has triggered the world&rsquo;s worst displacement crisis and the largest hunger crisis, affecting Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad, <a href="https://www.wfpusa.org/countries/sudan/#:~:text=The%20most%20recent%20conflict%2C%20which,in%20Sudan%20and%20neighboring%20countries." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports the World Food Programme</a>.</p>
<p>&ldquo;With refugee families at the Sudan&ndash;Chad border, I witnessed&nbsp;some of the worst conditions for children&rsquo;s survival that I have ever seen,&rdquo; said&nbsp;<a href="/about-us/leadership-team/edgar-sandoval-ceo">Edgar Sandoval Sr., president and CEO of World Vision</a>, who visited in May 2024. &ldquo;The heat is unbearable at nearly 110 degrees. There is no water. There is no food. There is no shelter. You find all the things that you would want to run away from, and yet people are running toward them. So, you can only imagine the violence and the hunger that they&rsquo;re running away from in Sudan. The suffering and desperation are at a massive scale, yet this is a crisis you hear almost nothing about. It deserves headlines. It deserves prime time. We know these children are equally precious to God. They deserve our attention. They deserve our help.&rdquo;</p>
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<h2 id="famine">Is Sudan at risk of widespread famine?</h2>
<p>Famine conditions have been confirmed in North Darfur&rsquo;s Zamzam camp, south of El Fasher, where ongoing fighting has intensified.</p>
<p>Sudan&rsquo;s protracted conflict, combined with climate shocks and below-average precipitation for the third season, has caused near-total harvest failures, worsening famine conditions.</p>
<p>The last famine was declared in East Africa in South Sudan in 2017, and before that, in Somalia in 2011. In both situations, hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, and children suffered long-term impacts from malnutrition and loss of agricultural outputs.</p>
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<figure id="attachment_104036" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-104036" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-104036 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A Sudanese girl wearing colored beads looks wearily into the camera while carrying a young child on her back. Other children are behind them." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04091943/D065-0186-030-Edit.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04091943/D065-0186-030-Edit-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04091943/D065-0186-030-Edit-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04091943/D065-0186-030-Edit-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04091943/D065-0186-030-Edit-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04091943/D065-0186-030-Edit-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04091943/D065-0186-030-Edit.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-104036" class="wp-caption-text">In Chad, 89% of the more than half a million people who have fled from the crisis in Sudan are women and children, with children alone accounting for 62%. Amid ongoing conflict, Sudanese refugee girls face heightened violence and severe hunger. World Vision is providing lifesaving food aid to help alleviate hunger in the region. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="hunger">What is the impact on women and girls?</h2>
<p><a href="/refugees-news-stories/conflict-voices-sudan-women-girls">Women and girls are disproportionately</a> affected by the crisis. <span class="normaltextrun">Millions of </span><a href="https://www.unfpa.org/news/%E2%80%9C-widespread-guns-and-bullets%E2%80%9D-sexual-violence-used-terrorize-sudan%E2%80%99s-women-and-girls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women and girls in Sudan are at risk of various forms of violence</a><span class="normaltextrun">, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse &mdash; with displaced, refugee, and migrant women and girls facing heightened danger.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>Widespread shortages of food and essential resources leave women struggling to provide for their families. Reports of violence are rising, and girls face increased risks of <a href="/child-protection-news-stories/child-marriage-facts">child marriage</a>, <a href="/child-protection-news-stories/child-labor-facts">hazardous work</a>, and exploitation.</p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<figure id="attachment_104037" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-104037" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-104037 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A Sudanese woman in a purple head covering carries a baby in her arms, walking past a barbed wire fence with grass, shrubs, and clothes hanging on a line behind her. " width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092249/W370-0133-008.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092249/W370-0133-008-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092249/W370-0133-008-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092249/W370-0133-008-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092249/W370-0133-008-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092249/W370-0133-008-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092249/W370-0133-008.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-104037" class="wp-caption-text">Milfred, a Sudanese woman, fled when armed men stormed her house in 2024. Now, she waits for the rest of her family &mdash; scattered by the violence &mdash; at the Renk Transit Centre in South Sudan, where she sleeps under a temporary shelter by the fence bordering the area. At the center, World Vision supports refugees like Milfred with emergency healthcare, food, and access to clean water. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Tim Swanston)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="impact">In what ways has the conflict in Sudan affected its people?</h2>
<p>The ongoing conflict in Sudan has had devastating effects on its people, with the U.N.&rsquo;s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reporting that 1 in 2 people in Sudan require humanitarian aid. Millions of people have been displaced and face immense uncertainty. Even before the conflict, many people faced hunger daily as a result of climate shocks, rising food prices, and political unrest.</p>
<p>The ongoing conflict has intensified pre-existing challenges, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Acute shortages of food, water, medicines, and fuel, with prices of essential items and transportation sharply increasing.</li>
<li>Limited or no access to healthcare services. Armed hostilities have affected a majority of health facilities in conflict zones, rendering them non-operational, and the remaining facilities are stretched beyond capacity.</li>
<li>Forced displacement in various states, including Khartoum, Northern, Blue Nile, North Kordofan, North Darfur, West Darfur, and South Darfur. Many from these areas have fled to the neighboring countries of the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, and South Sudan.</li>
<li>Sexual violence, which has been reported with increasing frequency. Protection of children and women is an urgent priority.</li>
<li>Fear and insecurity. Armed combatants have been occupying homes and reportedly some hospitals and schools, attacking water and electrical infrastructure.</li>
</ul>
<p>&ldquo;This is confirmation of our worst fears coming to fruition &mdash; that thousands of people, including vulnerable children, will die from starvation,&rdquo; said Sandoval Sr. &ldquo;My prayer is that this will be a wake-up call for the world to pay attention to what&rsquo;s happening in Sudan and mobilize resources to help. We are calling for unhindered, consistent&#8239;access for humanitarian workers to get aid to the people who most need it. We must act now.&rdquo;</p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<figure id="attachment_104038" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-104038" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-104038 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="Two girls, each carrying plastic water jugs, walk away from the camera. A stagnate water stream is to their right, while blurred figures can be seen before them. " width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092519/W370-0133-025.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092519/W370-0133-025-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092519/W370-0133-025-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092519/W370-0133-025-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092519/W370-0133-025-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092519/W370-0133-025-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092519/W370-0133-025.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-104038" class="wp-caption-text">In the Renk Transit Center, located south of the South Sudan&ndash;Sudan border in Upper Nile State, hundreds of thousands of refugees and returnees have sought shelter from the conflict in Sudan. Due to overcrowding, many families are unable to secure space in the large shelters and are forced to create makeshift shelters in the dirt. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Tim Swanston)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="risks">How has the conflict impacted children in Sudan?</h2>
<p>Children are shouldering the heaviest burden of this devastating crisis, facing violence and hunger that threaten their lives and future opportunities. More children are displaced in Sudan than anywhere else in the world.</p>
