By Alison Doerfler | Sr. Director, Partnership Integration
Whenever and wherever disaster strikes, the Humanitarian Surge Fund allows CARE to be among the first there, not only to deliver lifesaving aid, but also to help shape larger-scale, long-term relief and recovery efforts so that women and girls are at the center. Natural disasters are not gender-neutral, and neither is human warfare. Pre-existing inequalities and insecurities are laid bare and exacerbated in a crisis. When food is scarce, women and girls eat last and least. When communities become war zones, women and girls face far greater risks of sexual violence or harassment. Rapid response teams funded by Humanitarian Surge Fund resources provide on-site support to CARE’s country offices in emergencies, bringing in technical expertise in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); food and nutrition; logistics and communication; and health and gender. In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, the Surge Fund makes it possible for CARE to conduct a rapid gender analysis, a tool innovated by CARE and widely adopted throughout the humanitarian sector that helps amplify women’s voice and leadership.
In addition to saving lives, reacting quickly to disaster helps position CARE in the spotlight, attracting the attention of major media as well as donors who are interested in helping communities to build back better and to be more prepared for the inevitable next emergency. With Surge Fund resources, CARE staff in disaster-prone areas can preposition supplies, provide training, and partner with local leaders to create meaningful crisis plans – building their capacity to mitigate their own risks. Disaster risk mitigation saves time and money. The Surge Fund also fills critical gaps and replenishes resources for disasters that may have faded from public consciousness. Long-running famines or refugee crises may not be in the news anymore, but the human suffering continues. We cannot look away.
How Your Gift Makes a Difference
Over the past year, the Humanitarian Surge Fund has made a critical difference in CARE’s ability to meet immediate needs after emergencies and help people in the most vulnerable communities begin to rebuild their lives. In the attached report, you can see examples of the impact made possible by Surge Fund supporters.
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Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
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