Responding to emergencies

When human-made or natural disasters strike, poor communities are always hardest hit. They are more likely to have inferior housing and inadequate services, be living on marginal land, subject to overcrowding, and lacking adequate protection and resources to cope with a crisis. Disasters can destroy years of development gains and trap communities in a new spiral of poverty and dependency.

CWS provides humanitarian aid through local community organisations because:

Local people know their needs best: Local people know their own communities and know what they need to recover. They should have the strongest voice in determining relief strategies.

Local aid prompts faster recovery: Allowing an affected community to do its own rebuilding, with tools and supplies funded by international aid, is a proven strategy to hasten recovery and rehabilitation. Working with local people, using local services and supplies also provides much needed income, stimulating the local economy.

Local aid avoids dependency: When organisations outside a community control aid provision, it divorces local people from the process and encourages dependency.

Local aid is more cost effective: Not only is the money spent more wisely, but the high costs of oursiders coming in are avoided.

CWS funds partner groups or members of the ACT International alliance for humanitarian relief efforts.

CWS is committed to providing ongoing support for complex emergency situations such as Darfur, Zimbabwe, Palestine and Sri Lanka where the humanitarian crisis can continue for years and even decades.