<p>World Vision is deeply concerned about the profound long-term effects of hunger and food insecurity on the physical and cognitive development of Sudan&rsquo;s children.</p>
<p>This multifaceted crisis also heightens protection concerns, especially for girls who are increasingly at risk of sexual exploitation, abuse, hazardous work, and child marriage. The ongoing violence has placed children at risk, forcing them and their families to flee from conflict and creating uncertainty about their future.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When I get back home, I may not find anything to eat. This is frustrating me. I pray that the conflict ends soon so that we can live in peace and get back to school. I have dreams of becoming a doctor someday. We ask aid agencies to support us,&rdquo; said 15-year-old Amani, who has been displaced due to ongoing hostilities.</p>
<p>The hunger crisis and ongoing conflict have also exacerbated one of the world&rsquo;s worst education crises, where more than 90% of Sudan&rsquo;s 19 million school-age children lack access to formal education. This disruption isn&rsquo;t just a short-term problem; it poses long-term risks, potentially leading to a generational crisis. And tragically, many children may not make it to school age.</p>
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<figure id="attachment_104039" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-104039" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-104039 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A man in a World Vision vest has his back to the camera. A woman and aid workers in orange stand among large food sacks with the U.S. flag." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092710/W363-0552-008.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092710/W363-0552-008-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092710/W363-0552-008-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092710/W363-0552-008-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092710/W363-0552-008-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092710/W363-0552-008-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04092710/W363-0552-008.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-104039" class="wp-caption-text">In Malakal, located in the Upper Nile state of South Sudan, World Vision delivers lifesaving food supplies to the local community that has been significantly affected by violence and conflict. The Upper Nile state in South Sudan has faced challenges with the increasing number of refugees and returnees from Sudan, and the demands on aid agencies and non-governmental organizations have significantly risen. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Tim Swanston)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="cholera">How is the cholera outbreak affecting Sudan&rsquo;s children and families?</h2>
<p data-start="457" data-end="870">Millions of Sudanese children are at grave risk due to a deadly and rapidly spreading cholera outbreak. Since January 2025, more than 700 people have died &mdash; including children &mdash; and over 32,000 suspected cases have been reported. The disease now affects 17 of Sudan&rsquo;s 18 states, compounding the suffering of families already devastated by conflict, hunger, forced displacement, and a collapsing healthcare system.</p>
<p data-start="872" data-end="1388">Among the most vulnerable are the 3.2 million <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165372?hl=en-GB#:~:text=In%20North%20Darfur%20alone%2C%20over,from%20the%20same%20period%20last" target="_blank" rel="noopener">malnourished children</a> under 5. With weakened immune systems, these children face a significantly higher risk of dying from cholera and other preventable waterborne diseases. The rainy season has accelerated the spread, especially in overcrowded sites hosting internally displaced people and refugees.</p>
<p data-start="872" data-end="1388">&ldquo;This is not just a public health crisis &mdash; it is a crisis of childhood, of dignity, and of survival,&rdquo; said Simon Mane, World Vision&rsquo;s national director in Sudan. &ldquo;Children are dying from preventable diseases because we lack adequate resources to respond.&rdquo;</p>
<p data-start="1649" data-end="1993">World Vision is responding with access to lifesaving water, sanitation, and health (WASH) services, despite limited resources. In the hardest-hit states of Blue Nile, Red Sea, East Darfur, South Kordofan, and South Darfur, World Vision has delivered cholera treatment kits to nearly 9,000 people and provided emergency WASH services to over 25,000.</p>
<p data-start="1649" data-end="1993"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<h2 id="response">How many people has World Vision supported in the crisis in Sudan?</h2>
<p>World Vision has reached <strong>more than 3.2 million people in Sudan and in the region since the start of our response in 2023</strong>, most of them women and children &mdash; delivering lifesaving aid including food, access to clean water, child protection support, <a href="/health-news-stories/health-on-move-mobile-health-clinics-in-sudan">health and nutrition</a> programs, sanitation and hygiene solutions, and more.</p>
<figure id="attachment_100156" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-100156" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-100156 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A woman in a pink scarf looks into the camera, holding a malnourished child on her lap while another malnourished child lies beside her." width="1200" height="896" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18093700/D065-0145-403-1.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18093700/D065-0145-403-1-640x478.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18093700/D065-0145-403-1-200x149.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18093700/D065-0145-403-1-321x240.jpg 321w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18093700/D065-0145-403-1-758x566.jpg 758w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18093700/D065-0145-403-1-1018x760.jpg 1018w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18093700/D065-0145-403-1-850x635.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18093700/D065-0145-403-1-1140x851.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/04/18093700/D065-0145-403-1.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-100156" class="wp-caption-text">Tahani, 20, sits with her severely malnourished twins, Adam and Adeeb, at a nutrition and rehabilitation center in Farchana, Chad, to which World Vision referred the boys. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Among the lives touched by our support are twin boys Adam and Adeeb (pictured above at 21 months in May 2024) whose story shows both the challenges and hope within the crisis. Their mother, Tahani, undertook a courageous journey from her community in Sudan to the border of Chad, walking all the way to Farchana with one of the twins in her arms while a relative carried the other. &ldquo;I faced shooting and people killing people on the road when I started coming,&rdquo; Tahani said. &ldquo;Houses and villages were on fire.&rdquo;</p>
<p>When our staff met the twins in May 2024, they were severely malnourished. Adam weighed only 13 pounds.</p>
<p>While they endured unimaginable violence and displacement, they are now finding strength through critical support &mdash; including nutrient-rich food &mdash; they&rsquo;re accessing through a health center, which World Vision is helping to expand. Improvements, including new water systems and electricity, have strengthened the center&rsquo;s ability to care for and treat malnutrition cases. The twins, pictured below in September 2024, are no longer in a critical state of malnutrition. Adam and Adeeb are being monitored during their recovery by World Vision staff.</p>
<figure id="attachment_104040" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-104040" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-104040 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A woman in a pink headscarf sits on the ground on a blue carpet, gazing into the camera as she holds a young boy in her arms. The boy&rsquo;s twin, wearing a matching pink shirt, sits in her lap. " width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04093005/W065-0045-303.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04093005/W065-0045-303-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04093005/W065-0045-303-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04093005/W065-0045-303-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04093005/W065-0045-303-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04093005/W065-0045-303-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04093005/W065-0045-303.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-104040" class="wp-caption-text">Tahani holds Adam and Adeeb &mdash; now healthier, active, and smiling. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Abigajla Conway)</figcaption></figure>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<h2 id="world-vision">Where has World Vision worked in Sudan, and for how long?</h2>
<p>One of the largest humanitarian aid organizations in Sudan, we are headquartered in Khartoum. Our local staff work with volunteers and partners primarily in four states: South Darfur, Blue Nile, East Darfur, and South Kordofan. We&rsquo;ve served children and families in Sudan from 1983 to 1988 and from 2004 onwards, initially responding in Darfur.</p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<div class="mceTemp"></div>
