A nurse treats a patient in the Caritas health centre in Gaza.

Credits: Katie Orlinsky/Caritas

Caritas Internationalis responded to more than 30 emergencies in 2009, launching appeals with a total budget of more than USD 80 million (€65 million).

The year saw a series of devastating humanitarian emergencies in many parts of the world, including drought in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda; floods in India, Nepal, Brazil, Central African Republic, Mongolia, Senegal, Niger and Burkina Faso; earthquakes in Italy, Indonesia and the South Pacific; and conflict in Gaza, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In addition to responding to immediate needs in times of disaster, Caritas works to help communities be better prepared for future crises.

The Caritas response to disaster in 2009 included:
  • Meeting basic needs for medical attention, clean water, sanitation, shelter and food
  • Helping to restore livelihoods and rebuild homes
  • Supporting children to return to school
  • Providing counselling and psychosocial care
  • Working with communities to reduce the impact of future disasters

Rapid action in Indonesia

Caritas helped 110,000 people with shelter, 43,000 with food, and 105,000 people with access to clean water in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in Indonesia...

A community responds in Samoa

The newest member of the confederation, Caritas Samoa, found itself coping with a major emergency when a tsunami hit the Pacific Islands of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga in September...

Shelter from conflict in Pakistan

More than two and a half million people were forced from their homes as a result of clashes between the Pakistan army and militants in the Swat Valley...

Earning a living in Darfur

Caritas Internationalis works in Darfur in cooperation with Action by Churches Together (ACT) helping 350,000 people, including 240,000 who have lost their homes...

Healthcare in Gaza’s war zone

Home to 1.5 million Palestinians, Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Border restrictions mean that people are trapped inside with limited access to goods and services...

Food for thought in Zimbabwe

Exam pass rates used to be high at Lupaka Primary School in Zimbabwe, but then food shortages began and the children didn’t want to come to school any more…

Safety from the storm in Bangladesh

Caritas Bangladesh builds shelters that offer protection when cyclones hit. They work with villagers to make sure that everyone knows about evacuation plans and that there is enough food to last through the storms....

Colombia’s forgotten refugees

More than three million people have been forced from their homes in Colombia. Fighting continues to affect people from all walks of life. The large number of displaced people hinders efforts at making peace....