Australian Emergency Fund

Disasters are becoming more frequent, intense and unpredictable. One in three Australians will face a natural disaster in their lifetime, yet most people don’t think it will happen to them.

From 2019–2020 4,789 Red Cross staff and volunteers supported 83,715 people through 63 emergencies. This includes our response to the most destructive bushfire season on record and the COVID-19 pandemic.

While other agencies fight the fires and clean up the streets, Red Cross looks after the people. 

We help people cope with stressful and traumatic events by offering psychological first aid, linking them to information and services they need, helping them locate their loved ones, or just offering one-to-one support as people work out what to do next. 

We help in other ways depending on the location or the emergency: by supporting public appeals, running evacuation centres, providing food and relief supplies, or making phone calls to check on people who may be most at risk. 

Of course, we don’t just act in times of crisis. We help people and communities prepare for emergencies before they happen. Facilitating education and training workshops on the hazards communities face, so as to reduce their risks when they happen, educating children on what to do in an emergency, working with households to create personalised emergency plans and working with community, civil and government groups to advocate on the importance of psychosocial support before, during and after emergencies.

We also stay with communities after an emergency has happened, to support them on the long road to recovery.

• Case_Studies.pdf (PDF)
  
• Impact.pdf (PDF)