<figure id="attachment_104046" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-104046" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-104046 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A man in a face mask and a white coat assesses the level of malnutrition in a child held by a woman wearing an olive-colored headscarf." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04102913/W363-0551-015.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04102913/W363-0551-015-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04102913/W363-0551-015-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04102913/W363-0551-015-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04102913/W363-0551-015-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04102913/W363-0551-015-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/08/04102913/W363-0551-015.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-104046" class="wp-caption-text">World Vision operates a health clinic at Renk Transit Center 2 in South Sudan, where an influx of people impacted by recent conflict and violence have turned to for shelter. The clinic often serves as the first opportunity for many to seek healthcare after a long time. Many health centers in Sudan have closed since the beginning of the conflict in April 2023. Staff at the health clinic are concerned about an increase in malaria cases due to the rainy season in Upper Nile. Additionally, they&rsquo;re worried about children with respiratory and other infections due to the conditions in the camp. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Tim Swanston)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="how-help">How can I help children and families affected by the crisis in Sudan?</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/peace-earth-pray-conflict-hot-spots"><strong>Pray</strong></a><strong>:</strong>&nbsp;Join us in praying for all those affected by the conflict in Sudan.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote><p>
<em>Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, lifting up the people of Sudan in their time of need. We pray for the safety of children, families, and World Vision staff, asking for Your protection and guidance as they navigate these dangerous times. Lord, we lift up those suffering from the hunger crisis, and we pray for provision and nourishment during this time of scarcity. We ask for Your special protection over women and girls who are particularly vulnerable to violence. Shield them from harm and give them strength and courage. </em></p>
<p><em>Lord, we plead for an end to the fighting and ask that Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, take the place of conflict. In Your mercy and grace we trust and hope. Amen.</em>
</p></blockquote>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://donate.worldvision.org/give/sudan-crisis-fund"><strong>Give</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Your gift today will help deliver essential care to children and families made vulnerable by the crisis in Sudan.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<section class="vc_cta3-container"><div class="vc_general vc_do_cta3 vc_cta3 vc_cta3-style-classic vc_cta3-shape-rounded vc_cta3-align-left vc_cta3-color-classic vc_cta3-icon-size-md"><div class="vc_cta3_content-container"><div class="vc_cta3-content"><header class="vc_cta3-content-header"><h2>Inside the crisis in Sudan</h2></header><p><span class="ui-provider a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">For a deeper dive into the humanitarian and displacement crisis in war-ravaged Sudan, join Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and top experts as they examine Sudan&rsquo;s hunger crisis, the underlying conflict, and the international community&rsquo;s response. Learn more in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2024/07/30/inside-humanitarian-displacement-crisis-war-ravaged-sudan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this detailed analysis</a>, sponsored by World Vision.&nbsp;</span></p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/sudan-crisis-faqs">Sudan crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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		<title>Floods: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</title>
		<link>https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/floods-facts-faqs-how-to-help</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sevil Omer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 09:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Disaster Relief]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.worldvision.org/?p=100303</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>In 2024, deadly floods in Afghanistan, Brazil, and Kenya have wreaked havoc on communities, destroying homes and livelihoods. These disasters have resulted in numerous fatalities, increased suffering, and heightened risks of waterborne diseases like cholera. Discover how floods affect regions worldwide, learn about their causes and effects, and find out how to support survivors.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/floods-facts-faqs-how-to-help">Floods: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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			<p>As one of the deadliest natural disasters, floods inundate communities, destroy homes, and disrupt livelihoods around the world. Recent floods severely impacted regions in Afghanistan, Brazil, Sudan, and several countries in East Africa, with reports of devastation also coming from Europe and the United States. In 2025 alone, floods caused significant damage in <a href="https://www.cnn.com/weather/live-news/texas-flooding-07-05-2025-hnk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas,</a> <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/flooding-threat-lingers-in-kentucky-after-deadly-weekend-rainfall-as-life-threatening-cold-air-moves-into-the-central-us/ar-AA1zc3EI?ocid=BingNewsSerp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kentucky, and West Virginia</a>. These catastrophic events have claimed numerous lives, increased the suffering of affected communities, and raised the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera.</p>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Explore flood-affected regions worldwide, discover key facts about the causes and effects of floods, and find ways to support survivors worldwide.</span></span></p>
<h2 id="faqs"><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Floods: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</span></span></strong></h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="#facts"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Fast facts: Floods</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="#now"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Where is flooding happening right now?</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="#definition"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">What is the definition of a flood?</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="#causes"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">What causes floods?</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="#impact"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Who is most impacted by floods worldwide?</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="#where"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Where has World Vision most recently responded to floods?</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="#inform"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Where can I find current information and resources on floods?</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="#response"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">How does World Vision respond to emergencies like floods?</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="#help"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">How can I help survivors of floods and other disasters worldwide?</span></span></a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="facts"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Fast facts: Floods</span></span></h2>
<ul>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">In 2025, the U.S. experienced several significant flooding events, including devastating flash floods in <a href="https://apnews.com/live/texas-floods-updates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">central Texas</a> and Tropical Storm Chantal-triggered flooding in <a href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article310132815.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina</a></span></span>. Just two years earlier, parts of&nbsp; <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-18/who-got-hit-hardest-in-2023-epic-floods-the-people-who-grow-your-food" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">California,</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">&nbsp;</span></span><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/deluge-2023-remembering-fort-lauderdales-historic-flooding-1-year-later/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Florida</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> (a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall event), and the </span></span><a href="https://www.noaa.gov/stories/july-2023-brought-record-high-temperatures-devastating-floods-across-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">eastern and northeastern regions also experienced flood emergencies.</span></span></a></li>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Floods are a significant global hazard, with an estimated </span></span><a href="//39CD3DB2-81F6-4AA3-AEC9-39137ED4D088/Using%2520the%2520latest%2520high-resolution%2520flood%2520hazard%2520and%2520population%2520maps,%2520as%2520well%2520as%2520poverty%2520estimates%2520from%2520the%2520World%2520Bank%E2%80%99s%2520Global%2520Subnational%2520Atlas%2520of%2520Poverty%2520and%2520Global%2520Monitoring%2520Database,%2520we%2520estimate%2520that%25201.47%2520billion%2520people%2520globally%2520are%2520directly%2520exposed%2520to%2520the%2520risk%2520of%2520intense%2520flooding%2520%E2%80%94%2520over%2520a%2520third%2520of%2520them,%2520almost%2520600%2520million,%2520are%2520poor." