
Thanks to your support of Every Second Counts we have been able to provide essential food, water and medical supplies to those caught up in the Sudan War.
In 2024, over 300 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance with this number projected to rise to 305 million in 2025.
2024 saw a myriad of emergencies, pushing families closer to the brink. Thanks to your support of CAFOD’s emergency response initiative, Every Second Counts, communities around the world have been supported to prepare for, survive from and rebuild after crises.
Here are some examples of the kind of work made possible in 2024 thanks to donations to Every Second Counts.
Colombia flood response
In June 2024, the north-west region of Colombia has been affected by heavy rains, high tides and gales that have caused flash floods and overflowing rivers. It has caused thousands of people to lose their homes, possessions, crops, livestock and food supplies. We have also seen reports of schools and community buildings seriously damaged, creating a humanitarian emergency across the region.
Among the families affected are indigenous communities, many of whose houses have been submerged by the waters of the Jampabadó river. In addition, 12 communities are doubly affected by flooding and conflict between non-state armed groups, making a difficult situation that much worse.
War in Sudan
The war in Sudan has forced millions of people to flee their homes, creating one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises in the world, which unfortunately is largely being overlooked. The situation is quickly getting worse, and people caught up in the middle of the conflict are now facing yet another crisis – hunger.
People are running out of food, water and medicine, and many families continue to risk their lives fleeing their homes to escape the fighting. Your continued support of Every Second Counts helps to meet these urgent, basic needs.
Middle East Humanitarian Appeal
In Gaza, people are dying of hunger and disease, as well as injuries caused by the conflict. Food and clean water are desperately scarce with a famine warning being issued for northern Gaza. Ninety per cent of the population are displaced, and well in excess of 44,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. There is no safe place for people in Gaza to go.
Thanks to your support of our Every Second Counts Middle East Humanitarian Appeal we have been able to get funds to local trusted experts who have been working alongside communities helping those most in need, providing urgent, practical help to families in Lebanon and Gaza, the West Bank and Israel.
Our partners are helping these families right now as they arrive in safer areas. Your donations will help with emergency healthcare, food packages, safe shelter, hygiene kits, mental health support, cash to buy fuel, blankets and other essentials.
Syria
Thirteen years of conflict in Syria have devastated the country, critical infrastructures and the economy. The dramatic and rapid fall of the Assad regime has brought hope to the Syrian people, but it does not mean an immediate end to the humanitarian needs in the area.
CAFOD’s partners have been working in Syria throughout this conflict and will continue doing so as humanitarian needs in Syria remain at unprecedented levels. In Syria, 90% of people are experiencing poverty, and an estimated 16.7 million Syrians are still in need of humanitarian assistance, including access to food and water. Families are suffering from loss of income as people are unable to work, leading to an increase in hunger. Many vulnerable people - often women and children - are more at risk, including from exploitation.
Thanks to your support, our local partners are still providing urgent assistance to people impacted by the conflict, as well as the aftermath of the earthquake in 2023. This includes life-saving humanitarian assistance like food, water, and hygiene and winter items (such as blankets, heating materials etc.), safe and dignified shelter, healthcare, education, counselling and group therapy and work opportunities.
War in Ukraine
In Ukraine, the war has entered its third winter. People are living without heating, without light, terrorised by daily drone and missile strikes. Caritas, of which CAFOD is a member agency, operates a network of shelters where people find safety, warmth and the support they need to rebuild. Your support can help provide winter essentials like blankets, heating fuel and medical supplies for displaced families struggling to survive.
Your donations truly can help to ensure that CAFOD’s partners have the resources they need to be there for families in crisis, offering shelter, warmth and the reassurance that they are not alone this Christmas.
Thank you
Thank you for your continued support of CAFOD's work through our emergency response initiative Every Second Counts this year.
"The responses we support are, in most cases, not receiving media attention. They are also in remote areas where most international organisations don’t operate, but our local and national actors do. These are also contexts where emergency response does not receive funding.
"Thanks to the Every Second Counts emergency fund, CAFOD and our partners are able to quickly respond to emergencies around the world, whether they reach the news or not."
- Ibrahim Njuguna, CAFOD Head of Humanitarian
Please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list of the emergency response work CAFOD is has conducted during 2024.
If you would like to hear more or to make a donation please do get in touch with Roisin on 020 7095 5676 or email ESC@cafod.org.uk.

Aaliyah sits on the remains of a damaged building with her daughter in their neighbourhood in southern Gaza in October 2024
Prepare. Survive. Rebuild.
There has never been a greater need for us to put our faith into action. Together we can support communities around the world to prepare for emergencies, survive their effects and rebuild afterwards.
When Every Second Counts, why wait?