We're there for children before, during and after disaster strikes.
Emergency Response: When Children Need Us Most
First to Respond, Last to Leave
When disaster strikes, we're there fast. In 2024, we responded to 112 emergencies across 71 countries, reaching 23.8 million people through our Children's Emergency Fund.
From earthquakes to conflict zones, we deliver what children need most – food, water, medical care and safe spaces – while the world watches and long after it looks away.
Our 72-Hour Commitment
Speed saves lives. While other organisations are still mobilising, our pre-positioned supplies and on-the-ground teams mean we can respond within 72 hours of disaster striking. That's the difference between a child receiving urgent medical treatment or not. Between a family getting clean water or drinking contaminated supplies.
What emergency response looks like:
- Medical teams treating injured and sick children in conflict zones
- Child Friendly Spaces providing safety, routine and play amid chaos
- Emergency education programmes keeping learning alive during crisis
- Family reunification services for separated children
- Distribution of food, water, shelter and essential supplies
Where we've been in 2024:
Gaza. Ukraine. Sudan. Myanmar. Afghanistan. The Philippines.
Every major humanitarian crisis. Because when children need help, we don't wait for the situation to become safer.
Gaza crisis
A boy stands before an impact crater at the site of a building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 8, 2024. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
We're outraged that the war in Gaza has resumed after Israeli airstrikes killed over 500 people and injured over 900 people.
Gaza’s children are being bombed in their tents and make-shift shelters as their living nightmare continues. This massacre comes after they’ve been cut off from food and aid.
Children in Gaza are terrified; terrified they may be killed at any moment; terrified that they may not be able to find any more food or water to survive.
Your support can help us can work wherever the need is greatest – whether that’s in Gaza or fighting the longer-term impacts of poverty and climate change worldwide. You can make sure we’re exactly where we need to be to stand with children in crisis.
With your support, we’ll be there for many more children, for as long as they need us, so they can start to recover and see beyond tomorrow.
No matter what the emergency, children always suffer the most.
The world is dangerous and frightening for children right now.
Conflict and natural disasters create food insecurity and threaten millions of children's survival and well-being every year - the need is greater now than ever.
Afghanistan Earthquake
On 31 August 2025, a powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 600 people and injuring over 3,000 — many of them children. Entire communities have been devastated, with homes reduced to rubble and families left without shelter, clean water, or essential supplies. Save the Children teams are on the ground in the worst-hit areas, including Kunar province, delivering urgent health support and life-saving aid.
We’ve worked in Afghanistan since 1976, and our response spans health, nutrition, education, child protection, and more. In the wake of this disaster, children need us more than ever. Your support helps us respond immediately — not only in Afghanistan, but wherever children face emergencies around the world.
Our response in Ukraine
As conflict unfolds, we're aiming to reach 3.5 million vulnerable children. We are distributing essentials, providing cash assistance and offering access to education and mental health support.
Your generosity means we can help Ukrainian children make it through the toughest times of their lives.
But across the world, there are millions more children in desperate danger.
The climate crisis
The link between the climate crisis and children's lives has never been clearer to see, or more difficult to witness. We have to act now.
Almost half of children worldwide are at huge risk from the impacts of the climate crisis as extreme weather destroys crops, livestock and livelihoods.
Families are missing out on the food they need to stay healthy, struggling to pay for school or healthcare and many children have to work to support their families.
Without immediate action, the climate crisis will continue to rob children of their childhood and their futures, especially those living in the poorest places.
Change is possible and a better world for children can be built – but we have to act now.
Frequently Asked questions about our emergency response
What types of emergencies does Save the Children respond to?
We respond to all major humanitarian crises including conflicts and wars, natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, typhoons, droughts), disease outbreaks, and climate-related emergencies. In 2024 and 2025, we were on the ground responding to conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as natural disasters like earthquakes in Afghanistan. We respond to both high-profile crises that dominate headlines and under-reported emergencies that receive little media attention.
How quickly can Save the Children respond to an emergency?
We can respond within 72 hours of disaster striking. This speed is possible because we pre-position essential supplies in strategic locations globally and have staff teams already working in most countries where emergencies occur. Our Emergency Health Unit includes expert doctors, nurses, midwives, and water and sanitation specialists who can deploy immediately to the heart of a crisis.
What kind of help does Save the Children provide in emergencies?
We provide immediate lifesaving support including medical care, food, clean water, shelter, and emergency supplies. We set up Child Friendly Spaces where children can feel safe and continue learning. We provide cash assistance so families can buy what they need most. Our programmes include family reunification services for separated children, psychosocial support for trauma, and education programmes so learning doesn't stop. We also work on anticipatory action – helping communities prepare for predictable disasters before they strike.
Where did Save the Children work in 2024?
In 2024, we responded to 112 emergencies across 71 countries, reaching 23.8 million people. Major responses included Gaza (providing £4.4 million in emergency funding in May alone), Ukraine (supporting 15 local and national partners), Sudan (reaching 3.1 million people), Afghanistan (responding to a 6.0 magnitude earthquake) and Lebanon (pre-positioning supplies ahead of conflict escalation).
How does Save the Children help children in Gaza?
Despite the extremely dangerous context, we continue providing essential services in Gaza including medical care, clean water, cash assistance for families, Child Friendly Spaces, and primary healthcare. We set up a maternity and newborn unit where babies are safely delivered. In May 2024 alone, the Children's Emergency Fund provided £4.4 million for Gaza, allowing us to procure emergency supplies and bridge critical funding gaps.
Does Save the Children stay after the emergency ends?
Yes. We're first to respond and last to leave. While immediate emergency relief is critical, we know children need long-term support to recover and rebuild. After delivering urgent aid, we transition to recovery programmes that help communities become more resilient, including rebuilding schools and health facilities, providing livelihoods support so families can earn income again, and working on disaster preparedness so communities are better equipped for future emergencies.