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">1.47 billion people worldwide (19% of the population) facing intense flooding risk</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> , including nearly 600 million people living in poverty, according to a 2020 World Bank analysis.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">East Asia and South Asia are particularly vulnerable to flood waters, with approximately 1.36 billion people exposed to flooding in densely populated, high-risk areas like coastal regions and low-lying river plains.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Floods are a widespread natural disaster in the US as well, where approximately </span></span><a href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/flood-hazards#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20cause%20of,declarations%20are%20associated%20with%20flooding." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">75% of all presidentially declared natural disasters involve flooding</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> . All 50 states can experience flash floods.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Flash floods have the power to carry away cars, uproot trees, and demolish buildings and bridges.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">As little as 6 inches of moving water can knock a person down, and 2 feet of moving water can sweep a vehicle away.</span></span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/floods#tab=tab_2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Floods can cause serious health problems</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> , including diseases like cholera and typhoid, injuries from cleanup efforts, and exposure to harmful chemicals.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">BACK TO QUESTIONS</span></span></a></p>
<figure id="attachment_112611" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-112611" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-112611 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="Fallen trees piled and lying across a house damaged by a flood." width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/07/02092312/D400-2402-01-1.jpg 1024w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/07/02092312/D400-2402-01-1-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/07/02092312/D400-2402-01-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/07/02092312/D400-2402-01-1-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/07/02092312/D400-2402-01-1-850x567.jpg 850w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/07/02092312/D400-2402-01-1.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-112611" class="wp-caption-text">Central Texas communities faced devastation from the July 2025 Guadalupe River floods. World Vision responded swiftly with essential aid and supplies to support impacted communities. (&copy; 2025 World Vision staff)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="now"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Where is flooding happening right now?</span></h2>
<p><strong>United States&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maps-texas-flash-flooding-camp-mystic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Devastating flash floods in central Texas</a>, which began on July 4, 2025, are among <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07/07/us/texas-floods#central-texas-flooding-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the deadliest</a> in the United States in the past 100 years. More than <a href="https://apnews.com/article/flash-flood-texas-camp-mystic-aec9181a07d3ce8ff85197922e108b13" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100 people </a>have been confirmed dead, with scores still missing, including girls who had been attending a summer camp along the <a href="https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/KRRT2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guadalupe River</a>.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tropical-depression-chantal-north-carolina-flooding-74946d15cd1f01a5fc697d1b46289617" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina</a>, heavy rainfall from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025/07/06/tropical-storm-chantal-landfall-flash-flooding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tropical Storm Chantal</a> caused severe flooding, prompting search and rescue operations in Chapel Hill and other parts of the state on July 7, 2025.</p>
<figure id="attachment_112613" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-112613" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-112613 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="People hold hands in a moment of prayer at a humanitarian aid distribution site." width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/07/02093010/D400-2402-06.jpg 1024w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/07/02093010/D400-2402-06-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/07/02093010/D400-2402-06-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/07/02093010/D400-2402-06-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/07/02093010/D400-2402-06-850x567.jpg 850w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2025/07/02093010/D400-2402-06.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-112613" class="wp-caption-text">Central Texas communities were devastated by heavy rainfall and flash floods on July 4, 2025. World Vision quickly responded with emergency supplies via local church partners to support residents impacted by the disaster. (&copy; 2025 World Vision staff)</figcaption></figure>
<p><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Afghanistan</span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Since May 10, 2024, </span></span><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Afghanistan</span></span></strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> has faced severe flooding across the nation, causing hundreds of fatalities and impacting over 500,000 people, with many losing their homes, livestock, and livelihoods. Following a dry winter, the unusually heavy May rainfall caused massive flooding as the hard ground couldn&rsquo;t absorb the water. Warm temperatures also melted mountain snow, leading to overflowing rivers and inundating villages with mud. The floods are worsening food insecurity in an already hunger-stricken country.</span></span></p>
<figure id="attachment_100309" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-100309" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-100309 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="Aerial view of the landscape with structures covered in mud waters following a flood." width="1200" height="675" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135352/W005-0376-013.jpg 960w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135352/W005-0376-013-640x360.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135352/W005-0376-013-200x113.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135352/W005-0376-013-360x203.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135352/W005-0376-013-850x478.jpg 850w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135352/W005-0376-013.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-100309" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Unusually heavy May rain has caused severe flooding across Afghanistan, leading to numerous deaths and extensive damage to property, livestock, and crops. More than 500,000 people have been affected, with significant consequences in the provinces of Badghis (pictured above), Ghor, Herat, and Faryab. (&copy; 2024 World Vision staff)</span></span></figcaption></figure>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Brazil</span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">In Brazil, torrential rains, exacerbated by the ongoing El Ni&ntilde;o weather phenomenon, have triggered </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/pictures/stunning-aerial-photos-show-devastating-scale-flooding-brazil-2024-05-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">widespread flooding</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> in the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul &mdash; the worst flooding the region has seen in 80 years. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the floods have affected 93% of the state&rsquo;s cities. Described by </span></span><a href="https://www.unhcr.org/us/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-strengthens-support-most-vulnerable-affected-floods-brazil-and-other#:~:text=The%20floods%20are%20the%20biggest,do%20Sul%20have%20been%20affected." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">UNHCR as &ldquo;the biggest ever climate-related disaster</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> &rdquo; in southern Brazil, the floods have claimed at least 163 lives and displaced approximately 580,000 people.</span></span></p>
