Children's Emergency Fund

Thank you for supporting Save the Children's Children's Emergency Fund! Here is an update on our work:

THE SITUATION

Herat Province, Afghanistan has been devastated by four earthquakes in recent weeks, killing thousands of people and filling hospitals with thousands more injured. A handful of villages have been completely destroyed in the deadliest natural disaster to hit the country in decades. Schools, health clinics and other facilities have collapsed and left thousands of vulnerable children and families without basic services.

This is a crisis on top of a crisis. The devastating earthquakes come as Afghan children are already facing a critical humanitarian emergency. Children and families are now in a race against time to avoid the secondary impacts of the earthquakes, such as disease outbreaks, worsening hunger and rising poverty. Many children’s education has also been disrupted further by this latest disaster, with at least 21 schools reported to have been destroyed or damaged.

We’re responding to the growing needs of vulnerable communities hit by this disaster. In the worst-impacted areas, we’re one of the lead organizations responding to the damage as well as working with local partners to provide immediate support to children and families.

 OUR RESPONSE

Save the Children has launched a joint response with local and international partners on the ground to help meet families’ growing needs, including:

CASH ASSISTANCE - We will provide 1,000 families with emergency cash assistance. This cash assistance will help families buy life-saving items like food, clean water and materials to rebuild their homes and cover medical bills.

CHILD PROTECTION - We’re providing psychological support to children, caregivers and humanitarian workers. We will establish six Child Friendly Spaces to provide children and adolescents a safe place to play, learn and heal. We will also distribute home-based Psychosocial Support Kits, reaching an estimated 6,000 individuals, and provide training on Psychosocial First Aid (PFA).

As our response evolves, we will continue to assess community needs and work with local organizations to reach the most-impacted areas. We’re currently conducting assessments to determine education needs and learn how we can support local partners.

Winter is approaching and, as temperatures drop, we will ensure that children and families receive life-saving support. Support to families could include distributing home winterization supplies, blankets, warm clothing and other essential supplies.

 THE CHILDREN’S EMERGENCY FUND

In any crisis, we know that children are always the most at risk. The Children’s Emergency Fund enables us to respond to crises around the world, whether from conflict, climate change or natural disasters. Flexible funding allows us to deliver relief to communities impacted by disasters in the very first hours, when children’s lives hang in the balance. Your support helps communities around the world recover from disasters like this one.

*All names have been changed for privacy and protection.

Links:

• Save the Children - Afghanistan
• Save the Children - Emergency Response
• Save the Children - Child Protection

 Thank you for supporting Save the Children's Children's Emergency Fund. Here's an update on the work made possible by the support of donors like you: 

CONFLICT IN SUDAN

On April 15, a violent power struggle broke out in Sudan between the two main factions of the ruling military regime. Thousands have fled the country and millions are sheltering in place as the violence continues. With no end in sight to the fighting, the number of families displaced from the conflict is only expected to rise. In Khartoum, people report a lack of food and water, and food prices have tripled given the lack of supplies. Reports state that the health sector is now on the verge of collapse. Around 80% of the hospitals in Khartoum have closed down, leaving millions without access to healthcare.

Since 1983, Save the Children has worked in Sudan to provide humanitarian relief to children and families impacted by conflict, displacement, extreme poverty, hunger and a lack of basic services. Now, we’re bringing together our experience in humanitarian emergencies and long-term programming, working with partners to ensure that urgently needed support reaches children and families in Sudan and neighboring countries. The Children’s Emergency Fund supports our work during crises like the one in Sudan. With additional funding, we’re looking to scale up our programming to reach 1.7 million people, including 966,000 children, in Sudan.

OUR RESPONSE

Where safety allows, we’re continuing to support children and their families across five states in Sudan (Red Sea, Kordofan, Gedaref, Sennar, Blue Nile), providing health, nutrition, education, child protection and food security and livelihoods support.

Over the coming weeks and months, we’re expanding our programming to include:

 • Providing cash assistance to families so they can buy food, fuel and other essential items;
 • Setting up new emergency services through mobile health teams, integrating much-needed trauma and gender-based violence support;
 • Scaling up our nutrition screening in conflict areas and establishing mobile nutrition and stabilization centers, where appropriate;
 • Setting up Child Friendly Spaces where children can learn, play and receive mental health and psychosocial support;
 • Supporting reunification efforts for children who have been separated from their families;
 • Repairing damaged schools and setting up temporary learning spaces.

In neighboring countries like Egypt and South Sudan, we’re supporting families who are fleeing the conflict by distributing essential items, setting up Child Friendly Spaces in transit centers and providing support to children who have been separated from their families.

Thanks to the support of donors like you, Save the Children's Children's Emergency Fund is there before, during and after emergencies. Working together, we help communities become more resilient so that each time a crisis happens, they are stronger, more likely to survive, and recover more quickly. Your support today helps make this possible.

Links:

• Save the Children - Where We Work - Sudan