Helping in emergencies needs all of us
Before, during and after a crisis, our local experts are working in their own communities to help families prepare, survive and rebuild.
With more emergencies than ever, there has never been a greater need for us to put our faith into action, together.
Please join us today with a monthly donation to our emergency response work.
How a monthly gift will help in emergencies
Your help can get the lives of ordinary people affected by a crisis - mothers, fathers, doctors, teachers – back on track.
In Sudan, many aid agencies had to leave the country when fighting broke out a year ago. Catholic agencies we support were already working alongside vulnerable communities to fight poverty in Sudan, and right now these workers are some of the only people able to get aid to families who need it.
You can help us stay put and continue giving emergency help in Sudan and other countries hit by emergencies with a monthly gift.
Before, during and after emergencies
Before: Because we’re part of Caritas, a global network of Catholic aid organisations, we are already working with people vulnerable communities so that they can provide for their families. A key part of this work is preparing for emergencies like drought or floods, which can devastate homes and farms.
During: We are there provide food, clean water, shelter, and medical care to people affected by disasters. Every second counts, and with your support, we can be on the ground within hours, ensuring vital resources reach the most vulnerable.
After: We are there for the long term. We rely on your support to rebuild alongside communities and help them to prepare for the next shock.
Together, we can reach across borders and barriers to help quickly. And with your ongoing support, we will work with communities affected by every kind of crisis to rebuild, heal and plan for the future.
Emergency response: your support can help families now
Urgent needs in DRC
Families in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo are caught up in fighting between rebels and the government, with women and children sheltering in overcrowded compounds of hospitals, churches and schools.
Family Fast Day projects like the training centre that taught Daniel carpentry have had to close, but our local experts are still in Goma, helping people with food and water.
Practical help in Gaza
Please join us in praying that the ceasefire can provide reassurance of peace to the people in Gaza.
Janet Symes, CAFOD's Head of Region for Asia and the Middle East, said:
“This temporary pause will bring a welcome respite in hostilities, but it is vital this pause extends into a long-term ceasefire, a sustainable, just and lasting peace, and an end to the occupation to end the suffering of people in Gaza, bringing peace and security across the region."
Despite the risk to life, our local partners in Gaza continue to provide practical help to families caught up in the conflict. The ceasefire should allow more essential supplies into Gaza, meaning that your support is needed now more than ever – together we can reach more families as soon as possible.
Winter supplies in Ukraine
CAFOD's local experts have been working in Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
Together, we can help families with the essentials they need to survive the winter.
Food for families in Sudan
The war in Sudan has forced millions of families to flee their homes. And now those caught up in the conflict are facing yet another crisis – hunger.
But with your support, help can reach the families who need it, via our trusted Church partners.
You can make a difference today
Your support will allow this urgent practical help to be given to families in crisis-hit areas across the world.
Crucially, it also allows us to stay put in affected communities, help them to rebuild, and prepare for the next emergency.
Monthly giving - your questions answered
Regular monthly donations and single gifts are both vital in our work to end poverty. All donations we receive mean we can reach work with local experts and communities to respond to the emergency. They also mean we have essential funds ready for emergencies when they happen.
Monthly giving is a significant and important part of our funding, with over £6 million donated regularly each year. It makes up nearly a quarter of the donations we receive from the Catholic community, which means it is one of our largest sources of funding.
Large-scale emergencies can happen at any time. Disasters such as storms, earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones can devastate huge areas within hours. Monthly gifts allow us to always have money available to help as soon as a disaster strikes. As well as responding quickly, knowing how much money we will receive allows us to plan just how much we can support at the time of crisis. Without this money we simply wouldn’t be able to help to the extent we do.
As well as larger emergencies, we are responding throughout the year to emergency situations which never make the headlines. Be it smaller scale flooding, drought or political unrest endangering the lives of civilians. With your monthly gifts we can ensure we have enough money to reach those whose voices aren’t always heard.
Emergency situations see people facing the most extreme challenges. They can lose their homes, their loved ones, their livelihoods, their source of food, clean water, access to health care. By setting up a Direct Debit to become part of our ‘Emergency Response Team’ to support our work monthly you are reaching those in urgent need.
We understand that people’s situations can change. If you need to change your bank details, change the amount you are giving, or pause or cancel your Direct Debit, there are two ways:
1. Monthly gifts that were set up on our website in October 2022 or later, can be managed by visiting donors.cafod.org.uk.
2. If you set up your donation another way or before October 2022, and you need to manage your Direct Debit, please call our Supporter Care team on 0303 303 3030. They’re available Monday to Friday, from 9.30am to 5.30pm. You can also email them at supportercare@cafod.org.uk (never send your card details via email).