<figure id="attachment_100310" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-100310" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-100310 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A girl walks alongside two women on a debris-strewn road after heavy rains and flooding. People with umbrellas follow behind them." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135609/W045-0068-005-1.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135609/W045-0068-005-1-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135609/W045-0068-005-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135609/W045-0068-005-1-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135609/W045-0068-005-1-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135609/W045-0068-005-1-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135609/W045-0068-005-1.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-100310" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Flooding and damage in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, in May 2024, have resulted in the country&rsquo;s worst flooding in 80 years, affecting more than 1.4 million people. (&copy; 2024 Photo by Alencar da Rosa | Getty Images)</span></span></figcaption></figure>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">East Africa</span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">In East Africa, El Ni&ntilde;o-fueled rains have unleashed floods across the region, affecting multiple countries, including Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and Tanzania. Kenya has been hard hit, with nearly half the country experiencing massive flooding since mid-March 2024. Hundreds of people have died, and according to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), an estimated 1.6 million people are affected, including more than 480,000 displaced as of May 30, 2024 &mdash; with numbers continuing to rise. Children are especially vulnerable, with schools disrupted and families in urgent need of support.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">BACK TO QUESTIONS</span></span></a></p>
<h2 id="definition"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">What is the definition of a flood?</span></h2>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">A flood occurs when water overflows onto normally dry land, whether from rising waters in rivers, streams, or drainage ditches, or from heavy rainfall collecting in one area. Unlike flash floods, which happen suddenly and last for a short time, flooding can last for days or even weeks, causing prolonged disruption and damage to affected communities.</span></p>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Communities at greater risk for flooding include those in low-lying areas, near bodies of water, or downstream from dams.</span></p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">BACK TO QUESTIONS</span></a></p>
<figure id="attachment_100307" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-100307" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-100307 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="People with backpacks wade through knee-high water on a flooded city street." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135126/W045-0069-003.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135126/W045-0069-003-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135126/W045-0069-003-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135126/W045-0069-003-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135126/W045-0069-003-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135126/W045-0069-003-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24135126/W045-0069-003.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-100307" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">A scene of devastation in downtown Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, after massive flooding on May 4, 2024. (&copy; 2024 photo courtesy of Marcelo Liotti Jr.)</span></figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="now"></h2>
<h2 id="causes"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">What causes floods?</span></h2>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Heavy rainfall over days or in short, intense bursts are the leading causes of floods. Flooding can also result from debris jams or dam failures. Severe thunderstorms, tropical cyclones, and urbanization also contribute to flooding.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The most dangerous kind of flood is the flash flood,</span></strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> which can occur within six hours of a rain event or dam failure. Various factors, such as rainfall intensity, topography, soil conditions, and ground cover, influence flooding, whether it develops slowly or quickly.</span></p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">BACK TO QUESTIONS</span></a></p>
<h2 id="impact"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Who is most impacted by floods?</span></span></h2>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">While floods can affect any community, they often hit vulnerable populations the hardest. This includes people living in poverty, refugees, and those who are internally displaced, as their shelters and dwellings are often washed away. Lacking adequate infrastructure and resources, people struggle to withstand or recover from flooding events. Even host communities are not spared, facing displacement as they lose their homes to flood waters. Most of the world&rsquo;s refugees and displaced persons live in areas highly susceptible to weather-related hazards, leaving them vulnerable to increasingly frequent and severe weather extremes like floods.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">&ldquo;Children are one of the most vulnerable groups in the midst of crises, and often have no idea of &#8203;&#8203;the magnitude of the events they are experiencing. They find themselves away from home, family and friends&hellip; Without an appropriate intervention, these events could leave lasting scars. We must respond now to ensure that they get the support they desperately need,&rdquo; </span></span><a href="/about-us/media-center/world-vision-to-deliver-critical-aid-for-200000-children-affected-by-brazil-floods"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">said Thiago Crucciti, World Vision&rsquo;s national director in Brazil</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">BACK TO QUESTIONS</span></span></a></p>
<figure id="attachment_100304" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-100304" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-100304 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A man in a yellow hard hat carries a young girl with a pacifier and life vest through floodwaters, with a rescue team and boat behind them." width="1200" height="800" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24122803/W045-0068-011-e1756152967667.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-100304" class="wp-caption-text">Torrential rains, exacerbated by the ongoing El Ni&ntilde;o weather phenomenon, have triggered widespread flooding in Brazil&rsquo;s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sol. Amid the flooding and damage, a rescue scene unfolded in May 2024. This deluge began on April 27, 2024, and persisted throughout May. National authorities have rescued 1,000 people through emergency operations, as reported by the Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul. World Vision is responding to the crisis and supporting 70,000 households (including 200,000 children) with essential items, shelter kits, and more. (&copy; 2024 Photo by Alencar da Rosa | Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="inform"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Where do I find current information and resources on floods?</span></span></h2>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">During severe storms and floods, rely on authoritative sources for emergency information and updates. Here are some resources for current information on flood preparedness:</span></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Global resources:</span></span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">For global weather updates and advisories, visit the </span></span><a href="https://worldweather.wmo.int/en/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">World Meteorological Organization&rsquo;s World Weather Information Service</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> (WWIS). Additionally, you can explore its </span></span><a href="https://wmo.int/news" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">news portal</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> &nbsp;for climate-related updates.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Visit </span></span><a href="https://reliefweb.int/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">ReliefWeb</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> , the OCHA-supported site, for comprehensive information related to global flooding incidents and other humanitarian emergencies.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">US&ndash;focused resources:</span></span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ready.gov/floods" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ready.gov</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> has a wealth of </span></span><a href="https://www.ready.gov/floods" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">flood preparedness and safety information</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> . The site includes tips and guidance to help you stay safe before, during, and after a flood event.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The US </span></span><a href="https://www.weather.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">National Weather Service</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> (NWS) offers crucial flood-related resources, including an </span></span><a href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/flood-map" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">interactive flood map to explore flood types and top floods</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> by state across the US as well as river observations and forecasts to stay updated on river conditions. It also offers flood safety tips and resources to learn how to protect lives and property.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The </span></span><a href="https://www.usgs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">US Geological Survey</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> (USGS) provides valuable flood information through various resources, including </span></span><a href="https://waterwatch.usgs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">WaterWatch</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> , which provides real-time flood and high-flow condition updates, as well as </span></span><a href="https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/usgs-flood-information" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">regional and local flood alerts</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">BACK TO QUESTIONS</span></span></a></p>
