Emergency response

When disaster strikes, every hour counts. World Vision staff can be on the scene within 24 hours, bringing urgently needed food and supplies to people faced with a crisis.

Our National Response teams can be at disaster sites within hours, putting to use their preparation work and local knowledge. Our Global Rapid Response Teams are deployed for large emergencies. This team comprises of full time, on call relief experts who can be on site within 24 – 72 hours after disaster strikes. In 2007 alone World Vision responded to 85 disasters around the world, assisting an estimated 7 million survivors, refugees and internally displaced people delivering effective aid from Ireland and around the world.

World Vision supports communities through their toughest times and works with those affected long after the TV cameras have moved on.

Haiti earthquake

When the earthquake shook Haiti on January 12th 2010 local World Vision staff together with many others in Port-au-Prince were just finishing up their day at the office. Within seconds their lives change, many lost everything; loved ones, homes.

Within 24 hours our Global Rapid Response team was on site to assist our national colleagues and an aid distribution centre in Miami was opened to manage aid and fly it to Haiti. Our initial focus was on food distribution and medical assistance. Quickly the focus was expanded to shelter, security and also the establishment of Child-Friendly-Spaces where children can come to play, go to school and learn how to cope in the aftermath of the disaster with the help of professionals.

A review in April 2010 showed that World Vision had distributed food to 1,594,193 people, non-food items such as tents, blankets, hygiene kits, cooking sets and mosquito nets to 108,680 people, reached 120,000 people with water, set up mobile clinics to provide basic healthcare in camps around Port-au-prince and created Child-Friendly-spaces that give 3,000 children a secure place to learn, play and heal. Our mission is to deliver effective overseas development aid to Haiti on a long-term basis.

Read more about the World Vision Haiti Appeal