Two years after the beginning of the war and nearly a decade after the conflict in the east of the country, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate and will not improve if hostilities do not stop. This is the picture described by the two local Caritas organisations – Caritas Ukraine and Caritas-Spes Ukraine ...
An emergency can strike at any time, overwhelming the most vulnerable people and leaving them with nothing.
But there is Caritas, the helping arm of the Catholic Church. Caritas acts fast to save lives and livelihoods in emergencies.
Caritas has a unique worldwide network of more than 160 member organisations with the experience and skills to respond efficiently and effectively. Its strong roots – put down over decades – means Caritas is there both before the emergency and afterwards.
Caritas also looks to the future, investing in its emergency preparedness and response skills to face emergencies like floods or droughts. It is energetically focused on disaster risk reduction – which means taking steps to lessen the harm done by repeated natural disasters in the same country or area.
Caritas also forges dialogue to prevent the conflicts which cause suffering and loss and works to transform active conflicts into peaceful settlements.
No more will violence be heard in your land, despoiling or breakdown within your boundaries. – (Isaiah 60:18)
Caritas updates on Conflicts & Disasters
This project, in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, offers 800 children and an additional 200 parents from socially precarious and economically disadvantaged backgrounds help and support, in coping with everyday life every year and now more important than ever. At the beginning of the war, many of the project beneficiaries fled to other parts ...
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the southeast of Turkey on February 6th, 2023, changed many people’s lives, including Kamile’s. She used to live in Ovakent and had just finished secondary school. Now, she lives with her family and wants to marry but cannot yet due to economic problems. «When the earthquake destroyed our ...
Yasmine Halalish lives in Aleppo with her husband, Fathi Moustafa, as the stepmother of three children: Raneem, who needs special health care, Tasneem and Mouhammad Moustafa. Their birth mother died. Please tell me about the time after the earthquake. Did you receive any aid? «We did receive aid from Caritas Syria: canned food, hygiene kits ...
One year after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on 6 February 2023, local Caritas organisations, supported by the entire Caritas network, continue to support the local population in dire need. In Turkey, the National Caritas, together with Caritas Anatolia, supported by Caritas Istanbul and Izmir, have been active from the first moments, ...
Caritas Internationalis joins the Global Day of Action organised today, 18 December, in support of #CeasefireNow, the open call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Israel to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and further loss of innocent lives. Caritas Internationalis and several of the Confederation’s 162 national Caritas have joined the initiative, including Caritas MONA (Middle East and North Africa) and ...
For the seven days of pause in hostilities since November 24th, 2023, our dedicated Caritas Jerusalem team, led by our medical consultant Dr Jihad Al Hisi, provided primary health care to the most vulnerable communities in southern Gaza. Across the Gaza Strip, the Israeli bombing has destroyed more than 46,000 homes and otherwise damaged over ...
Nearly 10 years on, terrorism and violence instigated by militia groups continues to threaten the peace and safety of tens and thousands of families throughout Burkina Faso. Since 2015, men, women and children have been forced to flee their homes and leave everything behind. In more recent years, Burkina Faso has witnessed unprecedented levels of ...
Following his recent visit to the Holy Land to support local Caritas Jerusalem staff and volunteers, Alistair Dutton, Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis said, “It was intense and emotional. Caritas staff described their pain, frustration and powerlessness that they are not able to reach their colleagues or help the communities in Gaza. They have set ...
Due to the conflict that broke out in Sudan last April, several men and women have been forced to leave their homes and villages behind in search of safety and for the survival of their families in other parts of the country and beyond, including Chad. In their flight, many displaced families did not have ...
Recent Emergencies
How Caritas works in Conflicts and Disasters
Caritas responds to emergencies across the globe, leads peacebuilding efforts in violence-ridden areas and helps local organisations prepare for potential disasters of all kinds. Learn more.