<figure id="attachment_100313" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-100313" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-100313 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="An aid worker in a World Vision jacket looks toward a cargo plane waiting on the tarmac." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24140427/W045-0069-008.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24140427/W045-0069-008-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24140427/W045-0069-008-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24140427/W045-0069-008-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24140427/W045-0069-008-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24140427/W045-0069-008-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/06/24140427/W045-0069-008.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-100313" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">To support communities affected by floods, World Vision, in partnership with Embraer, one of the world&rsquo;s largest aircraft manufacturers, airlifted 20 tons of supplies, including food, water, and essential items, to Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. (&copy; 2024 photo courtesy of Marcelo Liotti Jr.)</span></span></figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="where"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Where has World Vision most recently responded to floods globally?</span></span></h2>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">World Vision is dedicated to providing essential aid and support to communities impacted by these deadly flooding events. Our teams are delivering clean water, food assistance, shelter, and more to the hardest-hit communities.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">In </span></span><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Afghanistan</span></span></strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> , our response is gearing up to support 100,000 people affected by the floods with immediate and longer-term support.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">In </span></span><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Brazil</span></span></strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> , we&rsquo;re delivering relief aid to support 70,000 families, including 200,000 children. Our assistance includes &ldquo;tenderness kits&rdquo; for child well-being, which include toys, games, books, and snacks. We&rsquo;re also assisting with psychosocial support activities, food, bedding items, and personal and family hygiene and cleaning kits.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">In </span></span><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">East Africa</span></span></strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> , we&rsquo;re assisting governments and partners in improving disaster response by conducting needs assessments, developing plans, and evacuating people from flooded areas. Our critical interventions include cash assistance, non-food items, health services, and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) programs. Our top priorities are food security, water and sanitation, child protection, shelter, and health services.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">BACK TO QUESTIONS</span></span></a></p>
<h2 id="response"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">How does World Vision respond to emergencies like floods?</span></span></h2>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">With a presence in nearly 100 countries, World Vision responds swiftly to humanitarian crises around the world. During emergencies, such as devastating floods or earthquakes, we ensure access to critical essentials like food, clean water, shelter, and child protection services. Our commitment extends to safeguarding children and vulnerable communities even in the most challenging environments.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">In 2023, World Vision led 78 disaster responses across 59 countries, aiding 35.8 million people in need worldwide. Beyond addressing immediate needs, we continue to support affected people and their communities in their recovery and rebuilding efforts.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">BACK TO QUESTIONS</span></span></a></p>
<h2 id="help"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">How can I help survivors of floods and other disasters around the world?</span></span></h2>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/pray-disaster-survivors"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Pray</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> :&nbsp;</span></span></strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> Join us in praying for children and communities impacted by the aftermath of these catastrophic floods.</span></span></li>
<li><a href="https://donate.worldvision.org/give/disaster-relief"><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Give</span></span></strong></a><strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> :</span></span></strong><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> Your gift will help provide essential care to children and families impacted by floods and emergencies around the world.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/floods-facts-faqs-how-to-help">Floods: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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		<title>A love for language, and a vision beyond borders</title>
		<link>https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/a-love-for-language</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Amy Van Drunen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2025 18:15:54 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Refugee Crisis]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.worldvision.org/?p=110940</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Saba, 14, studies at a school in a refugee camp far from the home she fled. Her family once lived comfortably in El Geneina, Sudan — until conflict forced them to flee to Chad with nothing but their lives. Now, Saba continues to develop her love of languages and dreams of becoming a flight engineer.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/a-love-for-language">A love for language, and a vision beyond borders</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/a-love-for-language">A love for language, and a vision beyond borders</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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		<title>Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</title>
		<link>https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/syrian-refugee-crisis-facts</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sevil Omer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2025 11:59:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Refugee Crisis]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.worldvision.org/?p=179</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Syrian refugee crisis is one of the world's largest, with approximately 16.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid in 2024, including 7.5 million children. Following an escalation of violence in northwest Syria in late November 2024, at least 1 million people have been newly displaced, the majority of whom are women and children. Hundreds of thousands more are in need of support. Learn how World Vision is supporting families in Syria amid uncertainty. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/syrian-refugee-crisis-facts">Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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			<p>Syria remains one of the <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/eleven-years-mounting-challenges-push-many-displaced-syrians-brink" target="_blank" rel="noopener">largest displacement crises globally</a>, with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unrefugees.org/news/syria-refugee-crisis-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than 13 million people</a> forcibly displaced since the conflict began in 2011. Following a recent transition in the Syrian government in late 2024, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have started to return from other countries, hoping for greater stability. However, children of Syria continue to endure devastating hardships, including ongoing hostilities, repeated displacement, public health emergencies, and impacts from the destructive earthquake of 2023. <a href="https://www.wvi.org/newsroom/fragile-contexts-fragile-childhoods/world-vision-responds-air-strike-damascus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Renewed fighting</a> in northwest Syria in late November 2024 and continuing into 2025 has displaced more than 1.2 million people &mdash; the majority children and women &mdash; putting their lives and safety at risk.</p>
