Emergency Healthcare Response: How We Save Lives in Crisis Zones

When an earthquake destroys a hospital, when conflict forces families to flee, when disease threatens to overwhelm a community—healthcare doesn't stop being essential. It becomes more critical than ever.

Our Emergency Health Unit has spent over a decade making sure children and families get the medical care they need, no matter how remote, dangerous or difficult the crisis. Since its establishment, we've reached more than 5 million children and adults with lifesaving healthcare across 60+ emergency deployments worldwide.

What is the Emergency Health Unit?

Updated January 2026

The Emergency Health Unit is Save the Children's specialist team of doctors, nurses, midwives and crisis healthcare professionals. When disaster strikes—whether it's a cholera outbreak, a refugee crisis or an active conflict zone—our teams are already on their way.

We're built to respond anywhere, anytime. We travel at a moment's notice to the places others can't reach, where children are suffering the most and local healthcare systems have collapsed or been destroyed.

Our track record speaks for itself:

60+ emergency deployments across the past decade
5 million people reached with primary healthcare services
165,000 vaccinations delivered per week at full capacity to prevent disease outbreaks
First WHO-verified maternal and newborn care specialist Emergency Medical Team globally, meeting the World Health Organization's stringent standards for quality and safety
18,000+ health workers trained so communities stay stronger long after we've gone

How Mobile Health Clinics Work

When healthcare infrastructure crumbles, we bring the clinic to the people. Our mobile health clinics are specifically designed to reach families who've been displaced or cut off from medical care.

1. We go where we’re needed : Mobile Health Clinics are deployed to reach people when they’ve been displaced or can’t access a health facility. The clinic might be based in a temporary structure, or carried in vehicles that can set up and pack down quickly. We aim to be no more than one hour’s walking distance of the community we’re treating, so some clinics move frequently.

Mobile health clinics are deployed to reach people when they've been displaced or can't access a health facility. The clinic might be based in a temporary structure, or carried in vehicles that can set up and pack down quickly.

We aim to be no more than one hour's walking distance from the community we're treating. In some contexts, clinics move frequently to stay close to displaced populations.

2. We bring the experts : Save the Children have teams of experts with decades of experience delivering healthcare in challenging environments. We bring these healthcare professionals to the places they’re needed most. If a case needs more urgent care, we organise a referral to a hospital.

Our teams include healthcare professionals with decades of experience delivering care in the world's most challenging environments. These doctors, nurses, maternal health specialists and nutritionists bring expertise directly to where it's needed most.

When a case requires more urgent care, we organise referrals to hospitals. We work within existing health systems wherever possible, supporting rather than replacing local services.

3. We carry lifesaving medicines : Each Mobile Health Clinic contains medicines to treat lots of illnesses and injuries. A typical clinic carries everything from bandages to various antibiotics and medications to treat infections. We also bring vaccines in cool boxes so we can control their temperature safely.

Each mobile health clinic is stocked with medicines to treat a wide range of illnesses and injuries—from bandages and antibiotics to medications for infections and chronic conditions.

We also bring vaccines in temperature-controlled cold boxes, ensuring they remain effective even in extreme heat or remote locations where electricity is unreliable.

4. We bring extra help: Running a Mobile Health Clinic also takes volunteers, community health workers, community representatives and security. Community representatives spread the word to make sure people know where to go. Then Save the Children staff and volunteers work together to set up a triage section and waiting rooms where cases are assessed while security keeps everyone safe.

Running a mobile clinic takes more than medical staff. We work with volunteers, community health workers, community representatives and security personnel to make sure clinics operate safely and effectively.

Community representatives spread the word so people know where to go. Our staff and volunteers then work together to set up triage sections and waiting rooms where cases are assessed, while security keeps everyone safe.

5. We tackle malnutrition : During a crisis, families might not be able to get enough food for their family and children can become malnourished. That’s why we take special fortified peanut paste called Plumpy’Nut or Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) that helps children get the nutrients they need. We also set up places where children can be screened for malnutrition and start their treatment immediately.

