During an emergency, please think carefully before telephoning the organisations listed below. If your call can wait until after the immediate emergency response, please do so. In the first instance, go to their websites to find up-to-date information about a disaster.
DFID, the Department for International Development, which leads the British government’s fight against world poverty. DFID responds to emergencies, both natural and man-made. It also supports long-term programmes which aim to reduce poverty and disease and to increase the number of children in school, in support of the internationally agreed UN ‘Millennium Development Goals’.
Public Enquiry Point:
tel: 0845 300 4100
www.dfid.gov.uk
Disasters Emergency Committee – DEC
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is an umbrella organisation uniting 13 of the UK’s major aid agencies, which launches and co-ordinates the UK’s National Appeal in response to major disasters overseas. Appeal automated donation line: tel: 0870 6060 900. www.dec.org.uk
DEC Member aid agencies
ActionAid
ActionAid works in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, listening to, learning from and working in partnership with over nine million of the world’s poorest people.
tel: 020 7561 7561
www.actionaid.org.uk
British Red Cross
The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the largest independent humanitarian network in the world, with more than 100 million members across the globe. One of the most active members of this movement, the British Red Cross is a leading UK charity with over 40,000 volunteers.
tel: 0870 170 7000
www.redcross.org.uk
CAFOD
CAFOD is the overseas development and relief agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Its mission is to promote human development and social justice within a Christian framework.
tel: 020 7733 7900
www.cafod.org.uk
CARE International UK
CARE International is a global humanitarian organisation, working with over thirty million disadvantaged people each year in 72 of the world’s poorest countries.
tel: 020 7934 9334
www.careinternational.org
Christian Aid
An international aid and development agency of the churches in the UK and Ireland, Christian Aid supports local organisations, which are best placed to understand local needs, as well as giving help on the ground through sixteen overseas offices.
tel: 020 7620 4444
www.christian-aid.org.uk
Concern
Concern works in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, the Indian sub-continent and the Caribbean. It defines its mission as “working for a world where no one lives in fear, poverty or oppression”.
tel: 020 7738 1033
www.concern.net
Help the Aged
Help the Aged focuses on the needs of older people. Its main priorities are: combating poverty, reducing isolation, defeating ageism, challenging poor care standards and building understanding through research into ageing.
tel: 020 7278
www.helptheaged.org.uk
Islamic Relief
Islamic Relief is a British aid agency addressing the needs of the world’s poorest people. Islamic Relief’s work ranges from emergency relief to long-term development projects in areas such as water and sanitation, health and nutrition, orphan sponsorship.
tel: 020 8531 6752
www.islamic-relief.com/uk
Merlin
Merlin exists to provide an immediate and effective response to medical emergencies throughout the world. Merlin is a UK-based, non-profit, non-partisan charity, which provides lifesaving health care for people in crises and disaster situations around the world.
tel: 020 7065 0800
www.merlin.org.uk
Oxfam
Oxfam GB is a development, relief and campaigning organisation that works with others to find lasting solutions to poverty and suffering around the world.
tel: 0870 3332700
www.oxfam.org.uk
Save the Children
Save the Children fights for children in the UK and around the world who suffer from poverty, disease, injustice and violence. The organisation works with them to find lifelong answers to the problems they face.
tel: 020 7012 6400
www.savethechildren.org.uk
Tearfund
Tearfund is an evangelical Christian development and relief charity working through partners to bring help and hope to communities in need around the world. Last year Tearfund supported over 500 projects in more than 90 countries.
tel: 020 8977 9144
www.tearfund.org
World Vision UK
World Vision is one of the world’s leading relief and development agencies. It is a Christian charity and is currently helping over 85 million people in nearly 100 countries.
tel: 01908 841000
www.worldvision.org.uk
General Development and Emergency Relief
Bond
Bond is the network of more than 290 UK based voluntary organisations working in international development and development education. To find the full list of aid agencies go to www.bond.org.uk
ReliefWeb
ReliefWeb is the world’s leading on-line gateway to information (documents and maps) on humanitarian emergencies and disasters. An independent vehicle of information, designed specifically to assist the international humanitarian community in effective delivery of emergency assistance, it provides timely, reliable and relevant information as events unfold, while emphasizing the coverage of “forgotten emergencies” at the same time. www.reliefweb.int
RedR-IHE
RedR-IHE is an international NGO that provides recruitment, training and support services for humanitarian professionals across the world. It has over 25 years experience in recruiting for the humanitarian sector and has a pool of more than 15,000 skilled professionals through its online database. www.redr.org/london
Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO)
VSO is an international development charity combating poverty in the developing world. t: 020 8780 7200 www.vso.org.uk.