<h2 id="faqs">Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="#fast-facts">Fast facts: Syrian refugee crisis</a></li>
<li><a href="#current">What&rsquo;s the latest humanitarian situation in Syria?</a></li>
<li><a href="#war">Impact of the ongoing conflict in Syria</a></li>
<li><a href="#quake">How did the 2023 earthquake affect Syrian refugees?</a></li>
<li><a href="#where">Where do Syrian refugees live?</a></li>
<li><a href="#how-affect-children">How has the Syrian conflict affected the children of Syria?</a></li>
<li><a href="#world-vision">What is World Vision doing to help people impacted by the crisis in Syria?</a></li>
<li><a href="#mideast">How long has World Vision worked in the Middle East?</a></li>
<li><a href="#help">How can I help vulnerable Syrian children and their families?</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="fast-facts">Fast facts: Syrian refugee crisis</h2>
<ul>
<li>In 2024, an estimated 16.7 million people in Syria (approximately 70% of the population) needed humanitarian aid, according to U.N. agencies.</li>
<li>Over 90% of the Syrian population lives below the poverty line.</li>
<li>Syria has 7.4 million internally displaced people, the highest since the conflict began.</li>
<li>Neighboring Turkey (officially the Republic of T&uuml;rkiye) hosts over&nbsp;<a href="https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2.6 million</a>&nbsp;Syrian <a href="/refugees-news-stories/what-is-a-refugee-facts">refugees</a>, as of June 19, 2025.</li>
<li>Approximately 500,000 Syrians have returned to their homes from abroad since the transition in government in late 2024.</li>
<li>As of April 2024, nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/syrian-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7.5 million children in Syria needed humanitarian assistance</a>, as reported by the <a href="https://www.unicef.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.N. Children&rsquo;s Fund</a> (UNICEF).</li>
<li>Approximately 2 million Syrian refugee children are out of school, with an additional 1.6 million at risk of dropping out.</li>
<li>A 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 6, 2023, devastated northwest Syria and southeast Turkey, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.</li>
<li>The conflict in Syria began on March 15, 2011, escalating from peaceful protests to full-scale violence.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<figure id="attachment_105132" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-105132" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-105132 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A boy sits on top of rubble with his head resting on his knees. Behind him is a collapsed building with aluminum sheets and a hanging blanket." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10155832/W378-0369-001-1.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10155832/W378-0369-001-1-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10155832/W378-0369-001-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10155832/W378-0369-001-1-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10155832/W378-0369-001-1-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10155832/W378-0369-001-1-1140x760.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10155832/W378-0369-001-1.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-105132" class="wp-caption-text">A boy sits among the ruins of a collapsed building in Aleppo, one of Syria&rsquo;s hardest-hit cities. Approximately 13.5 million people across Syria have been displaced since the conflict began in 2011. (&copy; 2024 photo courtesy of Shafak)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="current">What&rsquo;s the latest humanitarian situation in Syria?</h2>
<p>Since 2011, the conflict in Syria has forced millions of people from their homes, with most seeking safety and refuge in neighboring countries across the Middle East. Turkey hosts the largest Syrian refugee population, while many others have found safety in <a href="/our-work/country-profiles/lebanon">Lebanon</a>, Jordan, and Iraq.</p>
<p>The&nbsp;<a href="/about-us/media-center/world-vision-urges-immediate-protection-for-children-amid-escalations-of-violence-in-northwest-syria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">escalation of hostilities that began on November 28, 2024</a>, has further strained citizens, infrastructure, and humanitarian access and operations. Following the transition in government in late 2024, more than 500,000 Syrians have returned from abroad, according to UNHCR estimates as of mid-May 2025. Within Syria, an additional 1.2 million internally displaced people have returned to their communities of origin.</p>
<p>Many returnees face significant challenges, including damaged infrastructure, limited services, and ongoing insecurity. Food scarcity is also a growing concern, with bakeries and markets struggling to operate. Public services and critical facilities, including hospitals, power stations, and water supplies, have been disrupted. Healthcare access is severely impacted as health facilities, including main hospitals, have been damaged or closed.</p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<figure id="attachment_105056" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-105056" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-105056 lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="Silhouette of a child running over rubble, with light revealing the bombed-out remains of a building in the background." width="1200" height="900" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/07/08151454/W378-0366-014.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/07/08151454/W378-0366-014-640x480.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/07/08151454/W378-0366-014-200x150.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/07/08151454/W378-0366-014-320x240.jpg 320w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/07/08151454/W378-0366-014-755x566.jpg 755w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/07/08151454/W378-0366-014-1013x760.jpg 1013w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/07/08151454/W378-0366-014-850x638.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/07/08151454/W378-0366-014-1140x855.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/07/08151454/W378-0366-014.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-105056" class="wp-caption-text">A child is seen running through a neighborhood following an increase in violence in northwest Syria. (&copy; 2024 World Vision/photo by Zaher Jaber)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="war">Impact of the ongoing conflict in Syria</h2>
<p>The conflict has devastated Syria and its people:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Loss of life:</strong> Hundreds of thousands of people, including civilians, have died.</li>
<li><strong>Destroyed infrastructure:</strong>&nbsp;Many of the nation&rsquo;s roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals lie in ruins, limiting essential services.</li>
<li><strong>Economic implications:</strong> High unemployment and poverty prevail, with nearly 13 million people facing food insecurity. Nine out of 10 Syrian refugees struggle to meet their most basic needs.</li>
<li><strong>Displacement:</strong> Over 6.3 million refugees are living abroad, and millions of people are internally displaced.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<figure id="attachment_90441" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-90441" style="width: 1280px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-90441 size-medium lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A mother bends down to press her hand on a pile of sticks and stoke a fire to ward off winter&rsquo;s cold from her young daughters." width="1280" height="853" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/07/W378-0189-021-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/07/W378-0189-021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/07/W378-0189-021-640x427.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/07/W378-0189-021-200x133.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/07/W378-0189-021-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/07/W378-0189-021-850x567.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/07/W378-0189-021-1140x760.jpg 1140w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/07/W378-0189-021.jpg 1620w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2022/07/W378-0189-021-1280x853.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-90441" class="wp-caption-text">In northwest Syria, a family displaced by 2023&rsquo;s devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake, huddles near a makeshift fire to stay warm. The earthquake claimed over 47,000 lives and affected millions of people along the Syria&ndash;Turkey border. (&copy; 2023 World Vision)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="quake">How did the 2023 earthquake affect Syrian refugees?</h2>
<p>The February 6, 2023, earthquake and aftershocks in southern Turkey and northwest Syria deepened the struggles of displaced Syrians. The disaster worsened displacement, elevated hunger levels and malnutrition, and limited access to healthcare and educational support.</p>