During crises, families often can't access enough food. Children become malnourished quickly, which makes them vulnerable to disease and threatens their development.

That's why we bring special fortified peanut paste (known as Plumpy'Nut or Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food) that helps children get the nutrients they need. We also set up screening stations where children can be assessed for malnutrition and start treatment immediately.

6. We help mothers and babies: Even during a crisis, babies are born every day and need care. Save the Children uses Mobile Health clinics to provide maternal and reproductive healthcare to pregnant and new mothers in challenging environments. In some places, we even do this by boat! If a mother is in labour or needs serious help, we quickly refer them to a maternity hospital.

Even during a crisis, babies are born every day and need care. Our mobile health clinics provide maternal and reproductive healthcare to pregnant women and new mothers in challenging environments. In some places, we even deliver these services by boat to reach remote communities.

If a mother is in labour or needs serious help, we quickly refer them to a maternity hospital. In 2024, our team in Gaza set up a new maternity unit where the first baby—Lana—was born safely despite the ongoing conflict.

Meet Our Emergency Health Heroes

Behind every mobile clinic are dedicated professionals who choose to work in some of the world's most difficult conditions.

Here are just a few of the people making this possible:

Doris - Environmental Health Officer, Zambia

Doris is an Environmental Health Officer working for the Ministry of Health. With training from Save the Children, she and her colleagues helped reduce the spread of cholera.

"My main responsibility is to prevent the spread of disease," Doris explains. "We do inspections, disinfection, infection prevention and control, waste management, sanitation and water testing."

Doris (27) is an Environmental Health Officer working on the cholera response in Zambia

Save the Children's Dr Simon Struthers treats Masah* (1) in Gaza.

Simon - Paediatrician, Gaza

Simon is a paediatrician working with our Emergency Health Unit as part of the dedicated team of medical professionals we deploy to respond to crises globally. He previously worked in a field hospital in Rafah.

"We saw acute respiratory infections, malnutrition cases, scabies, hepatitis A," Simon recalls. "I saw more jaundice in the first two weeks than in my whole career."

Sandra - Maternal & Newborn Health Specialist, Uganda

Sandra works in Uganda's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, treating babies with pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions.

"Our work supports the wellbeing of children in these hospitals," Sandra says. "So it feels good being part of a team that is bringing joy to families and their loved ones."

Sandra, SC Uganda's Maternal & Newborn Health Specialist

Sandra, Maternal & Newborn Health Specialist with Save the Children Uganda, at the inpatient paediatric ward at Naguru General Hospital in Kampala, Uganda.

Ahmad* (26), a Nutrition Nurse with Save the Children’s mobile clinic in Afghanistan

Ahmad* is a Nutrition Nurse with Save the Children’s mobile clinic in northern Afghanistan. He is enthusiastic, committed and cares deeply about the children he supports.

Ahmad - Nutrition Nurse, Afghanistan

Ahmad is a nutrition nurse working with our mobile clinic in Afghanistan. His team can see up to 60 patients a day, screening them for malnutrition and providing appropriate treatment.

"I feel proud to help my people who are facing problems," Ahmad explains. "I'm happy that our work helps malnourished children to get better quickly."

We Don't Stop at Immediate Lifesaving Support

Emergency response isn't just about treating the crisis in front of us. It's about making sure communities are stronger and more resilient afterwards.

When we treat a child for malnutrition, we connect their family to cash grants so they can afford food. When we help a mother give birth safely, we ensure she and her baby receive follow-up care.

And when it's time to hand over operations, our quality healthcare continues through local Save the Children teams and community partners. We've trained more than 18,000 health workers across our emergency programmes, ensuring communities can prepare for future challenges long after our Emergency Health Unit has moved on.

*Names changed to protect identities

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Tima* (26) holds her one-day-old baby Lana* at Save the Children's maternity unit in Gaza

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