SOS Emergency Relief Programmes

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Unlike other types of projects by SOS Children's Villages, emergency relief programmes are not facilities in the original meaning of the word. They are humanitarian actions which are carried out quickly and without a lot of red tape by SOS Children's Villages in order to help suffering people in areas affected by war, crisis or disaster. Place of refuge: SOS Emergency Village in Ngarama, Rwanda - Photo: A. Gabriel SOS Children's Villages makes use of its existing infrastructure and presence in many countries and regions in its efforts to provide the people affected with the urgently needed help in the most efficient way possible. The cooperation with other relief organisations such as ICRC, UNHCR and UNICEF as well as local and governmental authorities has proven very worthwhile in coping with situations of crisis, too. There is a wide range of humanitarian relief actions in case of dire straits. The staff members on the spot are able to act in a flexible manner in order to meet people's needs and help manageable target groups, in particular children and their families, quickly. Over the past decades, SOS Children's Villages has set up food supply centres in famine- and drought-stricken areas, in many cases guaranteeing by that the feeding of children and their families for many years. Emergency relief after the devastating earthquake in Gujarat 2001 - Photo: SOS Archives In the aftermath of natural disasters, emergency accommodation or building material for reconstruction were provided. War refugees and war orphans found safety and security in premises rented for that specific purpose or in newly built homes and were taken care of. Clinics were built, and medical care was provided, vaccination as well as epidemic control programmes were carried out. Children living in crisis areas were taught, they got therapeutic treatment, leisure time activities were organised, wells were sunk, relief supplies of any kind were distributed, and food parcels were provided. In case of disasters of a larger extent, SOS Children's Villages focuses in particular on the area in which it disposes of most competence: giving safety and security to abandoned children by taking them into SOS Children's Villages on a temporary or permanent basis. If the need is such that the capacities of existing SOS Children's Villages facilities are not sufficient, these SOS Emergency Relief Programmes often lead to the construction of new SOS Children's Villages. Quite often, the transition from a short or medium term emergency relief action for children to a permanent facility is typical of the development of many other emergency relief programmes, too. Since in most cases the neediness of the people lasts for several weeks, months or even years, the emergency relief programmes are often continued in permanent SOS Children's Villages facilities such as social or medical centres. And people are also given special services in order to improve their living conditions in the long run (e.g. training possibilities and advice centres).