<p><a href="/disaster-relief-news-stories/2023-turkey-and-syria-earthquake-faqs" data-link-type="text" data-link-target="internal_link" data-link-info="Learn more about World Vision&rsquo;s response to help vulnerable families impacted by the 2023 earthquake.:www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2023-turkey-and-syria-earthquake-faqs"><em>Learn more about World Vision&rsquo;s response to help vulnerable families impacted by the 2023 earthquake.</em></a></p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<h2 id="where">Where do Syrian refugees live?</h2>
<p>While Syrian refugees have sought asylum in more than 130 countries, most remain in nearby nations across the Middle East. Turkey hosts the largest share, with around 2.6 million Syrian refugees, followed by significant populations in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt.</p>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<h2 id="how-affect-children">How has the Syrian conflict affected the children of Syria?</h2>
<p>The war has had a devastating impact on the children of Syria. According to UNICEF, approximately 7.5 million children in Syria urgently need humanitarian aid, with millions forced to flee their homes as refugees. Many Syrian children have never known a time without war. Here&rsquo;s how the war in Syria is affecting Syrian children today.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Displacement:</strong>&nbsp;Millions of children live in makeshift camps, overcrowded shelters, or streets, often lacking access to necessities like food, water, and medical care.</li>
<li><strong>Diseases and malnutrition:&nbsp;</strong>Malnutrition, poor sanitation and hygiene, and limited healthcare access make children more vulnerable to diseases like&nbsp;<a href="/clean-water-news-stories/what-is-cholera">cholera</a>. In poor housing, cold weather increases the risk of pneumonia and other respiratory infections. Lack of access to healthy foods weakens them further.</li>
<li><strong>Education:</strong> An estimated 2.4 million children in Syria are out of school, and many have fallen behind in their education. Some schools have been turned into emergency centers for displaced families, disrupting education for tens of thousands of students.</li>
<li><strong><a href="/child-protection-news-stories/child-marriage-facts">Child marriage</a> and abuse:&nbsp;</strong>Syrian children are more vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation in the unfamiliar and overcrowded conditions in refugee camps and informal tent settlements. Families desperate for income may be more prone to arrange marriages for their young daughters in exchange for dowries.</li>
<li><strong><a href="/child-protection-news-stories/child-labor-facts">Child labor</a>:</strong>&nbsp;Many children have been forced to work in dangerous and exploitative conditions to help support their families.</li>
<li><strong>Recruitment of child soldiers:</strong>&nbsp;Armed groups and government forces have recruited children to fight in the conflict, putting them in harm&rsquo;s way and robbing them of their childhood.</li>
<li><strong>Psychological toll:</strong>&nbsp;Many children have experienced trauma, anxiety, and depression and have little access to mental health services.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="#faqs">BACK TO QUESTIONS</a></p>
<figure id="attachment_107114" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-107114" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-107114 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="A young girl with a ponytail holds a lime-green balloon and a purple hula hoop, standing amid a cheerful scene with other children and balloons. " width="1200" height="802" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10101656/W378-0393-020.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10101656/W378-0393-020-640x428.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10101656/W378-0393-020-200x134.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10101656/W378-0393-020-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10101656/W378-0393-020-847x566.jpg 847w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10101656/W378-0393-020-1137x760.jpg 1137w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10101656/W378-0393-020-850x568.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10101656/W378-0393-020-1140x762.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/12/10101656/W378-0393-020.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-107114" class="wp-caption-text">A girl enjoys a moment at World Vision&rsquo;s Child-Friendly Space in Bab Al-Nour, a camp for displaced families near Azaz, Syria, close to the Turkish border. Many children here can&rsquo;t return home due to the ongoing violence. Safe spaces like this offer them a place to play, learn, and simply be kids (&copy; 2025 World Vision/photo by Zaher Jaber)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="world-vision">What is World Vision doing to help people impacted by the crisis in Syria?</h2>
<p>World Vision is responding to the surge in displacement and humanitarian needs across the region and in Syria, working closely with local partners to reach those most affected. From September 30, 2024, to February 28, 2025, World Vision supported over 1.2 million people, prioritizing the well-being of children and families.</p>
<p>After the devastating February 6, 2023, earthquake, we launched more than 50 projects in partnership with local organizations, supporting nearly 1.8 million people. Our earthquake response programs covered a range of critical areas, including child protection; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); livelihoods; health; nutrition; education; and more. Some key highlights of our work include:</p>
<ul>
<li>In Turkey, our child protection programming called LIFT (Life in Fullness Together) combines psychosocial support, education, and child protection services to promote child well-being.</li>
<li>In Jordan and Syria, initiatives like Channels of Hope and Celebrating Families partner with communities of faith to target the root causes of violence.</li>
<li>Critical WASH interventions were implemented, including responses to <a href="/clean-water-news-stories/what-is-cholera-facts">cholera</a> outbreaks and the 2023 earthquake.</li>
<li>Technical skills training, cash-for-work programs, and cash and voucher programs are strengthening family and community resilience.</li>
<li>Health and nutrition programs continue to serve vulnerable families in northwest and northeast Syria.</li>
</ul>
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<h2 id="mideast">How long has World Vision worked in the Middle East?</h2>
<p>World Vision has served in the Middle East region for nearly four decades. We&rsquo;re dedicated to improving the lives of children, families, and the communities where they live through long-term sustainable development and responding to disasters and crises.</p>
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<figure id="attachment_100515" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-100515" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-100515 size-full lazy" src="https://wvusstatic.com/email/met3/spacer.gif" alt="Four girls in white veils sit on the floor in a circle, working on crafts in a brightly colorful room." width="1200" height="802" srcset="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/02/10155535/W378-0335-006.jpg 1200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/02/10155535/W378-0335-006-640x428.jpg 640w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/02/10155535/W378-0335-006-200x134.jpg 200w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/02/10155535/W378-0335-006-360x240.jpg 360w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/02/10155535/W378-0335-006-847x566.jpg 847w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/02/10155535/W378-0335-006-1137x760.jpg 1137w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/02/10155535/W378-0335-006-850x568.jpg 850w, https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/02/10155535/W378-0335-006-1140x762.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-src="https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2024/02/10155535/W378-0335-006.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-100515" class="wp-caption-text">Qamar* (pictured third from left at age 12) of Syria has faced unimaginable hardships. Displaced by the conflict in Syria, her family fled their community and lived in a tent. They were uprooted again, first by the devastating 2023 earthquake and then by a fire. At a World Vision center in Syria, Qamar joined other girls in an integrated psychological and education program, offering a safe place to be with friends. She is among 20,000 children supported by this program. World Vision also equipped her family with a new shelter and new clothes for Qamar. *Name changed to protect identity. (&copy; 2024 photo courtesy of Zaher Jaber)</figcaption></figure>
<h2 id="help">How can I help vulnerable Syrian children and their families?</h2>
<p>You can help Syrian refugees by praying for them, using your gifts to support them, and learning more facts about the Syrian refugee crisis.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/refugees-news-stories/pray-for-syria"><strong>Pray</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Join us in lifting the needs of Syrian families caught in the ongoing conflict, refugee children, and our sustained humanitarian response.</li>
<li><a href="http://donate.worldvision.org/give/refugee-childrens-crisis-fund?campaign=3100858"><strong>Give</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Become a vital partner in helping equip refugee children and families to survive, recover, and rebuild.</li>
</ul>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/syrian-refugee-crisis-facts">Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.worldvision.org">World Vision</a>.</p>
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