Emergency Response

Since our founding in 1970, Africare has worked on the front lines of almost every humanitarian emergency in Africa. In all those cases, Africare has been among the first to respond ― saving lives while they hang in the balance, then moving on to support regained self-reliance as the most important result. Examples of Africare's emergency response are:

  • Emergency medical care, food, water and shelter
  • Establishment and management of refugee camps
  • Support to communities hosting refugees and displaced persons
  • Primary education for refugee children
  • Psychosocial interventions for homeless populations
  • Promotion of self-reliance on the part of homeless farmers and artisans as well as others affected by natural disaster or war
  • Refugee resettlement, including repatriation
  • Resettlement of internally displaced persons

Given the often-overwhelming nature of Africa's crises, can Africare really help? Kevin G. Lowther, then Africare's regional director for Southern Africa, answered this way: "Africare is not going to change the course of history. It can ― and does ― change the course of life for individual Africans, their families and rural communities ... [making] the world just a little better than we found it."

 

(Updated, Dec. 17, 2007)